Dr. Janeth González Rubio (p), Dr. Alexander Blandón López (p), M.A Yurany Alejandra Orozco Tellez

Nature tourism has positioned itself as one of the most dynamic alternatives within the global tourism industry, stimulated by interest in authentic and responsible experiences in the face of environmental challenges. In this context, the city of Ibague (Colombia) is emerging as a territory with high potential, thanks to its rich landscape, culture, and ecology, represented in areas such as the Combeima Canyon and a wide range of adventure and ecotourism activities
However, this potential faces challenges associated with poor institutional coordination, weak long-term planning, and the limited capacity for innovation of local businesses, which are mostly micro-enterprises with financial and organizational constraints. These conditions have hindered Ibague's consolidation as a competitive destination in national and international markets, where demand is increasingly oriented toward personalized, sustainable, and high-quality experiences.
This study analyzes the relationship between sustainability, business management, and competitiveness in organizations dedicated to nature tourism in Ibague. It adopts Ritchie & Crouch's destination management model as a reference, which integrates key factors such as the strategic use of resources, marketing, information management, and service quality. It is argued that the competitiveness of a tourism company does not depend exclusively on internal factors over which it has control, but is also influenced by the actors and forces characteristic of both its industry and the general environment at the local-regional, national, and international levels. From a methodological point of view, based on a descriptive-correlational approach, interviews were conducted with institutional actors and development plans and public policies were reviewed in order to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities in the sector.
Ibague has the potential to establish itself as a benchmark for nature tourism in Colombia. Microenterprises were found to be the predominant organizational structure, with around 75% of respondents belonging to this segment. The most representative providers of nature tourism in Ibague belong to the rural accommodation (farms) category, which also offers restaurant services, followed by travel agencies. The main distinctive activities in nature tourism are hiking and bird watching; among travel agencies, adventure tourism stands out. Finally, it is concluded that there is a lack of knowledge about the actions carried out in the sector and weak coordination between public and private actors. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the destination in a comprehensive manner, since both cultural and nature tourism products are essential and complementary to positioning Ibague as a tourist destination (Orozco, González, & Blandón, 2025).

Dr. Catherine Laidin (p), Dr Carole Ropars-Collet

The fishing industry is rethinking its economic activities in the face of difficulties accessing fishery resources linked to Brexit, the deterioration of certain fish stocks and contamination affecting shellfish farming. The EU-funded FISATUR project is examining how tourism could provide new income streams and support the blue economy within the fishing and aquaculture sectors.

This article contributes to fisheries-related tourism and diversification research by: (1) empirically demonstrating how actor configurations shape the emergence of tourism as a diversification tool in fisheries-dependent coastal areas, and (2) showing how discrete-choice and latent class approaches can inform policy and business decisions in emerging blue economy niches.

Drawing on a Brittany case study — a key fisheries region accounting for around 45% of French landings and experiencing significant tourism growth — this paper employs a mixed-methods design combining a qualitative multiple case study of supply with a stated-preference choice experiment on demand. First, a two-step inventory is used to characterise initiatives related to fishing, aquaculture, and maritime heritage, and to develop a typology of organisations and their tourism products and services. This is based on online and field identification, as well as 36 qualitative interviews. Second, a choice experiment built around bundles of activities and price levels is conducted with a survey of 336 Brittany residents and tourists. Discrete choice models are then used to estimate demand and willingness to pay for activities linked to fisheries and maritime heritage, taking into account visitor heterogeneity.

The results reveal that, although maritime tourism is crucial for coastal economies and identities, its foundations are fragile. It mediates between visitors, marine environments and maritime professions, but it is highly sensitive to seasonality, weather, environmental quality and purchasing power. Furthermore, despite low visibility and unstable business models, stakeholders must professionalise and comply with stricter regulations while 'greening' their practices. Analysis of demand shows a strong willingness to engage in sea-based environmental activities, whereas products that are more cultural or heritage-oriented mainly appeal to niche markets. Three segments have been identified — committed ecotourists, moderate explorers and traditional tourists — that can inform the design and marketing of fisheries-related tourism products.

Ms. Antonia Koutsopoulou, Dr. Spyros Niavis (p), Dr. Dora Papatheochari, Prof. Dimitris Kallioras

Tourism development in the Mediterranean basin has historically followed linear, mass tourism models, concentrating visitors in environmentally sensitive coastal areas and relying heavily on intensive resource use. This has exacerbated environmental degradation, increased pressure on coastal ecosystems and heightened the vulnerability of tourism-dependent regions to climate and economic instabilities. While tourism remains a major economic pillar, its long-term sustainability increasingly depends not only on policy ambition but also on destinations' capacity to monitor, evaluate, and adapt interventions. Research emphasizes that implementation failures often arise from insufficient information systems capable of supporting adaptive decision-making.
In tourism destinations, where multiple actors operate across sectors and governance levels, information gaps are amplified by fragmented responsibilities, inconsistent reporting practices and uneven technical capacities. These challenges constrain the effectiveness of sustainability initiatives and the integration of cross-sectoral data systems, hindering the ability to anticipate and respond to emerging pressures like climate change, biodiversity loss and seasonal over-tourism.
In rexponse, the RECIRCLE MED project aims to integrate blue and circular economy principles into coastal tourism by conceptualizing tourism as a regenerative socio-ecological system. The project conducted a structured assessment across four Mediterranean destinations—Cefalù (Italy), Bar (Montenegro), Ohrid (North Macedonia), and Pomorie (Bulgaria)—to evaluate the availability of information required for decision-making and identify data gaps. The analysis shows that many measures exist but lack accessible data, revealing implementation constraints. This lack of data limits verification, monitoring and learning, highlighting the need for improved data infrastructure to enhance the transparency and adaptability of sustainability initiatives.
By focusing on data gaps, the paper reframes the interpretation of policy presence, stressing that robust data systems are key to effective sustainability governance. The existence of policies alone does not guarantee successful implementation or progress. Without reliable data, it’s difficult to monitor, evaluate, or adapt strategies. Strengthening data collection, monitoring systems, and improving institutional coordination are crucial for overcoming these challenges. This would allow for more informed decision-making, better tracking of policy outcomes, and ultimately, the development of more resilient and adaptive tourism strategies in the Mediterranean.