2026-03-24
Sudipta Kiran Sarkar, Jim Butcher
Recent events including the pandemic have prompted reflection on the future of sustainability in tourism. It necessitated ‘proximity tourism’ – effectively, staying closer to home and discovering the proximate environment, the only tourism allowed for the mass of people. A form of proximate tourism, mass urban ecotourism, can sound like contradiction in terms twice over - neither ‘mass’ nor ‘urban’ in the western imagination and literature shaped by that outlook. This in part resides on a Western view of ecotourism (and human / nature relationship), shaped by a tradition of romanticism that seeks respite from modernity in solitude or in remote settings. This paper argues that mass urban ecotourism deserves far higher attention in the West. The pandemic might have necessitated urban mass ecotourism, but in the aftermath, it can be viewed as an inclusive and democratic form of leisure for the masses that also renders therapeutic benefits. Drawing from Asian philosophical and practical traditions, this paper suggests possibilities for the development of a mass, urban ecotourism that addresses both sustainability and the leisure needs of the masses. It also makes the case for western tourism planners and academics to take on board some important perspectives derived from eastern traditions. Keywords: Mass urban ecotourism, Eastern Philosophies, Proximity tourism, Shengtai Luyou’, Shinrin Yoku
2026-03-24
Diogo Emanuel Matias Bento, Joaquim Contreiras, Francisco Pinto
This human resources management project was carried out by the University of the Algarve to apply an innovative vision of agile practices to the hospitality and tourism sector. Recently, agile human resources have attracted increasing interest among professionals. Starting with the Agile Manifesto, this approach was initially implemented in the information technology sector to combine processes and tools, such as Lean, Kanban and Scrum, to improve organisational performance. Agile companies are more informal and use open communication, as well as showing greater motivation and productivity. However, the transition to agile operations is disruptive. Some common failures are a sense of culture shock and a lack of support for and knowledge about agile practices, which require an appropriate communication strategy that involves all stakeholders in a continuous feedback loop. The project pilot was implemented in a small and medium-sized company in the Algarve tourism sector. The goal was to analyse the feasibility of transforming a traditional organisation into an agile one, with human resources employees and management acting as the main promoters of this process. The results confirm that an agile transformation is possible, but seasonality factors and the participants’ availability must be considered for this process to be successful. A set of follow-up studies is proposed for future research.
2026-03-24
Gökçe Yüksek, Özgür Koyun
This study examines individuals' motivations for escaping and seeking in the context of nature-oriented sightseeing travel, with a specific focus on bus travel as the primary mode of transportation. While literature often examines these motivations through individual psychological processes or destination-related evaluations, limited attention has been given to the role of transportation, particularly bus travel, in shaping travel motivations and well-being outcomes. Using a qualitative approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with individuals who had participated in bus-based sightseeing tours. The findings reveal that participants’ connection to the natural environment is not solely based on personal preferences but emerges from a complex interplay of social, economic, and environmental influences. A key outcome of nature-oriented sightseeing travel was the expression of gratitude, which played a central role in participants' well-being. Moreover, the structure of bus tours, which enables scenic observation and collective experiences, was found to support emotional and psychological engagement. These insights underscore that transportation is not merely a logistical element but an experiential component that significantly contributes to overall well-being. This study offers a novel perspective by emphasizing how the mode of travel itself can shape the depth and quality of the nature-oriented sightseeing travel experience, thereby enriching individuals’ psychological outcomes.