IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v12y2020i18p7641-d414355.html

Sustainability of Tourism Development in the Mediterranean—Interregional Similarities and Differences

Author

Listed:
  • Smiljana Pivčević

    (Department of Tourism and Economy, Faculty of Economics, Business and Tourism, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia)

  • Lidija Petrić

    (Department of Tourism and Economy, Faculty of Economics, Business and Tourism, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia)

  • Ante Mandić

    (Department of Tourism and Economy, Faculty of Economics, Business and Tourism, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia)

Abstract

This study adjusts the Driving forces–Pressures–State–Impact–Response framework (DPSIR) to analyze the interregional similarities and differences with regard to sustainable tourism development in selected Mediterranean (MED) regions. The study involved three steps. The first step was a critical reflection on sustainable tourism indicators and DPSIR as a grouping approach. The analysis yielded 29 sustainability indicators distributed within four components of the DPSR framework. The data were collected for 54 NUTS 2 level MED regions. In the second step, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) followed by a cluster analysis (CA) were performed to group homogenous regions and generate the Med Regions Cluster Matrix (MRCM). The investigation revealed that although countries in the Mediterranean share many characteristics in terms of tourism development and impacts, universal policies in mitigating the pressures are not appropriate. The main contributions of the study are (1) the application of the DPSIR model in the sustainable tourism context (2) and the analysis of the similarities and differences regarding the sustainability of tourism development in the selected MED regions. The conclusions of the analysis may stimulate the debate on mutual responses and sustainable tourism policy responses in the MED region.

Suggested Citation

  • Smiljana Pivčević & Lidija Petrić & Ante Mandić, 2020. "Sustainability of Tourism Development in the Mediterranean—Interregional Similarities and Differences," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-17, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:18:p:7641-:d:414355
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/18/7641/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/18/7641/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fátima Farinha & Miguel José Oliveira & Elisa M. J. Silva & Rui Lança & Manuel Duarte Pinheiro & Cátia Miguel, 2019. "Selection Process of Sustainable Indicators for the Algarve Region—OBSERVE Project," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-24, January.
    2. Torres-Delgado, Anna & Palomeque, Francesc López, 2014. "Measuring sustainable tourism at the municipal level," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 122-137.
    3. Lozano-Oyola, Macarena & Contreras, Ignacio & Blancas, Francisco Javier, 2019. "An Operational Non-compensatory Composite Indicator: Measuring Sustainable Tourism in Andalusian Urban Destinations," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 1-10.
    4. Estol, Judith & Font, Xavier, 2016. "European tourism policy: Its evolution and structure," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 230-241.
    5. Zsolt Darvas & Jan Mazza & Catarina Midões, 2019. "How to improve European Union cohesion policy for the next decade," Bruegel Policy Contributions 30670, Bruegel.
    6. Haberl, Helmut & Gaube, Veronika & Díaz-Delgado, Ricardo & Krauze, Kinga & Neuner, Angelika & Peterseil, Johannes & Plutzar, Christoph & Singh, Simron J. & Vadineanu, Angheluta, 2009. "Towards an integrated model of socioeconomic biodiversity drivers, pressures and impacts. A feasibility study based on three European long-term socio-ecological research platforms," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(6), pages 1797-1812, April.
    7. Koundouri, Phoebe & Rault, P. Ker & Pergamalis, V. & Skianis, V. & Souliotis, I., 2015. "Development of an integrated methodology for the sustainableenvironmental and socio-economic management of river ecosystems," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 64458, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Yonglian Wang & Jiawei Dou & Han Liu, 2025. "Greening Tourism: How Environmental Regulation Policies Shape Urban Tourism Development in China," SAGE Open, , vol. 15(2), pages 21582440251, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yamilé Pérez Guilarte & Daniel Barreiro Quintáns, 2019. "Using Big Data to Measure Tourist Sustainability: Myth or Reality?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-19, October.
    2. Prakoso Havidz Ageng & Syahputri Gusti C. A. & Roziqin Ali & Syaprin Zahidi M., 2023. "Research trajectory on tourism policy: a bibliometric overview," European Journal of Tourism, Hospitality and Recreation, Paradigm, vol. 13(1), pages 56-66, December.
    3. Kyriaki Glyptou & Nikos Kalogeras & Dimitrios Skuras & Ioannis Spilanis, 2022. "Clustering Sustainable Destinations: Empirical Evidence from Selected Mediterranean Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-21, May.
    4. Adina Letiţia Negruşa & Valentin Toader & Aurelian Sofică & Mihaela Filofteia Tutunea & Rozalia Veronica Rus, 2015. "Exploring Gamification Techniques and Applications for Sustainable Tourism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(8), pages 1-30, August.
    5. Palazzo, Maria & Vollero, Agostino & Vitale, Pierluigi & Siano, Alfonso, 2021. "Urban and rural destinations on Instagram: Exploring the influencers’ role in #sustainabletourism," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    6. Carlos J. Pardo Abad & José Fernández Álvarez, 2020. "Landscape as Digital Content and a Smart Tourism Resource in the Mining Area of Cartagena-La Unión (Spain)," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-21, April.
    7. Tomáš Oleš & Martin Hudcovský, 2024. "Impact of Cohesion Funds on Convergence Club's Economic Growth," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(4), December.
    8. Hubeau, Marianne & Marchand, Fleur & Coteur, Ine & Mondelaers, Koen & Debruyne, Lies & Van Huylenbroeck, Guido, 2017. "A new agri-food systems sustainability approach to identify shared transformation pathways towards sustainability," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 52-63.
    9. Ioannis Souliotis & Nikolaos Voulvoulis, 2021. "Natural Capital Accounting Informing Water Management Policies in Europe," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-24, October.
    10. Attila Buzási & Bettina Szimonetta Jäger, 2021. "Exploratory Analysis of Urban Sustainability by Applying a Strategy-Based Tailor-Made Weighting Method," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-18, June.
    11. Hjalager, Anne-Mette, 2020. "Land-use conflicts in coastal tourism and the quest for governance innovations," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    12. Nina Eisenmenger & Stefan Giljum & Stephan Lutter & Alexandra Marques & Michaela C. Theurl & Henrique M. Pereira & Arnold Tukker, 2016. "Towards a Conceptual Framework for Social-Ecological Systems Integrating Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services with Resource Efficiency Indicators," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-15, February.
    13. Guarascio, Dario & Reljic, Jelena & Stöllinger, Roman, 2025. "Diverging paths: AI exposure and employment across European regions," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 11-24.
    14. D’Arco, Mario & Lo Presti, Letizia & Marino, Vittoria & Maggiore, Giulio, 2021. "Is sustainable tourism a goal that came true? The Italian experience of the Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    15. Muhammad Ashraf Fauzi, 2025. "Sustainable tourism and sustainable development goals (SDGs): a state-of-the-art review of past, present, and future trends," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 27(2), pages 2841-2862, February.
    16. Wen Qin & Weilong Li & Yanli Peng & Juan Su, 2026. "Rigid versus flexible: The effect of destination revitalization policy on tourists’ travel behavioral intention," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 21(5), pages 1-23, May.
    17. Mahmut Barakazı, 2023. "Unsustainable Tourism Approaches in Touristic Destinations: A Case Study in Turkey," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-17, March.
    18. Wei Guo & Xin Zhang, 2022. "Regional Tourism Performance Research: Knowledge Foundation, Discipline Structure, and Academic Frontier," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(1), pages 21582440221, March.
    19. Yessica C. Y. Chung & Motoi Kusadokoro & Hung‐Hao Chang & Yukinobu Kitamura, 2025. "Rural tourism promotion policy and rural hospitality enterprises performance: Empirical evidence from Japan," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(3), pages 815-832, July.
    20. Garashchuk, Anna & Castillo, Fernando Isla & Rivera, Pablo Podadera, 2023. "Economic cohesion and development of the European Union's regions and member states - A methodological proposal to measure and identify the degree of regional economic cohesion," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:18:p:7641-:d:414355. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager The email address of this maintainer does not seem to be valid anymore. Please ask MDPI Indexing Manager to update the entry or send us the correct address (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.