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Archives of Business Research – Vol. 10, No. 6

Publication Date: June 25, 2022

DOI:10.14738/abr.106.12357. Economou, A. (2022). The Contribution of Circular Tourism to the Sustainable Development of Greece. Archives of Business

Research, 10(6). 29-41

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

The Contribution of Circular Tourism to the Sustainable

Development of Greece

Agisilaos Economou

PhD National Technical University of Athens, Environmentalist

ABSTRACT

Tourism today is an organized activity, which serves a variety of travelers’

entertainment needs, but at the same time brings financial resources to the places

that receive visitors. In other words, it is an economic activity that lies in the laws

of supply and demand. Therefore, the process of tourism development is largely

related to what a place has to offer in terms of natural and cultural resources and

services, and is a positive economic process which brings financial resources to the

place that develops it. However, in many Greek tourist destinations, due to the

increased number of tourists they receive, there is an over-consumption of their

resources and an imbalance in relation to the carrying capacity of the area. As a

solution to the environmental and social problems created by tourism, in the

present work, circular tourism is proposed for Greece. That is, the one who is based

on the respect and preservation of socio-cultural and environmental resources, as

well as the harmonious coexistence of tourists-visitors and employees in the

tourism sector and the local community.

Keywords: Circular tourism; Sustainable Development; Greece.

INTRODUCTION

In recent decades, tourism in Greece has been a dominant development factor, primarily in

island and coastal areas. Especially in recent years, it is the leading industry on which the

economy of the island and coastal areas has been based almost exclusively. This is happening

both in Greece and in the wider Mediterranean area.

However, the positive or negative effects of tourism vary considerably due to the nature,

volume and seasonality of tourism activity in these areas. The seasonal increase of the

population does cause an increase of income in the host region, but at the same time it exerts

intense pressure on the natural and man-made environment by disturbing the balance of the

ecosystem, with the result that tourism is in many cases a constant threat to the sustainability

of that area. In these cases, as is the case in most of the Greek island area, the large travel

agencies determine almost exclusively the tourist destinations and therefore determine the

form and intensity of the concentration and consequently the spatial distribution of

development. The consequence of this is in many cases the inability to serve the desired goals

for local and regional development.

Today, the main features of Greek tourism are the dependence on international tourism which

represents about 77% of the total overnight stays, the seasonality (more than 60% of arrivals

/ overnight stays take place between June and September), the unbalanced distribution of

tourism development (namely, the four main destinations, Athens, Rhodes, Crete and Corfu

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Archives of Business Research (ABR) Vol. 10, Issue 6, June-2022

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

absorb about 65% of the total overnight stays), the lack of adequate infrastructure in most

tourist destinations as well as the inadequacy of qualified staff) [1].

At the same time, other social problems are created, related to the seasonality of work, such as

seasonal unemployment, relocation of labor force, aging of a permanent population. Also,

significant problems arise from the growth of tourism companies, which lead to a contraction

of the smaller ones, which cannot cope with the competition [2].

Additionally, in many cases, the effects of tourism on the environment are negative. Very often

we encounter phenomena such as deforestation and landscaping, alteration of the traditional

housing element with the construction of large hotel units, pollution of the seas by

overcrowding, destruction of the local mountain ecosystem by the construction of ski resorts

and coastal for the establishment of organized beaches, change of natural landscapes to adapt

them to the needs of more modern forms of tourism, such as conference, sports, aesthetic and

health tourism, and other. At the same time, the development of tourism, precisely because of

the economic benefits it brings, erodes the ecological conscience and distorts the cultural and

moral values of the people involved in tourism, who are looking for easy profit in the short term

(as tourism activities are partial employment, for a specific period of time), treat the natural

environment only as a source of economic benefit [3].

Thus, the idea of sustainable and alternative or mild tourism and its sustainable management

was developed. This idea is not so new, however in recent years the effort has been intensified

to put into practice the principles and policies of sustainable tourism and the sustainable

development of tourist areas in general. In Greece there is a delay in this process, although the

effort is evident in many cases. In a time of economic crisis, where national or regional funding

for local development is limited, there is a need (as abroad) for bottom-up development, in

which the local community itself will create the development prospects, through the

cooperation of all bodies for this purpose. A basic condition is the need to improve the social

well-being of all inhabitants, without undermining the ability of future generations to meet

their own needs. Therefore, the issue of the viability of local businesses, social infrastructure,

tackling socio-economic inequalities and the proper use and protection of natural resources, so

that the development of tourism is sustainable, or in other words cyclical. So, in essence, we are

talking about circular tourism.

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

In recent decades, efforts have been intensified to promote a sustainable model of tourism

development. According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO) [4], the development of

sustainable tourism must meet the needs of current tourists and residents of the areas that host

them and at the same time protect and enhance future opportunities for tourism development.

This development leads to the management of resources in such a way that it is possible to meet

the economic, social and aesthetic needs, while maintaining cultural integrity, essential

ecological processes, biodiversity and life support systems in tourism places.

From the Manila Declaration on World Tourism (1980) [5], the UN Conference on Environment

and Development (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), Agenda 21 [6] incorporated into the Maastricht Treaty

by the World Code of Ethics for Tourism (1999) [7] and the global adoption of the 17

Sustainable Development Goals [8] many efforts have been made to analyze in detail the

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Economou, A. (2022). The Contribution of Circular Tourism to the Sustainable Development of Greece. Archives of Business Research, 10(6). 29-41

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/abr.106.12357

negative effects of uncontrolled and one-sided tourism development, and to promote the

development of a new model of tourism development, which will be based on the principles of

sustainability. The conclusions of the above conferences define the principles of sustainable

development and at the same time emphasize the obligation of the global community involved

in tourism development to protect the environment, promoting the development of sustainable

tourism, which presupposes the development of new alternative forms of environmentally

friendly tourism.

According to Kokkosis and Chartas (2001) [9], sustainable tourism development is the tourism

development that operates in a balanced way in the local, social, economic, cultural and

environmental structure of each tourist area, while shaping conditions (services,

infrastructure, know-how) for continuous feedback.

Sustainable tourism seeks to link the economic goals of tourism development with the

conservation of resources that are essential to its existence. The economic development of

tourism is based on the respect and preservation of socio-cultural and environmental

resources, as well as the harmonious coexistence of tourists-visitors and employees in the

tourism sector and the local community [10].

Sustainable tourism development and management is applicable to all forms of tourism and to

all areas of destination, including mass tourism and all alternative forms of tourism. The

principles of sustainability must address both the environment and the economy, but also the

social and cultural conditions of tourism development. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt the

right balance between these four dimensions in order to have long-term viability.

At the same time, sustainable tourism is often referred to as "green tourism", "responsible

tourism" or "alternative tourism" [11].

The key aspects of sustainable tourism development were first articulated at the United Nations

Conference on Environment and Development in Rio, Brazil in 1992 and finalized at the World

Congress in Lanzarote, Spain in 1995. These were the Charter for Tourism and its Environment

[4]:

1. Tourist development should be environmentally friendly now and in the future as well as

economically viable and socially just for local communities.

2. Tourism should be harmonized with the natural, cultural and human environment.

3. Tourism should take into account its effects on the cultural heritage and tradition of the local

community.

4. The active participation of tourism in sustainable development presupposes joint actions and

participation of all public and private sector bodies and effective coordination mechanisms at

all levels (local, regional, national, and others).

5. The protection and promotion of the natural and cultural environment requires cooperation

for cultural, technological, professional and organizational innovations, especially in the

development of tools for integrated planning and management of tourism development.

6. Primary goals in tourism development should be the preservation of the quality of tourist

destinations and the ability to serve tourists in the context of a strategy for sustainable

development.