This study adjusts the Driving forces–Pressures–State–Impact–Response framework (DPSIR) to analyze the interregional similarities and differences with regard to sustainable tourism development in selected Mediterranean (MED) regions. The study involved three steps. The first step was a critical reflection on sustainable tourism indicators and DPSIR as a grouping approach. The analysis yielded 29 sustainability indicators distributed within four components of the DPSR framework. The data were collected for 54 NUTS 2 level MED regions. In the second step, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) followed by a cluster analysis (CA) were performed to group homogenous regions and generate the Med Regions Cluster Matrix (MRCM). The investigation revealed that although countries in the Mediterranean share many characteristics in terms of tourism development and impacts, universal policies in mitigating the pressures are not appropriate. The main contributions of the study are (1) the application of the DPSIR model in the sustainable tourism context (2) and the analysis of the similarities and differences regarding the sustainability of tourism development in the selected MED regions. The conclusions of the analysis may stimulate the debate on mutual responses and sustainable tourism policy responses in the MED region.

The system dynamics applied in this research on modeling a tourist destination (area) life cycle (TALC) contributes to understanding its behavior and the way that information feedback governs the use of feedback loops, delays and stocks and flows. On this basis, a system dynamic three-staged TALC model is conceptualized, with the number of visitors V as an indicator of the carrying capacities’ dynamics and the flow function V(t) to determine the TALC stages. In the first supply-dominance stage, the model indicated that arrivals are growing until the point of inflexion. After this point, arrivals continue growing (but with diminishing growth rates), indicating the beginning of the demand-dominance stage, ending up with the saturation point, i.e., the maximum number of visitors. The simulated TALC system dynamics model was then applied to five EU destinations (Living Labs) to explain their development along the observed period (2007–2019). The analysis revealed that all observed Living Labs reached the second lifecycle stage, with one entered as early as in 2015 and another in 2018. Lifecycle stage durations may significantly differ across the destinations, as do the policies used either to prevent stagnation or to restructure the offer to become more sustainable and resilient.

Purpose – Although Low Cost Carriers (LCCs) expansion coincided with the growth of tourism demand in Croatia (and worldwide), their arrival on Croatian airports has happened just recently. As data related to their impact on airport business performance is scarce, the following research is done for the purpose of filling up a small portion of this knowledge gap. Design – Besides the theoretical framework on the issue of the LCCs impacts on airports business performance, the paper also gives empirical insights into the matter on the Croatian international airports. Methodology – Information were collected by using both available secondary data as well as the results of a semi structured questionnaire filled in by the officials from the Croatian international airports, in the period from January to May 2014. Findings – The empirical research has showed that respondents had positive opinion on the LCCs presence and their overall impact on the airports business performance. Related to the findings some strategic directions for the policy makers have been given. Originality – This article is one of the very few dealing with the LCCs presence on Croatian airline market and definitely the only one discussing LCCs impacts on Croatian airport performance from the airports’ managers point of view.

The tourism sector is highly vulnerable to climate change (CC) and at the same time strongly contributes to the emissions causing global warming and other environmental problems. This reciprocal relationship between tourism and CC is most evident in coastal zones, especially those surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. These are among the most endangered zones - endangered not just by tourism but by various other activities, urbanisation and a growing population. Moreover, they are CC hotspots. Hence, being challenged by various different threats, coastal zones must be planned and managed holistically. This means that neither tourism nor any other industry can be treated as a standalone activity; they must be seen as part of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) framework, with the CC adaptations (CCA) embedded. In this regard, the main goal of this chapter is to explore how to mainstream CCA into coastal tourism planning activities, taking into account the ICZM principles. Hence, based on existing frameworks, we introduce an improved ‘Coastal tourist destination CCA framework mainstreamed into the ICZM’. The framework is then elaborated through the case of Makarska Riviera, a famous Croatian tourist destination, which, despite being faced with serious tourism and CC-caused problems, has neither implemented the ICZM and the tourism plans nor dealt with the CCAs. Thus, following the CCA framework phases, we elaborate on the current state-of-the-art regarding Riviera’s preparedness to address climate change and pinpoint the misgivings in implementing ICZM and the tourism planning process.