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This research explores the socio-cultural and economic impacts of the surfing communities in North Devon. It offers insights into the evolution and impacts of surf culture, its communities and the challenges and opportunities of surf tourism. Through qualitative analysis, including in-depth interviews with surfers and local business owners, observational research, and a comprehensive review of relevant literature, the study addresses three main research questions focused on the shaping and preservation of surfing communities, surfers' economic and social impact, and local perceptions and attitudes towards tourism. Key findings highlight the deep-rooted connection between the surfing community and North Devon's socio-economic landscape. Surfing not only serves as a significant driver of the local economy, attracting tourists and promoting business growth but also shapes the social identity and lifestyle of its residents. The research reveals a transformation in surf culture, from an authentic, 'make do and mend' ethos to a more commercialised and affluent sport, influenced by the influx of affluent newcomers and the proliferation of surf-related businesses. Surf tourism presents both challenges, such as increased pressure on local infrastructure and potential for cultural commodification, and opportunities, including economic diversification and community engagement. The research highlights the dynamic interplay between surfers, local businesses, and tourists, emphasising the importance of understanding and navigating these relationships to foster a thriving and cohesive community. The study's methodology combines qualitative interviews with observational research, offering a comprehensive view of the community's dynamics. The outcomes of this study offer valuable insights for stakeholders, including recommendations for enhancing the economic benefits of surf tourism while preserving the cultural integrity and social cohesion of North Devon's surfing communities. In conclusion, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the relationship between surf culture and community life in North Devon, emphasising the need for thoughtful engagement with the challenges of modern surf tourism. It identifies key factors that influence the sustainability of the surf tourism economy and underscores the importance of strategic, community-focused approaches to managing the cultural and economic impacts of surfing. Through this exploration, the study provides a foundation for future initiatives aimed at harmonising the interests of surfers, residents, and businesses, ensuring the long-term vitality of North Devon's unique surf culture.

Can a destination be pragmatically managed? What strategies are developed thanks to the St. Gallen Destination Management Model? This paper investigates the mentality shift that takes place in a destination when the model is applied, as well as the strategies that are developed thanks to the SGDM. The Model is applied in Airolo, a holiday destination in northern Ticino. The town is tackling different challenges, such as climate change and depopulation. The paper analyzes how the destination manages tourism and tackles their problem, before and after the application of the model. The development of strategic synergies among the stakeholders, a clear idea of the tourism networks and a clear action plan directed at solving real problem are examples of how the models gives the destination a ready-to-action plan that uncovers solutions difficult to identify before. The analysis of the process and the strategies shows the contribution of the model that made this change possible.

The environmental impact we witness today is primarily the consequence of extensive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into the atmosphere, which stem from the cumulative effect of billions of individual decisions. Being tourism one of the major contributor to these emissions, especially through transportation-related activities, there is an increasing attention in investigating the connection between individuals' travel attitudes and their real behaviours. This interest is particularly driven by the recognition that travellers' behaviours significantly contribute to the negative environmental consequences associated with the tourism sector. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the ‘Attitude-Behaviour gap’ concerning tourists' choices regarding sustainable mobility, specifically within the context of the Swiss resident population. Consequently, the main objective of this research is to assess pro-environmental attitudes and their effectiveness in driving significant behavioural changes in travel and mobility decisions. To achieve this goal, a quantitative research approach using an online survey has been employed, which combines data on mobility behaviours and preferences with psychological variables related to environmental attitudes and the self-justifications that tourists employ when opting for unsustainable modes of transport. This study contributes to the existing literature by conducting a deep investigation, at the country level, elucidating the reasons behind tourists' choices and their potential impact on sustainability. It builds upon prior research by focusing deeper into the self-justifications used by individuals to reconcile their proenvironmental attitudes with their unsustainable travel behaviours. The available qualitative literature has identified ‘six recurring types of justifications’ that tourists employ to alleviate cognitive dissonance in an attempt to "restore" the gap and feel better with themselves. When cognitive dissonance exists, travellers feel uncomfortable with themselves and usually experience psychological discomfort that leads them to offer a varied set of motivations to justify their unsustainable practices. These kinds of “excuses” shift from the denial of responsibility, of consequences and of control, to the lack of knowledge, awareness or alternative options as well as compensation through benefits, exception handling of "vacation" and carbon offsetting. Thus, this research study expands upon the current body of work by conducting an in-depth examination at the national level into the self-justifications made by Swiss tourists to rationalize their unsustainable choices. Exploring these justifications holds significant potential for increasing the likelihood of behavioural change in the context of Swiss tourism mobility. Research findings reveal that while Swiss travellers tend to express increasingly positive attitudes toward eco-friendly and sustainable measures, the adoption of sustainable transport alternatives has not experienced a corresponding surge. This aligns with the prevalent shared belief that personal pro-environmental attitudes exert only a weak influence on travel behaviours. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that, while Swiss travellers generally exhibit positive attitudes toward environmentally sustainable travel options and frequently engage in broader pro-environmental practices during vacations, they do not consistently prioritize sustainable modes of transportation, such as trains or buses, to minimize their environmental impact. Consequently, these findings suggest the existence of an Attitude-Behaviour gap among Swiss travellers, wherein their environmental attitudes only partially translate into more environmentally responsible travel behaviours during vacations. Therefore, it can be assessed that, even in the Swiss context, these types of ‘justifications’ for not demonstrating eco-friendly environmental behaviour while on holiday are widespread, rather than exceptions. Gaining insights into these rationales marks a hopeful initial step towards creating innovative interventions designed to reduce ecologically harmful tourism behaviours.

Combining technology and sustainability bears the potential to achieve a higher environmental consciousness in the context of air travel. As major players in the tourism sector, Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) can lay the foundation for it. An interdisciplinary approach using elements from psychology, user experience design, sustainability, and tourism tries to achieve a higher adoption of sustainable flight options in the web design of OTAs. The existing tools to nudge users into making more sustainable choices when booking a flight and their current inclusion in the web design of OTAs are investigated through a content and benchmark analysis. A survey is used to measure the perceived effectiveness of such elements. By recommending a list of design elements for OTAs, this thesis strives to positively impact the incorporation of green nudges in user interfaces. The analysis reveals the potential to influence individuals’ decision-making processes towards more sustainable choices in the tourism field. The outcomes provide new insights into green nudging tools and how OTAs can utilize them to reach their full potential. This research adds to the discussion about using the power of online communication to contribute to more environmental consciousness in tourism.

This dissertation sets out to explore whether the Covid-19 pandemic had an impact on environmental awareness in tourism amongst post-millennials. Recognized as the most vocal generation with regards to the environment because of their active involvement in protests linked to environmental protection, post-millennials are arguably more sensitive to activities that are harmful to the planet. Even before Covid-19, they were considered the most aware about sustainable practices in tourism and many suggest that the pandemic served to enhance that awareness. However, little has been demonstrated by research about their travel motivations linked to environmental awareness. Hence this study seeks to provide new insights about the topic. Based on research amongst a group of post-millennials (aged between 22 and 27 years old), it assesses their environmental awareness with regards to tourism practices, together with their attitudes, perceptions and motivations towards travel. As such, the study seeks to understand how eco-friendly approaches can become tangible behaviours in the context of tourism rather than just simply being put into words. Hence, the research specifically explores the concept of attitude-behaviour gap in tourism, revealing that this gap still exists within the sample selected for this study, even though their awareness in terms of environmental issues is significant. Furthermore, the investigation suggests that other than for a small proportion of the sample, the pandemic did not in fact have an impact on respondents’ travel habits, as might be expected. However, the evidence of the results reveals that post-millennials prefer more meaningful and responsible forms of tourism.

The analysis of a wide range of existing tourism crisis management models shows that its majority has a theoretical perspective with no connection to real events. Others are based upon research made after the crisis had happened. Theoretical research can be questioned on the probability of occurrence of its assumptions. Analyses carried out months or years after the investigated crisis can be questioned on the accuracy of remembered data and consequently on its certainty. Only research undertaken at the moment of the crisis’ happening can guarantee a high trustworthiness of collected data and be an invaluable source of information for academia and tourist destinations.