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Environmental and Cultural Tourism in Heritage-Led Regions—Performance Assessment of Cultural-Ecological Complexes Using Multivariate Data Envelopment Analysis

Author

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  • Karima Kourtit

    (Faculty of Management, Open University of the Netherlands (OU), 6419 AT Heerlen, The Netherlands
    Erasmus School of Economics, Erasmus University, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands
    Faculty of Economics and Business, Rijeka University, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
    School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China)

  • Peter Nijkamp

    (Faculty of Economics and Business, Rijeka University, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
    School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China)

  • Soushi Suzuki

    (Faculty of Engineering, Hokkai-Gakuen University, Sapporo 064-0926, Japan)

Abstract

Cultural and ecological heritage is often an essential ingredient for sustainable urban and regional regeneration and needs to be properly managed for an environment-benign development. Many heritage-led areas in Europe, named here ‘cultural-ecological complexes’ (CECs), seek a sustainable, regenerative, and actionable strategy. Our study aims to identify successful CECs from the viewpoint of their transformative cultural potential, assessed through surveys among visitors and residents. The research focuses on the assessment of seven Cultural-Ecological Complexes (CECs) in Europe: Karlsborg (Sweden), Mark (Sweden), Larnaca (Cyprus), Basilicata (Italy), Huesca (Spain), Vojvodina (Serbia), and Sibiu (Romania/Moldova). The European areas under study are selected on the basis of their transformative cultural tourism profile and potential, with the aim of tracing a balanced, sustainable development and a positive regenerative or circular transition. Each CEC was analyzed based on its transformative cultural potential and sustainability impact using multivariate Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Each region under consideration comprises a set of ‘information agents’, in particular visitors and residents, who may be regarded as informal stakeholders providing crucial or decisive information and guidelines on the sustainability situation in the region and on ways to proceed to transformative cultural tourism. This novel approach is essentially a form of citizen-based or agent-based co-creation. In our study, empirical information on the perceptions, preferences, and involvement of such agents was collected through systematically structured and consistently administered surveys among hundreds of participants (visitors, residents, etc.) in seven CECs in Europe. The research methodology is based on a blend of multivariate statistics (in particular, Principal Component Analysis—PCA) and spatial efficiency analysis (using Data Envelopment Analysis—DEA). The agents in each region are conceived of as spatial decision-making units (DMUs) in a DEA framework. Our DEA assessment model contains a multiscalar structure organized in a cascadic and interactive form with two constituents, namely cultural-ecological areas (CECs) and place-based information agents. The findings from this novel Multivariate DEA provide generic directives for an enhancement of the cultural-ecological performance for CECs and offer quantitative information for place-based efficiency-improving strategies of CECs in various contexts.

Suggested Citation

  • Karima Kourtit & Peter Nijkamp & Soushi Suzuki, 2025. "Environmental and Cultural Tourism in Heritage-Led Regions—Performance Assessment of Cultural-Ecological Complexes Using Multivariate Data Envelopment Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-30, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:13:p:5871-:d:1687783
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    References listed on IDEAS

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