Metatourism and sustainable development

Abstract

Undoubtedly, the pandemic has shifted the way we live, work, interact and travel. It has also highlighted the need to address the issue of climate change. In this context, a great deal of attention is being given to the issue of metatourism, given the proposals it may entail in terms of sustainable development. This study aimed to explore tourism sector employee’s attitudes towards metatourism and their perception of its impact on sustainable development. This study was quantitative and was conducted by administering self-report questionnaires via the internet to a sample of 50 participants. The measures administered to the participants were: 1) measures of social demographic characteristics, 2) a 6-question questionnaire on attitudes towards metatourism and 3) a 6-question questionnaire on its perceived impact on sustainable development. This study found highly positive attitudes of the participants towards metatourism and its perceived impact on sustainable development. It was also found that Students had statistically significantly more positive attitudes compared to others (p=0.015). Furthermore, Filmmakers, Photographers or Scenographers had higher values compared to those involved in Extreme Sports (p=0.019). Finally, a positive and statistically significant correlation was found between attitudes towards metatourism and its impact on sustainable development (r=0.494, p=0.000). In conclusion, the potential of metatourism to contribute to sustainable development has been proved. Therefore, those who make relevant policies in our country should: a) promote metatourism in the context of the wider tourism product of Greece, b) emphasize and c) promote the sustainability of its tourism industry.

JEL classification: I18, Z39

Keywords: Metatourism, tourism, tourism industry, sustainable development