Conceptualising destination degrowth for sustainable tourism development in three German biosphere reserves

Bibliographic Data

ID21718052
AuthorsG Witt (0009-0001-9891-7348, University of Vechta, corresponding author), Jana Zscheischler (0000-0002-9062-820X, University of Vechta), Caroline Hélène Dabard (0000-0003-2288-6394, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research), Carsten Mann (0000-0002-8880-151X, Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development), Amelie Bernzen (0000-0002-9494-3645, University of Vechta)
Year2025
Pages1-17
Publication date2025-11-14
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueTourism Geographies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1461-6688 • E-ISSN: 1470-1340
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/14616688.2025.2581192
OpenAlexW4416226784
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited31

Tourism is a typical example for conflicts in society-environment-interactions, as it causes increasing pressure on natural resources and ecosystems due to growth expectations. Being especially dependent on healthy society-environment-interactions, tourism in protected areas (PAs) has gained increased attention within sustainable tourism discourses. This includes tourism in biosphere reserves (BRs) as model regions for sustainable development. However, despite a considerable body of research on ‘sustainable tourism’ in protected areas, its focus often lies on strategies of green growth. Notions of ‘degrowth’ have been weakly conceptualised for sustainable tourism in BRs. The aim of this article is twofold: to empirically show how different key actors in three different German BRs (Wadden Sea of Lower Saxony, Spreewald and Schorfheide-Chorin) socially construct different models of sustainable tourism and notions of growth or degrowth against the backdrop of conflicts related to tourism growth and society-environment-interactions. By analysing the results of 24 semi-structured interviews with tourism and BR stakeholders, narratives about growth or degrowth in German BRs are examined. The second aim is to conceptualise degrowth-inspired sustainable tourism in BRs. We conclude that rethinking ‘sustainable tourism’ against the backdrop of the ‘degrowth’-concept can positively contribute to preserve and restore healthy society-environment-interactions and to provide conditions for a high quality of life and good working conditions in the region

Biosphere · Degrowth · German · Sustainable development · Sustainable tourism · Tourism · Diverse Aspects of Tourism Research · Ecology, Conservation, and Geographical Studies · Landscape and Cultural Studies

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