nep-tur New Economics Papers
on Tourism Economics
Issue of 2026–02–16
two papers chosen by
Laura Vici, Università di Bologna


  1. Tourism carrying capacity as dynamic property of complex socio-ecological systems By Raimondo, Sebastian; Biondani, Martino; Giupponi, Carlo
  2. Travel Agencies and Virtual Tourism: When Technological Innovation Supports Global Sector Resilience. By Al Said Ahmat

  1. By: Raimondo, Sebastian; Biondani, Martino; Giupponi, Carlo
    Abstract: Overtourism is not just overcrowding: it is a systemic imbalance sustained by feedbacks between visitors, residents’ welfare, the performance of local facilities, and environmental quality. Tourism carrying capacity sits at the centre of overtourism research and policy, yet it is still commonly operationalised as static visitor limits, implicitly assuming that thresholds could be set without accounting for the feedbacks they are meant to regulate. Here we introduce a minimal dynamical model that retains the essential feedbacks through which residents, tourists, economic capital, and environmental quality co-evolve. From this model, a formal definition of tourism carrying capacity emerges as a state-dependent quantity shaped by economic conditions, environmental quality, and social responses, and tempered by congestion and competitive pressure. Crucially, capacity alone is a weak planning target: sustainability depends on the long-run regime selected by the coupled system, and on how that regime shifts under perturbations. A bifurcation analysis of policy-relevant parameters maps tipping points and the resulting regime structure, from stable coexistence to multistability and sustained oscillations, including overtourism outcomes where tourism and capital persist while residents and environmental quality collapse. Overall, the results clarify, in a unified and rigorous setting, why capacity thresholds may inadequately reflect the dynamic complexity of tourism systems, and how integrated dynamical analyses can inform more robust policy design.
    Keywords: Climate Change, Environmental Economics and Policy, Sustainability
    Date: 2026–02–02
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:feemwp:391379
  2. By: Al Said Ahmat (MAGELLAN - Laboratoire de Recherche Magellan - UJML - Université Jean Moulin - Lyon 3 - Université de Lyon - Institut d'Administration des Entreprises (IAE) - Lyon)
    Abstract: The tourism sector, particularly vulnerable to health and security crises, highlights the structural weaknesses of travel agencies. In this unstable context, organizational resilience becomes a major issue. Technological innovations, especially virtual tourism, are emerging as strategic levers to overcome certain constraints, enhance customer experience, and expand access to new markets. In addition to supporting the attractiveness of tourism offers, these tools can contribute to more sustainable tourism by reducing the over-visitation of certain destinations. However, their deployment raises challenges in terms of costs, adoption, and territorial inequalities. This research explores how travel agencies appropriate virtual tourism tools to reinvent their business models, increase their competitiveness, and strengthen their adaptability. It revolves around the following question: how are these technologies transforming agency practices in the context of industry transformation? Socio-economic and managerial impact of the articleVirtual tourism generates multiple impacts such as social, economic, and managerial. Socially, it broadens access to cultural experiences while reducing the carbon footprint, thus contributing to more inclusive and sustainable tourism. Economically, it pushes stakeholders to rethink their business models by adopting hybrid and flexible structures, enhancing their adaptability in times of crisis. However, its implementation depends on significant technological investments and strategic collaborations. From a managerial standpoint, this transition requires a redefinition of strategies, the upskilling of teams in digital tools, and more agile governance capable of steering innovation in an unstable environment. Although its development is hindered by the diversity of application contexts, virtual tourism opens new perspectives. This study thus highlights its potential to durably transform the sector, while laying the foundations for a more resilient and innovative ecosystem.
    Abstract: Le secteur du tourisme, particulièrement vulnérable aux crises sanitaires et sécuritaires, met en lumière les fragilités structurelles des agences de voyage. Dans ce contexte instable, la résilience organisationnelle devient un enjeu majeur. Les innovations technologiques, notamment le tourisme virtuel, émergent comme des leviers stratégiques permettant de surmonter certaines contraintes, d'améliorer l'expérience client et d'élargir l'accès à de nouveaux marchés. En plus de soutenir l'attractivité des offres, ces outils peuvent contribuer à un tourisme plus soutenable, en limitant la sur-fréquentation de certaines destinations. Néanmoins, leur déploiement pose des défis en termes de coûts, d'appropriation et d'inégalités territoriales. Cette recherche interroge la manière dont les agences de voyage s'approprient les dispositifs de tourisme virtuel pour réinventer leurs modèles économiques, accroître leur compétitivité et renforcer leur capacité d'adaptation. Elle s'articule autour de la question suivante : comment ces technologies transforment-elles les pratiques des agences dans un contexte de mutation du secteur ? L'impact socio-économique et managérial de l'article Le tourisme virtuel génère des impacts multiples à la fois sociaux, économiques et managériaux. Socialement, il élargit l'accès aux expériences culturelles tout en réduisant l'empreinte carbone, contribuant ainsi à un tourisme plus inclusif et durable. Économiquement, il pousse les acteurs à repenser leurs modèles d'affaires en adoptant des structures hybrides et flexibles, renforçant leur capacité d'adaptation en période de crise. Toutefois, sa mise en œuvre dépend d'investissements technologiques conséquents et de collaborations stratégiques. Sur le plan managérial, cette transition implique une refonte des stratégies, une montée en compétences numériques des équipes et une gouvernance plus réactive, capable d'orienter l'innovation dans un environnement instable. Bien que son développement soit freiné par la diversité des contextes d'application, le tourisme virtuel ouvre de nouvelles perspectives. L'étude met ainsi en évidence son potentiel pour transformer durablement le secteur, tout en posant les bases d'un écosystème plus résilient et innovant.
    Keywords: Travel agencies, Organizational resilience, Strategic adaptation, Virtual tourism, Virtual tourism Strategic adaptation Organizational resilience Travel agencies
    Date: 2025–11–08
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05370423

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