Tourism and Carrying Capacity in the Canary Islands
Tourism and Carrying Capacity in the Canary Islands
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
11:30am EST
A Research Presentation by The Sustainability Laboratory in collaboration with
The Institute for Tourism and Sustainable Economic Development
This study was funded in part by the Foundation for the Promotion of System-Oriented Management Theory (St. Galen, Switzerland)
This event will address tourism growth in the Canary Islands and its impact on the carrying capacity of natural and human island ecosystems. With tourism contributing more than 35% to regional GDP, the Canary Islands have undergone a transition from an agricultural economy to a tourism-focused one in recent decades. This change has generated economic benefits, but it has also increased energy and water consumption, waste generation and pressure on the environment. The collaboration between The Sustainability Laboratory and the Institute for Tourism and Sustainable Economic Development has resulted in a system dynamics model to analyse this relationship between tourism and sustainability from the perspective and fundamental issue of carrying capacity.
The model uses a Causal Loop Diagram for a qualitative analysis and a Systems Dynamics methodology for a quantitative simulation, integrating environmental, economic, social, geographical, and governance variables. This approach allows us to explore the behavior of the system over time and to better understand the interactions and consequences of current policies. Especially relevant is the model’s ability to test different scenarios and policies, assessing their impact on economic and social development, as well as the environment.
The event will highlight how this model can be a crucial tool for decision-making in complex contexts, such as the future development of the tourism system and the economy and society of the Canary Islands. It will focus on how dynamic ‘carrying capacity’ analysis can enrich the assessment of island sustainability, offering a comprehensive perspective to mitigate the adverse impacts of tourism and promote more sustainable development.
Presenters
Dr. Michael Ben-Eli
Founder of The Sustainability Laboratory, Professor Michael Ben-Eli is a pioneer in the applications of systems thinking and cybernetics, and its relationship with sustainability. He holds a PhD from the Institute of Cybernetics, Brunel University, Oxbridge, UK, and led the development of the laboratory as a network of research, development and education activity centres in different ecological zones. In 2016, Dr. Ben-Eli was inducted into the International Green Industry Hall of Fame and received the organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Professor Carmelo J. León
Professor of Applied Studies and Director of the UNESCO Chair in Tourism and Sustainable Economic Development, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. He was Director of Instituto Tides from its foundation in 2010 until 2022, and his work focuses on environmental and tourism socioeconomics.
Dr. Andrea M. Bassi
Founder and CEO of KnowlEdge Srl (KE) and academic member of the Institute of Management, Innovation and Partnerships at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, Andrea has extensive experience working with governments and international organizations in the development of models to evaluate the results of policies and investment strategies in social, economic and environmental indicators. He holds a PhD in Systems Dynamics from the University of Bergen, Norway, a Master’s degree in Economics from LIUC, Italy, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Modelling from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Spain.
Professor Raúl Hernández
Full professor of Tourism Economics in the Department of Applied Economics and Quantitative Methods at the University of La Laguna. Director of the CajaCanarias-Ashotel-University of La Laguna Chair Tourism. His research focuses on the economic impacts of tourism, tourism satellite accounts, analysis of tourism policy, measurement of tourism at the local level, and the development of island tourism. Currently, he is a member of the Expert Group on Measuring Sustainable Tourism of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
Professor Vanessa Armendáriz
Director of the Global Sustainability Fellows program and Professor at The Sustainability Laboratory, Vanessa has extensive experience working on public policy and environmental design issues with various international organizations. She holds a joint Master’s degree in Systems Dynamics from the University of Bergen, Norway, and the University of Nova de Lisboa, Portugal, as well as an MBA from Radbound University, the Netherlands.
Nathalia Niño Giraldo
A Systems Dynamics modeler, specializing in sustainable development and a Junior Project Manager in KnowlEdge Srl (KE), Nathalia has worked on projects related to decarbonization pathways, sustainable transport, sustainable tourism, food security and nature-based infrastructure. She holds a Master of Philosophy in System Dynamics from the University of Bergen, Norway, and a Bachelor of Engineering in Industrial Engineering from Icesi University, Colombia.
