The Impact of Tourist Activities on Low-Density Territories: Evaluation Frameworks, Lessons, and Policy Recommendations

This book tackles the question of how tourism development and suitable policies can be used to promote sustainable development in Low-Density Territories (LDTs). The respective chapters, written by prominent experts, identify the problems associated with LDTs; highlight the comparative advantages of these territories with regard to tourism; propose methodologies for assessing the impact of tourism; and present case studies on the application of sustainable policies in tourism. Given its scope, it will be especially interesting for academics and researchers investigating LDTs and sustainable tourism, and for policymakers interested in developing these territories.

LDTs represent an economic challenge, especially because most of them are home to an increasingly ageing population unable to pursue economic development. In these territories, tourism is emerging as an excellent opportunity to promote innovative dynamics, to lure investment, and to attract new people. However, it is important to promote sustainable tourism, which preserves the environment and communities’ quality of life.

The Chapter ＂Tourism, immigrants and lifestyle entrepreneurship: The (In)coming of people as a key factor for sustainability of low-density territories - A case study in Portugal＂ is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

Rui Pedro Marques is Professor at the Higher Institute of Accounting and Administration (ISCA-UA), University of Aveiro (Portugal), and lectures courses on information systems. His main research interests are related to continuous assurance and auditing, and the integration of information systems into those topics, contributing with solutions to improve the risk management and organizational efficiency. He is also a researcher at the Algoritmi research centre (University of Minho, Portugal), at the Information Systems and Technologies for Transformation of Organizations and Society (ISTTOS) research group.

Ana Isabel Melo is an AssociateProfessor at the School of Technology and Management (ESTGA-UA) of the University of Aveiro (Portugal), and a researcher at the Centre for Research in Higher Education Policies (CIPES). Her publications include articles in journals such as Public Management Review, International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, European Planning Studies and The Leadership Quarterly. She is also a regular contributing author to chapters published in books by Palgrave and Springer.

Maria Manuela Natário directs the economic scientific area of the Department of Management and Economics of Polytechnic of Guarda (Portugal) and teaches on innovation and creativity, competitiveness and the economy. She is also a Research Fellow at the Research Unit for Inland Development (Portugal). Her main interests include economics of innovation, innovation and competitiveness. She has published articles in international journals such as the Journal of Business Economics and Management, Journal of the American Academy of Business, Journal of Comparative International Management, Journal of Knowledge-based Innovation in China, Investigaciones Regionales and Revista de Estudios Regionales. She has also contributed chapters to scholarly books.

Ricardo Biscaia is Assistant Professor at the Polytechnic of Porto and at University of Aveiro (Portugal). He is also an Associate Researcher at the Centre for Research in Higher Education Policies (CIPES). His main research interests are in the fields of industrial economics, regional and urban economics and higher education policies, the latter being focused on higher education funding and bibliometrics. Some of his work has been published in several journals such as Public Administration Review, Papers in Regional Science, Applied Economics, Higher Education, Studies in Higher Education, and the Cambridge Journal of Economics.