Michalis Hadjikakou

Estimating the direct and indirect water use of tourism in the eastern Mediterranean.

The impact of tourism activities on local water resources remains a largely understudied issue in environmental and sustainable tourism management. The aim of the paper is to present a simple methodology that allows an estimate of direct and indirect local water use associated with different holiday packages and to then discuss relevant management implications. This is explored through the creation of five illustrative examples of holidays to semi-arid eastern Mediterranean destinations: Cyprus (2), Turkey, Greece and Syria. Using available data on water use associated with different forms of travel, accommodation and tourist activities, indicative water footprints are calculated for each of the illustrative examples. Food consumption by tourists appears to have by far the most significant impact on the overall water footprint and this aspect of water use is explored in detail in the paper. The paper also suggests a way of employing the water footprint methodology along with import/export balance sheets of main food commodities to distinguish between the global and local pressure of tourism demand on water resources. Water resource use is likely to become an increasingly important issue in tourism management and must be considered alongside more established environmental concerns such as energy use, using methodologies that can capture direct as well as supply chain impacts.

Rethinking the Economic Contribution of Tourism: Case Study from a Mediterranean Island

The article introduces an integrated market-segmentation and tourism yield estimation framework for inbound tourism. Conventional approaches to yield estimation based on country of origin segmentation and total expenditure comparisons do not provide sufficient detail, especially for mature destinations dominated by large single-country source markets. By employing different segmentation approaches along with Tourism Satellite Accounts and various yield estimates, this article estimates direct economic contribution for subsegments of the UK market on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Overall expenditure across segments varies greatly, as do the spending ratios in different categories. In the case of Cyprus, the most potential for improving economic contribution currently lies in increasing spending on “food and beverages” and “culture and recreation.” Mass tourism therefore appears to offer the best return per monetary unit spent. Conducting similar studies in other destinations could identify priority spending sectors and enable different segments to be targeted appropriately.

Overconsumption of Energy and Excessive Discretionary Food Intake Inflates Dietary Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Australia.

Population dietary guidelines have started to include information about the environmental impacts of food choices, but more quantifiable evidence is needed, particularly about the impacts associated with discretionary foods. This paper utilised the 2011–2012 Australian Health Survey food intake data along with a highly disaggregated input–output model to estimate the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe) of Australians’ dietary intake, and compare current patterns of eating which vary in diet quality and GHGe to the recommended diet. The average dietary GHGe were 18.72 ± 12.06 and 13.73 ± 8.72 kg CO2e/day for male and female adults, respectively. The correlation between total energy and GHGe was r = 0.54 (p < 0.001). Core foods contributed 68.4% and discretionary foods 29.4%. Within core foods, fresh meat and alternatives (33.9%) was the greatest contributor. The modelling of current dietary patterns showed the contribution of discretionary foods to GHGe was 121% greater in the average diet and 307% greater in the “lower quality, higher GHGe” diet compared to the recommended diet. Reducing discretionary food intake would allow for small increases in emissions from core foods (in particular vegetables, dairy and grains), thereby providing a nutritional benefit at little environmental expense. Public health messages that promote healthy eating, eating to one’s energy needs and improved diet quality will also contribute to lowering GHGe.

A comprehensive framework for comparing water use intensity across different tourist types

Tourism products vary in their direct and indirect (supply chain) water use, as well as in their economic contribution. Hence, water-scarce destinations require a method to estimate and compare water use intensity (water use in relation to economic output) for different kinds of tourist products in order to optimise their tourism offering. The present study develops an original framework that integrates segmentation with an environmentally extended input–output (EEIO) framework based on detailed tourism expenditure data and tourism satellite accounts (TSAs) in order to quantify the total (direct and indirect) economic impact and water use for multiple tourism segments. To demonstrate the rigour of the methodology, it is applied to the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The results show that cheaper forms of tourism tend to have a significantly lower total water use and, depending on the economic impact indicator of interest, may have above-average economic contribution per unit of expenditure. The proposed framework provides a significant step towards achieving sustainable water use through destination-specific estimates of water use intensity which take into consideration segment-specific attributes. It is envisaged that this could eventually lead to customised interventions for diverse tourism market segments.

Virtual laboratories and MRIO analysis – an introduction

ABSTRACT This editorial is the introduction to a special issue of Economic Systems Research on Input–Output Virtual Laboratories (IO VLs). The main purpose of this editorial is to explain the rationale for dedicating a special issue to this evolving niche of IO research, highlighting its potential to contribute to debates on topical policy issues. The first two sections review recent developments in the field of multi-regional input–output database compilation, followed by a brief description of the concept and architecture behind IO VLs. The seven papers chosen for this issue are then introduced. The concluding section finally outlines current challenges and future research avenues for IO VLs.

Shortcomings of a growth-driven food system

The status quo modus operandi of the global food system is not only failing to promote adequate or healthy nutrition, but is also exerting an unsustainably high pressure on our planet. This food system is in many ways similar to the growth-driven economic system in which it operates, where human and environmental health suffer as a result of profit maximization incentives. In this chapter we set out to explore country-level relationships between economic development status and food-related health and environmental issues. We focus on prevailing food consumption patterns and a global food regime that is still, in the most part, operating in a post-World War II economic growth paradigm. Based on our findings of key drivers for dietary change, we argue that the way in which food is produced, marketed and priced reinforces adverse health and environmental problems that, in turn, result in higher economic costs to society in the form of health care and environmental impacts. A growing literature on defining and promoting healthy and sustainable diets is testament to the increasing awareness of the importance of building a more sustainable food system. However, although certainly necessary, food sector-specific interventions aimed at promoting sustainable food production and consumption may not be sufficient to truly reverse current trends if economic growth remains the primary objective of nations.

An Integrated Demand and Carbon Impact Forecasting Approach for Residential Precincts

Estimation of the demand of an urban precinct, related to Electricity, Transport, Waste and Water (ETWW), is a necessary step toward the delivery of quality living environments where daily activities can be conducted in a sustainable manner. A forecasting model that concurrently links demand in all four aforementioned domains to carbon emissions can assist planning agencies, infrastructure providers, operators and private developers to deliver low-carbon urban precincts in the future. Integration of modelling methodologies delivers improved ability, accuracy and flexibility when compared to typical forecasting approaches. This chapter details the outcomes of recent research efforts on the development of an integrated ETWW demand estimation tool with detailed scenario forecasting abilities. Focusing on the residential components of the precinct, modelling outputs provide detailed estimations of household demands and resulting carbon impacts across the four domains. Impacts of non-residential land uses including high-value industry, retail, commercial and open space are also considered and reported on. Model users can estimate the carbon impact of resident population changes, various household structure types, carbon-friendly technologies and climate change for precinct locations across Australia. In addition, the tool accounts for interactions with external infrastructure such as transport networks, off-site waste disposal, water supply locations and grid-based energy supply. Forecasting abilities of the model are demonstrated through case-study applications that reflect of ‘what-if’ type scenario investigations, important to policymaking and planning for future urban development. The user is ultimately able to explore combinations to achieve a low-carbon precinct development.