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Keeping mass tourism destinations sustainable via urban design: The case of Benidorm

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  • Almudena Nolasco‐Cirugeda
  • Pablo Martí
  • Gabino Ponce

Abstract

The city of Benidorm is the most renowned mass tourism destination on the Spanish Mediterranean coast. It has been recently acknowledged as a sustainable urban development to support the mass‐tourism industry; however, Benidorm had received strong criticism during many years, mainly because of its striking urban image. The aim of this paper is to showcase the relevant role of sustainable urban design for the development of an effective coastal tourism product. To this end, the specific conditions, facts, and regulations that have led to the current urban design of Benidorm city are presented; and, the key singular urban features of its urban plan contributing to the sustainability of this singular urban model are analyzed. The results suggest that the land occupation strategy, the design of outdoor spaces, and the diverse leisure and accommodation offer, have a favorable impact on the optimization of the city resources, creating a successful tourist destination.

Suggested Citation

  • Almudena Nolasco‐Cirugeda & Pablo Martí & Gabino Ponce, 2020. "Keeping mass tourism destinations sustainable via urban design: The case of Benidorm," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(5), pages 1289-1303, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:28:y:2020:i:5:p:1289-1303
    DOI: 10.1002/sd.2084
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ivars i Baidal, Josep A. & Rodríguez Sánchez, Isabel & Vera Rebollo, José Fernando, 2013. "The evolution of mass tourism destinations: New approaches beyond deterministic models in Benidorm (Spain)," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 184-195.
    2. Feifei Tan & Zhaohua Lu, 2019. "The impact of urban compactness on urban sustainable development in China: The case of Nanjing," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(3), pages 270-280, May.
    3. Hyerim Yoon & David Sauri & Antonio M. Rico Amorós, 2018. "Shifting Scarcities? The Energy Intensity of Water Supply Alternatives in the Mass Tourist Resort of Benidorm, Spain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-17, March.
    4. Bijay Singh & Martina M. Keitsch & Mahesh Shrestha, 2019. "Scaling up sustainability: Concepts and practices of the ecovillage approach," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(2), pages 237-244, March.
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    1. Juan Antonio Jimber del Río & Ricardo D. Hernández-Rojas & Arnaldo Vergara-Romero & Mª Genoveva Dancausa Dancausa Millán, 2020. "Loyalty in Heritage Tourism: The Case of Córdoba and Its Four World Heritage Sites," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-20, December.

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