Izvorni znanstveni članak
https://doi.org/10.18045/zbefri.2026.1.9
Tourism, Urban Growth and the Ecological Footprint: Empirical Insights from the European Union
Ivana Kostadinović
; University of Niš, Faculty of Economics
Nemanja Lojanica
; University of Kragujevac, Faculty of Economics
*
Marina Stanojević
; University of Niš, Faculty of Economics
Dejan Đorđević
; University of Niš, Faculty of Economics
* Dopisni autor.
Sažetak
Tourism, urban growth, and ecological sustainability are becoming increasingly intertwined in the European Union, where rapid urban expansion and economic activity intensify ecological pressures. Understanding how tourism interacts with these dynamics has become central to the sustainable tourism debate, as policymakers and stakeholders seek to balance economic development with environmental protection. This study examines the short- and long-run effects of tourism activity, urbanization, economic growth, and renewable energy consumption on the ecological footprint across 14 EU countries from 1995 to 2024. Employing the cross-sectionally augmented autoregressive distributed lag (CS-ARDL) model, which accounts for cross-sectional dependence and slope heterogeneity, the analysis confirms a long-run cointegrating relationship among the variables. Findings indicate that economic growth and urbanization significantly increase ecological footprint, whereas international tourism exerts a mitigating effect on environmental pressures. Renewable energy contributes to ecological improvement in the long run, though its short-run impact is limited. These results underscore the need for integrated policy frameworks that combine sustainable tourism development, urban planning, and renewable energy strategies within the European Union. The study underscores the importance of coordinated action among urban planners, energy policymakers, and tourism stakeholders to foster economic growth while ensuring environmental sustainability for future generations.
Ključne riječi
sustainable tourism development; urbanization; ecological footprint assessment; environmental sustainability; renewable energy adoption; economic growth dynamics; European Union
Hrčak ID:
348627
URI
Datum izdavanja:
30.6.2026.
Posjeta: 0 *