Application of the Affinities Theory to the environmental sustainability of tourist destinations: The case of Ljubljana

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dc.contributor.affiliationPontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. CENTRUM
dc.contributor.authorBarcellos-Paula, L.
dc.contributor.authorCastro-Rezende, A.
dc.contributor.authorGil-Lafuente, A.M.
dc.date.accessioned2026-03-13T16:59:04Z
dc.date.issued2024
dc.description.abstractSustainability has become a critical concern for many destinations seeking to revitalize their tourism industry while also dealing with issues stemming from climate change. To address these challenges, practical strategies to manage the harmful effects of the environmental crisis are necessary. Despite the critical role of sustainability, there still needs to be more practical solutions for implementing it in practice. The article aims to (i) broaden the discussion on sustainable tourism and solutions to reduce the impacts of climate change, and (ii) to understand the relationships of affinities between pro-environmental initiatives and the characteristics of the destination based on the perceptions of tourists who visit the city of Ljubljana. This study analyses tourist perception in an urban destination focusing on reducing carbon footprint and promoting sustainable development. Through a case study and the application of Affinities Theory, a specific algorithm to recognise affinity connections, a database with 372 international tourists who visited Ljubljana is utilised. This study has an explanatory goal and uses a comprehensive method (quantitative-qualitative). The findings confirmed that the characteristics of the destination most relevant to the tourist are Sustainable, Environmentally Friendly, and Safe. The research acknowledged practical approaches to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of tourism. The results could assist managers and policymakers in formulating sustainability-based strategies and reducing decision-making uncertainty. Also, it deepens the theoretical understanding of sustainable tourism and climate change mitigation strategies using a modelling and simulation method that other researchers can replicate in different contexts. This innovative research employs the Affinities Theory to assess Ljubljana's urban sustainability, examining how environmental practices can help reduce climate change's impact and how tourists perceive these practices.
dc.description.sponsorshipFunding: Regardless of a growing trend in sustainability and environmental behaviour due to the visible effects of climate change (Haba et al., 2023), further research is needed to address existing gaps. Firstly, studying tourist behaviour is crucial for aligning policies and industry practices with changing consumer trends to promote sustainable tourism, including investigating tourist perception (Ghosh et al., 2024). Secondly, many organizations have set guidelines to promote eco-friendly tourism and resilience in the industry (European Commission, 2022; WTTC, 2021). However, progress toward these goals must be improved (Matei et al., 2023; Scott et al., 2023), along with sustainable tourism governance, which is vital to success (Song and Kang, 2023). Then, it is decisive to understand the connection between tourism sustainability, nature affinity, and social engagement behaviour to achieve it (Diallo et al., 2022). Thirdly, sustainability in tourism is still challenging due to its lack of a practical approach (Mihalic et al., 2021) and exploring how new technologies, such as sustainable transportation, can contribute to practical applications and reduce the tourism industry's carbon footprint (Agarwal et al., 2024; Ghosh et al., 2024). Fourthly, insufficient literature exists on the connection between climate change mitigation and tourism (Ghosh et al., 2024; Scott et al., 2023; Scott and Gössling, 2022), including tourism essential tools (Peeters et al., 2024). A cleaner growth could reduce climate uncertainty and stabilise socio-economic outcomes (Ghosh et al., 2024). Fifthly, there are opportunities for studying pro-environmental behaviour using different methods, such as case studies, mixed methods, and experiments to study behavioural changes (Loureiro et al., 2022). The current methodologies, scope, and traditions of tourism research hinder the effective investigation into climate change (Peeters et al., 2024). Sixthly, it is essential to deepen the scientific study findings on tourists' perceptions ofLjubljana as an environmentally friendly destination (Bilynets et al., 2023), understanding effective policies that support consumers' pro-sustainability beliefs helping tourists overcome barriers to sustainable action (Haba et al., 2023). Seventh, little research has been done on the growth of urban tourism about sustainable tourism and regional development (Tyagi, 2024). Also, there is a lack of clarity in understanding the problem and limited interaction between stakeholders, indicating a need to adopt tangible measures and government guidance adapting the urban tourism sector to climate change needs (Lopes et al., 2022).The authors thank the Cátedra sobre sostenibilidad empresarial UB-Fundación Mutua Madrileña en colaboración con la Real Academia de Ciencias Económicas y Financieras (RACEF). Research supported by Red Sistemas Inteligentes y Expertos Modelos Computacionales Iberoamericanos (SIEMCI), project number 522RT0130 in Programa Iberoamericano de Ciencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo (CYTED).
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.clrc.2024.100216
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14657/206158
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.relation.ispartofurn:issn:2666-7843
dc.rightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.sourceCleaner and Responsible Consumption; Vol. 14 (2024)
dc.subjectSustainability
dc.subjectSustainable tourism
dc.subjectAffinities theory
dc.subjectFuzzy logic
dc.subjectLjubljana
dc.subjectEnvironmental practices
dc.subject.ocdehttps://purl.org/pe-repo/ocde/ford#5.04.02
dc.titleApplication of the Affinities Theory to the environmental sustainability of tourist destinations: The case of Ljubljana
dc.typehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
dc.type.otherArtículo
dc.type.versionhttps://vocabularies.coar-repositories.org/version_types/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85/

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