From linear to circular tourism: the case study of an Italian Ecologically Equipped Productive Area

Tourism-related activities greatly contribute to environmental degradation and, at the same time, represent one of the most vulnerable industries, considering that these activities are based on the availability of natural ecosystems in good condition and accessible to tourists. Circular Economy (CE) is considered an efficient way to overcome critical environmental impacts and natural resources scarcity in different sectors. It aims to overcome the take-make-dispose linear pattern of production and consumption, proposing a circular system in which the value of products, materials, and resources is maintained in the economy as long as possible. However, the application of the concept in the tourism sector is still unexplored and more efforts should be done to understand the potentialities of Circular Tourism. To implement CE principles, the Italian government has proposed the development of Ecologically Equipped Productive Area (EEPA). EEPA is a business cluster, in which firms share the objective of environmental sustainability. The present study tries to figure out how to apply CE concepts and practices in the tourism sector and to illustrate a project aiming at defining a EEPA in a tourist cluster. The research objective is to identify CE principles and business models applicable in the tourism sector, with a specific focus on the EEPA development.