Antonio Almeida (p), Luís Machado da Luz

Gesa Witt

There have been a number of studies trying to capture the economic dynamics of small islands on the basis of their economic structures proxied by the rate of GDP growth and sources of financing. Several standard models – MIRAB and the Tourism-Led Growth Hypothesis (TLGH)– have been proposed to explain the main sources of growth and other factors such as the historical paths of development and the existence of links wit patron economies. Other studies focused on the impact of political systems and governance institutions. In this study we look at a relatively understudied region, Madeira, in order to identify the sources of growth based on enlarged TLGH model, that includes proxies for the stock of capital, evolution of the availability of qualified human resources and access to external funding. This study also signals on the extent to which the existing theoretical approaches available to study the economies of islands must adopt a more political economy approach.

Olivier Naria (p), Philippe Jean-Pierre

Antonio Almeida

From the "Adonnino Report" by the Citizens' Europe Committee in 1985 to the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009, the European Union has gradually recognised the importance of sport in society. As a result, EU public policies on sport target multiple dimensions, supporting the role of sport in society and social inclusion (Thiel, Petry, Parker, 2012), evaluating the economic impact of sporting events and the management of sports organisations (Downward, Dawson, 2000), or examining the issues of regulating sportspeople or transnational cooperation (García, Houlihan, 2017).

In the specific context of the EU's outermost regions, which are characterised by distinct geographical, economic and environmental challenges, the question of whether sport can genuinely contribute to economic development is of particular importance. These regions, often remote from the European mainland, face unique challenges linked to geographical isolation, environmental vulnerability and socio-economic disparities. This issue raises crucial considerations about the capacity of sport to act as a vehicle for economic, social and environmental development in these peripheral territories of the EU.

Following the contributions of Herod and Wright (2009), (see also Bale, Christensen, 2004; Giulianotti, Nicholson, 2012), it has been widely recognised that sport is no longer solely about performance but can influence regional development by playing a non-negligible role in the economic growth of many countries (Sobry C., Hozhabri K, 2022; Rekdal & McDowemm, 2013; Gásquez & Royuela, 2014). However, the literature has not addressed this dimension in the ORs (Naria, 2013).
Our study aims to scrutinise the different facets of sport as a propellant of regional development, focusing on how it can be mobilised to mitigate particular challenges and stimulate sustainable change in these island territories. Through this exploration, we will seek to unveil the opportunities and challenges inherent in integrating sport into a sustainable development strategy for the ORs.

In order to answer these questions, we first propose a review of the state of the art, which presents the relevance of sport in the development of these remote territories. Then, using an econometric study, we will take an empirical approach to the situation in the outermost regions in order to measure the influence of sport on the growth dynamics of the economy of these remote territories. We have identified 6 key areas in which sport seems to influence the development of these remote areas, such as the economy, health, education, social cohesion and tourism.

Isabele Valente (p), Ana Azevedo

Olivier Naria

The modern world acknowledges the societal fabric built by tradition and emergency with hints of brightness and shade. A dialectical framework like this opens the door for continued investigation into the social, cultural, and economic effects. Specifically, a thorough discussion about humanitarian issues that opens up fresh perspectives on justice, citizenship, and peace. This inspiration fostered the creation of a new idea called “plenipheral” citizenship (just translated into English from its original Portuguese definition). The concept unfolds semantic, political, and ideological movements, from the periphery to the centre. With a great deal of promise for the future, the so-called Outermost Regions of the European Union and their population, express a desire to be acknowledged as European Geographic locations by the EU and its institutions. This research celebrates the utopic movement of a regional paradise that is centred on justice and peace and looks toward deeper integration between the European Union and, ideally, other continents.

Gesa Witt (p), Amelie Bernzen

Isabel Valente

A number of special challenges related to spatial contextualities are evolving from different pressures to social and ecological issues in small island tourism destinations. As is frequently the case for the more popular small island destinations, tourism is perceived both as a blessing and as a curse. Recent literature on overtourism has highlighted conflicts evolving through the economic dependence on the tourism sector and its negative effects on the quality of life for islanders. This paper argues that degrowth approaches can provide a solution to established problems arising from neoliberal market dynamics by taking the well-being of the islands’ population centre stage. We thereby add to the recent uptake of degrowth approaches in the field of tourism, while acknowledging previous related research on sustainable tourism development, limits to growth, carrying capacities or community resilience. Our analysis of degrowth notions focuses on one of the most pressing issues at present, that of (the lack of) affordable housing for residents and seasonal staff while at the same time seeking to further explore the role of the limited amount of space as a potential catalyst for evolving conflicts between locals and guests and thereby necessitating awareness of regional tourism destinations for their responsibility to offer sustainable tourism which benefits both locals and guests. Results suggest that adding the dimension of degrowth approaches to the process of governing tourism-induced land use conflicts may serve as a leverage point for keeping in mind and enhancing the quality of life of the island´s residents, for example through focussing on degrowth as a form of labour-intensive development.