1164 | 468 | Possibilities of the sustainable development of shopping tourism | Mihály TÖMÖRI
In the past few decades shopping has become one of the most favoured activities among tourists and for more and more people it serves as the primary motivation for travelling. It is often stated that shopping tourism has numerous economic advantages especially for destinations such as generating income both directly and through the links to other sectors (multiplier effect), creating jobs, and decreasing seasonality. Realizing these positive economic effects, more and more destinations regard shopping tourism as a decisive tool for tourism development. However, in most cases the focus is on the immediate economic benefits, while relatively little attention is devoted to the social or environmental aspects (not always being positive) of shopping tourism, to possible disadvantages to host communities and in a broader sense to the issue of sustainability. In addition, shopping tourism has been facing new challenges due to digitalisation and to the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic accelerated the spread of (cross-border) e-commerce and increased consumers’ reliance on electronic devices and applications to meet their consumption needs. Based on the review of the relevant literature and international practices the presentation will first introduce the notion and forms of shopping tourism and examine its possible positive and negative economic, social, and environmental effects. This is followed by some suggestions for the sustainable development of shopping tourism focusing on well-being and maximising the benefits to host communities. Finally, the future of shopping tourism is assessed and the presentation will argue that retailers should follow an omnichannel strategy and place larger emphasis on (cross-border) online shopping and digitalisation (e.g. mobile applications, contact-free payments) to maintain their competitiveness.
Mihály TÖMÖRI
Institute of Tourism and Geography, University of Nyíregyháza, Hungary
ID Abstract: 468