The selection of the renewable energy system schemes in tourist resorts is a multi-criteria decision problem. This paper firstly establishes an evaluation criteria system which comprises three main ...criteria and nine sub-criteria for the renewable energy system. Then Vlsekriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) method is adopted to rank the renewable energy system schemes. Finally, six renewable energy system schemes in a tourist resort are selected to demonstrate the proposed method. The results indicate that the weight of economy, technology and environment are 0.6, 0.2 and 0.2 respectively. And the general weights of the sub-criteria are: 0.348 (B11), 0.186 (B12), 0.066 (B13), 0.086 (B21), 0.086 (B22), 0.028 (B23), 0.04 (B31), 0.12 (B32) and 0.04 (B33). The general weight of the investment cost and the annual operation cost accounts for a relatively large proportion, which is 34.8% and 18.6% respectively. The ranking order of the six schemes based on Qj, Sj, and Rj are Q2>Q6>Q5>Q4>Q3>Q1, S2>S6>S4>S5>S1>S3 and R6>R2>R5>R3>R4>R1 respectively. After a compromise, the final ranking results are: Scheme 2, Scheme 6 > Scheme 5, Scheme 4 > Scheme 3, Scheme 1. This study can provide guidance for the decision makers to determine the renewable energy system scheme in tourist resorts.
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•The choice of energy system in tourist resorts is particularly important.•A criteria system for the energy system in tourist resorts is established.•A decision model combining quantitative and qualitative data is established.•The rank of the weight is: economy (0.6), technology (0.2), and environment (0.2).•The group benefits and individual regrets are compromised in the solutions.
Per- and polyfluorolkyl substances (PFAS) were measured in the water and fish from 20 coastal tourist resorts in China, to investigate their sources, seasonal differences, and bioconcentration. An ...oxidative method with hydroxyl radicals was used to extract potential perfluoroalkyl acid (PFAA) precursors in the water of resorts. The results indicated that the total concentrations of target chemicals (i.e., ΣPFAS) in the original water were 59.4–138, 32.7–77.2, and 14.6–29.9 ng L−1 in December, April, and August, respectively. C4–C10 perfluorocarboxlate (PFCA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) accounted for 67%–92% of the ΣPFAS contents in all water samples. The PFAS concentrations in the muscles and liver of fish were 16.0–162 ng g−1 ww and 186–1240 ng g−1 ww, respectively. The dominant compounds were perfluorobutanoate acid (PFBA) and PFOS in the water, and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and PFOS in fish tissues. High bioconcentration were observed for PFCA (C ≥ 8) and perfluorosulfonate (PFSA, C ≥ 6). After oxidative conversion, the water exhibited a noticeable increase in the ΣPFAS value. Precursors that generated C4–C9 PFCA were more prevalent than precursors that generated other PFCA upon oxidation. The concentration of C8-based precursor was higher than that of C6-based precursor in wet and dry seasons. This study is the first to apply an oxidative method to investigate PFAS pollution in the water of coastal tourist resorts. The results verified that PFAA precursors exist in the water of coastal tourist resorts, and more attention should be given to the existence of PFAA precursors and the safety of water in coastal tourist resorts.
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•PFAS showed different composition profiles in water and fish of tourism resorts.•PFCA (C ≥ 8) and PFSA (C ≥ 6) exhibited high bioconcentration factors.•Potential PFAA precursors made a great contribution to the PFAS levels of water.•Precursors are important sources of PFAAs in water of coastal tourism resorts.
The lack of sustainable development strategies of the tourist resorts from Romania caused the structural dynamics of their economy to record large fluctuations under the impact of determinants with ...unpredictable developments. The spectacular dynamics have led to developments difficult to predict, in many situations that generate environmental conflicts, where the economic pressure has exceeded the support capacity of the natural environment. In this study, we aim to analyze the dynamic relationship between tourism and the other components of the economy, from each resort from Romania. The significant growth of tourism in recent years requires new approaches, relevant for understanding the role of tourism in increasing the complexity of the local economy. Measuring the role of tourism in the development of local economy was achieved by building an economic database for all tourist resorts from Romania (according to Government Decision No. 107 of 2018), at the four-digit NACE code level (Classification of National Economy Activities), for the economic indicators considered relevant: number of companies, number of employees, and turnover and profit, for the period 2000–2016, as well as at territorial administrative unit level. Detailed analyses revealed very different structural dynamics, the spectacular dynamics, lacking a coherent strategic framework, led in all situations to the emergence of environmental conflicts. Tourist resorts in which tourism has become an essential component of economic development have based their development on capitalization of local resources, which led to multiplication effects, materialized in a spectacular evolution of the local economy, and an increasing pressure on the natural environment.
The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ratified in 2015, are set to guide global development through to 2030. As an industry, tourism receives considerable attention in development ...discussions and in planning for development in the Global South, particularly in small island developing states (SIDS). A number of authors see particular prospects in the area of food producer linkages with the tourism industry, based on the notion that it should be possible to enhance both local food systems and tourism industries in SIDS by putting more local food on the menu. In this article, we test the assumption that building strong linkages between tourism and food production systems, especially agriculture and fisheries, is possible, and desirable, and would lead to more sustainable development. We do this by drawing on data from research in hotel kitchens and on farms in the South Pacific country of Fiji. When reflecting on the Fijian data in light of SDGs 2, 12 and 14, it is apparent that there are considerable constraints to developing food-tourism linkages in a way that will deliver more sustainable development in future. While 'island night' menus do use a lot of local produce, and small numbers of guests enjoy consuming Fijian foods at fine dining restaurants, incorporating local produce into mainstream resort menus had been difficult for chefs. Overall, the way large-scale multinational resorts are structured in terms of their food requirements does not make them ideal partners for food producers in developing countries, particularly SIDS.
Our research focuses on a complex and integrative analysis of bear presence in four tourist resorts in Prahova Valley, Romania: Sinaia, Bușteni, Azuga and Predeal. Employing innovative mixed methods, ...including questionnaires, interviews, newspaper analysis, and consideration of the local toponymy, including bear-related names and souvenirs, we aim to highlight the extent to which a posthumanist attitude is evident in the region. The sustained appearance of bears is attributed to habitat invasion through deforestation, road construction, residential neighborhoods, and tourist infrastructure. Ambiguity arises from the presence of food sources and voluntary feeding both by locals and tourists. The mass media initially heightened fear and panic during the onset of human-bear interactions but later adopted a more tolerant tone regarding the bear's presence in tourist resorts, reflecting an openness to the posthumanist approach in Prahova Valley. That is why locals express fear and concern about bear encounters, advocating for a clear separation between animal and human spaces. Tourists exhibit attitudes ranging from unconscious appreciation to ambivalence, often contributing to the problem through practices such as feeding bears for fun. The use of bear-related names for tourist establishments is identified as anthropocentric, despite their appeal for attracting tourists. Souvenir sales, through increasing socio-economic value and contributing to tourist experiences, are also recognized as anthropocentric. However, souvenirs can provide elements of support for bear conservation efforts and the equal consideration of human and non-human entities. This study concludes that a successful adaptive coexistence requires a posthumanist vision, overcoming anthropocentrism in a landscape altered by human activities, supported by bear management programs in Bucegi Natural Park, and conservation efforts in Prahova Valley in a landscape altered by people.
Investigation of the environmental occurrence and behavior of organophosphate esters (OPEs) is very important and is becoming a hot topic in the academic community. In this study, 12 targeted OPEs in ...the water and sediment from 19 coastal tourist resorts in the Shandong Peninsula in China were analyzed to show their concentrations, spatial variations, and potential ecological risks. The results showed that the total concentrations of OPEs (ΣOPEs) were in the range of 18.52–3069.43 ng/L in the water and 3.20–568.76 ng/g in the sediment. The dominant OPEs in the water and sediment were tris (2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP), tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), and triethyl phosphate (TEP). The OPE concentrations in the water were ranked as dry season > normal season > wet season. The sewage treatment plants near tourist resorts were important contributors to the level of OPEs in the water. Triphenyl phosphate (TPHP), tri-n-butyl phosphate (TNBP), and resorcinol-bis(diphenyl)phosphate (RDP) had a relatively higher ecological risk than other OPEs in the water samples. Industrial emissions might be the main source of OPEs in the coastal tourist resorts of Shandong Peninsula in China. The results of this study verified that OPEs occur in the water and sediment of coastal tourist resorts, and more attention should be given to the existence of OPEs and the safety of aquatic environments near coastal tourist resorts.
In the contemporary tourism sector, entertainment is a particular type of service that is increasingly provided by specialised categories of tourist and leisure workers, such as (adventure) sport ...instructors, tour guides or reps, or 'pub crawling' cicerones. However, little attention has been paid so far to the complex intermingling between work and leisure that sustains the routine 'working leisure' practices of this 'entertainment staff'. By building upon the Foucauldian concept of biopower and Hardt's notion of affective labour, this article examines how entertainment is routinely generated as a service by tourist entertainers in an enclosed tourist resort in Italy. In particular, an in-depth qualitative analysis, combined with an account of a personal experience, was used to structurally frame tourist entertainers' daily 'playful working' practices into three interrelated and functionally complementary dimensions: regimentation, hostessing and experiential rewards. The findings show that entertainment, and hence a successful tourist experience, is effectively (re)generated only when 'working (through) leisure' practices both constrain and gratify the workers. This result corroborates the ambivalence of entertainment as biopolitical affective labour that is a subjugating but also a liberating practice.
Air pollution is one of the main factors affecting human health. Air quality is especially important in the tourist areas developed with facilities for outdoor activities. During the winter season of ...2017/2018, the concentrations of particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5, PM1), CO, O3, and NO2 were studied in 12 attractive tourist villages in the surroundings of the Czorsztyn Reservoir in southern Poland. Air pollutant measurements were performed continuously, using a single ground-based Alphasense air sensor. Our assessment of human health risk (HHRA), arising from inhalation exposure to air contaminants, was calculated for both local inhabitants and tourists, based on actual measured values. It was found that pollutant concentrations exceeded both permissible and recommended levels of PM10 and PM2.5. The mean total noncarcinogenic risk values were equal to 9.58 (unitless) for adults and 9.68 (unitless) for children and infants, under the resident exposure scenario. However, under the tourist exposure scenario, the mean total risk was equal to 1.63 (unitless) for adults and 1.64 (unitless) for children and infants. The risk to tourists was lower than that to inhabitants due to shorter exposure times. The target non-carcinogenic value of 1, calculated for PM10, PM2.5, and NO2, was significantly exceeded in total risk, under the residential exposure scenario, in reference to all the local subpopulations. In the majority of the investigated locations, the total risk exceeded the value of 1, under the tourist scenario, for all the subpopulations analysed. PM2.5 was recognised to be the most important contaminant in our risk analysis, in view of its share in the total risk value.
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