Conference Agenda

Islands, due to their geographic isolation, present unique challenges that make them vulnerable laboratories, where local governance plays a pivotal role in shaping responses to internal and external dynamics. This study investigates the tourism geography of Mallorca during the current transforming times marked by a “policrisis” —a series of interconnected crises, particularly climate change, energy suply or geopolitical inestability—, which have heightened tensions and demands from the local population, particularly in relation to the struggle for the right to the island as a response to increasing prices and subsequent spatial dispossession.

The aim of this communication is to explore the reactivation of the profit rate within the hotel sector, examining its connections to both the influx of private financial investment and the renovation of surrounding infrastructure through public funding. Our analysis focuses on Mallorca as a case study, where preliminary findings indicate a significant renewal and expansion of the real estate capital in the tourism industry. This includes an increase in the number of hotel rooms, as well as upgrades to hotel categories, new constructions, and refurbishments. These developments predominantly target enclavic sun-and-beach tourist resorts.

The methodology applied involves spatial correlation analysis of hotel renovation and expansion projects, public investments (e.g., Sustainable Tourism Tax, Next Generation Funds), the sources of capital investment, and changes in hotel RevPAR.

Our findings suggest that these renovation and expansion initiatives have contributed to the reactivation of profit rates, measured in terms of Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR), within the primary capital accumulation circuit. Simultaneously, they enhance the attractiveness of the built environment for real estate financial investment as a way to boost the secondary circuit of capital accummulation. These results indicate a clear relationship between the revitalization of the tourism sector and improved profitability, linked to the revaluation of hotel real estate. This underscores the interaction between the primary and secondary circuits of capital accumulation, driven by public investment and regulatory flexibility in planning policies.

Losing population since 2009, Japan has been at the forefront of research on how to deal with shrinking populations. The effects are most severely visible on its remote islands. However, on some islands, diverse forms of tourism have attracted new residents, which in turn innovate the tourism sector. This paper will analyze the complex links between tourism and in-migration from the examples of three Japanese islands. It will offer valuable insights for European islands into strategies that don’t rely on sea, sand and sun tourism. I use the framework of place making to answer the following questions. What is the role of new residents in creating and sustaining a tourism destination? What elements of place attract them to the islands? The research is based on longitudinal studies of three islands on the Western edge of Japan and includes three steps. Images of islands in general and of the three islands were analyzed through an online monitor survey with 1601 respondents. In the second step, tourism development plans and interviews with local administration clarified the administrative placemaking efforts. Finally, interviews with new residents involved in tourism business were transcribed and coded to provide information on their motivations, activities and self-perceptions.

Results indicate three important links between tourism and new residents: destination image, business innovation and spatial expansion. While a strong tourism image can attract new residents, individual factors play a more important role in choosing “their” island. New residents in turn contribute to creating a more diverse island image, although in an uncoordinated way. Starting a business is one of the attractions of moving to an island, where it is possible to find a niche in the tourism market. New residents on the three island therefore contributed to a diversification of the tourism sector. However, many relied on generous national subsidies for businesses on Japan’s border islands. Finally, they often chose localities outside the main tourism sites for their business, thus helping to relieve concentration of tourists and to improve services in remote localities. As a result, their role in place making includes imaginary, economical and spatial components.

Over the last six decades, the Faroe Islands, an 18-island archipelago in the North Atlantic, undertook a massive road construction project. The project included building many tunnels, the first of which opened in 1963, and sub-sea tunnels, the most recent one was inaugurated in December 2023. Transport infrastructure lies at the foundation of the country’s development, and ferry lines have been progressively replaced by fixed links regardless of socio-economic conditions, such as the economic and demographic collapse after the crash of the fisheries in the early 1990. This paper investigates the archipelago’s spatial and regional development over the last six decades in order to determine whether road expansion has contributed to demographically sustaining communities. This is done by analysing the development of transport infrastructure and its impact on population change at the regional, island, and village levels.

Results show that fixed links have been critical in connecting distant villages and islands together across the archipelago. Yet, the few exceptions of the so-called ‘outer islands’ demonstrate that tunnels alone have been insufficient to achieve a demographically balanced country. In terms of spatial development, we argue that fixed links (i) have favoured individual mobility patterns; (ii) have re-configured existing centre-periphery relationships; and (iii) may have altered the archipelago’s insular condition.

This research investigates perceptions of islandness, place identity, and sustainability, comparing the viewpoints of islanders and non-islanders. Focusing on the Greek islands as a primary context, the study explores how geographical isolation, cultural identity, and resource limitations shape development strategies and perceptions of sustainability. It further examines the role of place branding as a tool to bridge these perspectives and foster sustainable development. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research combines quantitative analyses with qualitative insights from a large scale survey and two focus groups. These methods capture both the unique priorities of island residents and the external perceptions held by non-islanders. The study employs a robust analytical framework that integrates insights from geography, sociology, and environmental studies to examine how local and external perspectives converge or diverge on key issues. The findings reveal both key differences and areas of convergence in how islanders and non-islanders perceive the role of place identity and branding. Islanders emphasise community resilience and cultural preservation, while non-islanders highlight the potential for tourism and economic opportunities. However, both groups align on the importance of sustainability and the need to balance economic growth with environmental and cultural stewardship. Place branding emerges as a valuable strategy for harmonising these perspectives, enhancing community engagement, and promoting sustainable tourism. This study underscores the importance of participatory governance to ensure that development policies reflect both local aspirations and external expectations. By offering a replicable framework, it provides practical insights for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders aiming to navigate the complexities of sustainable island development. It advocates for reimagining islands as vibrant, self-sustaining communities that actively contribute to regional and global progress through shared perspectives and collaborative strategies.