Beyond “more is better”: Ecological footprint accounting for tourism and consumption in Val di Merse, Italy

Habits of conservation, consumption and recycling are important determinants of economic throughput. Provincial governments interested in tourism's role in a diverse, steady-state economy may wish to orient tourism development around the tourist segments with less intensive consumption habits. We estimate consumption of energy and materials by tourists vacationing in Val di Merse, a rural region of Tuscany, Italy. We compare tourists and their host population by means of a consumption based indicator, the Ecological Footprint. Conclusions for planning and management are explored. While the average tourist is often thought to consume more on vacation than at home, and often more than local residents, our estimate of the tourist footprint as an equivalent resident (5.28 gha) is similar to that estimated for residents (5.47 gha), excluding arrival transport. In total, the tourist population (685 equivalent residents) in Val di Merse contributes an ecological footprint of 13,500 gha annually, compared to 74,500 gha due to local residents (pop. 13,624). Both levels are lower than the average 6.74 EF estimated for the tourist countries of origin. Arrival transport contributes an additional 32.8 gha per tourist equivalent resident, and accounts for 86% of the total tourism impact. Infrastructure, information provided, and traditional knowledge are discussed as possible ways Provincial governments can maintain or grow tourism flows while maintaining low ecological footprint, and while raising economic turnover relative to material and energy throughput.