Hypothetical Scenarios on the Development Model of the Circular Economy in Touristic Destinations

Authors

  • Jérôme Küffer University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (HES-SO), Switzerland
  • Vincent Grèzes University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (HES-SO), Switzerland https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6031-5053
  • Sandra Grèzes-Bürcher University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (HES-SO), Switzerland https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3191-1504

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54820/entrenova-2023-0037

Keywords:

circular economy, tourism, ecosystem, resilience, inintersectoral collaboration, systemic design

Abstract

The tourism industry is facing many challenges, including reducing the ecological impact of its activities. To adapt to it, some tourism destination stakeholders have undertaken actions that increase the resilience of the local tourism ecosystem by reducing resource consumption while satisfying the demand expressed by their customers to consume more sustainable tourism offers. This paper presents a study on the implementation of circular economy principles in tourism, focusing on two destinations in Valais, Switzerland: Crans-Montana and Pfyn-Finges. By examining sustainable practices and fostering collaboration between tourism and other industries, the research identifies best practices and hypothetical scenarios to enhance regional sustainability and resilience. The findings suggest that systemic approaches, emphasizing resource efficiency and closed-loop production, can significantly benefit tourism ecosystems, promoting economic diversification, environmental sustainability, and cultural preservation. The study contributes to the ongoing discourse on integrating Circular Economy principles into tourism, offering insights and recommendations for policymakers and industry stakeholders to foster more sustainable and resilient tourism models. A benchmark of the best practices of Circular Economy at the international level allows us to highlight the main material flows exchanged between the tourism value chain and its related industries, providing a promising outlook for the future of the tourism industry.

Author Biographies

Jérôme Küffer, University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (HES-SO), Switzerland

Jérôme Küffer is a scientific assistant at the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (HES-SO), Sierre. He studied business economics and geography at the University of Lausanne, focusing on tourism development. Jérome works on research projects and mandates for private and public organisations. He has experience in supporting the development of tourist destinations. His main research interests are sustainable tourism and regional development, touristic service design and landscape interpretation. The author can be contacted at jerome.kuffer@hevs.ch

Vincent Grèzes, University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (HES-SO), Switzerland

Vincent Grèzes works as an associate professor of innovation management and strategic management at the University of Applied Science (HES-SO) of Sierre, Switzerland, and is director of the competitive intelligence track in the HES-SO of Lausanne, Switzerland. He received his PhD in economic and strategic intelligence from the Faculty of Law and Political Science of the University of Lyon 3. Grèzes’ primary research interests are competitive intelligence, which is aimed at private and public decision-makers, creating shared values by firms, business model innovation, and collaborative innovation. He has worked in strategic intelligence, commercial intelligence, and market research. The author can be contacted at vincent.grezes@hevs.ch

Sandra Grèzes-Bürcher, University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (HES-SO), Switzerland

Sandra Grèzes-Bürcher is a senior research assistant at the Institute of Tourism at the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (HES-SO), Sierre. She studied geography and history and earned a teacher’s diploma for secondary-level schools. Sandra Grèzes-Bürcher completed her doctoral thesis in economic geography at the University of Bern Switzerland on the regional engagement of firms in peripheral regions and its relevance for socio-economic development. Her current research interests lie in innovation management, sustainable tourism, regional development, circular economy and rural areas. The author can be contacted at sandra.grezes@hevs.ch

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Published

2024-08-26

How to Cite

Küffer, J. ., Grèzes, V. ., & Grèzes-Bürcher, S. . (2024). Hypothetical Scenarios on the Development Model of the Circular Economy in Touristic Destinations . ENTRENOVA - ENTerprise REsearch InNOVAtion, 9(1), 411–427. https://doi.org/10.54820/entrenova-2023-0037

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 1 (2023)

Section

Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics • Environmental and Ecological Econo

License

Copyright (c) 2024 Jérôme Küffer, Vincent Grèzes, Sandra Grèzes-Bürcher

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.