Author(s)

S. Kostopoulou & I. Kyritsis

Abstract

Local people's perceptions of sustainable tourism development in protected mountain areas: the case of Mount Olympus, Greece S. Kostopoulou & I. Kyritsis Department of Economics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. Abstract This paper examines local peoples' perceptions of sustainable tourism development in Mount Olympus National Park, the sacred mountain of ancient Greece. Nature-oriented tourism is currently viewed as an environmentally fiiendly way to revitalize distressed mountain communities. Tourism, however, carries a number of negative social and environmental consequences, once developed beyond the capacity of the environment and the local population to sustain it. Sustainable tourism planning therefore requires an in-depth analysis of existing resources and an understanding of local communities' attitudes towards development characteristics. Perceptions of the study area's inhabitants about the necessity for recreation facilities and technical works improvement, tourism de

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