Social sustainability discourse in cohesion policy: A critical review of Interreg Europe 2021–2027

IF 2 3区经济学 Q2 DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

Development Policy Review Pub Date : 2024-07-29 DOI:10.1111/dpr.12801

Daša Okrožnik, Peter Kopić, Ksenija Vodeb

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Motivation

As a leading European funding programme aimed at enhancing the cohesion of cross-border regions and countries, Interreg plays a significant role in fostering regional development. Sustainability, as one of the programme's central themes, covers a large portion of the objective focus, aiming for sustainable development. Although the guidelines contain implications for social sustainability, the programme demonstrates that the concept is poorly understood, which can be seen in project implementation.

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to investigate the conceptual framework and development of the discourse on social sustainability in the context of tourism and cohesion strategy, specifically within the Interreg programme. Thus, this article examines the social sustainability discourse within Interreg Europe's implications for cross-border tourism development.

Approach and methods

The study is concerned with the construction of the social sustainability discourse within cohesion policy in the broader European region. In particular, this study seeks to answer the question “how does Interreg structure the discourse on social sustainability in relation to tourism?” Our research is based on a critical review of the literature, followed by a discourse analysis of the core documents of Interreg Europe 2021–2027: the Programme Manual and the Cooperation Programme document.

Findings

In conclusion, three key themes emerge from the discourse on social sustainability in tourism: (1) Interreg's recognition of tourism-dependent regions; (2) a dominant presence of the economic and environmental pillars of sustainability; and (3) an ambiguous characterization of the social pillar and its objectives. As a result, we confirm the significance of social sustainability and clear policy formulation for the development of sustainable tourism.

Policy implications

This article warns against imprecise project objectives and the use of overly simplified and ambiguous terminology, while emphasizing the importance of social sustainability in the context of sustainable tourism development.

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凝聚力政策中的社会可持续性论述：欧洲区域间组织 2021-2027 的批判性审查

动机作为旨在增强跨境地区和国家凝聚力的欧洲主要资助计划，Interreg 在促进地区发展方面发挥着重要作用。可持续性作为该计划的中心主题之一，涵盖了目标重点的大部分内容，旨在实现可持续发展。尽管指导方针包含了社会可持续性的含义，但该计划表明，人们对这一概念的理解并不深刻，这一点在项目实施过程中可见一斑。目的本研究的目的是在旅游业和凝聚力战略的背景下，特别是在 Interreg 计划内，对社会可持续性的概念框架和论述发展进行调查。因此，本文探讨了 Interreg 欧洲计划中关于社会可持续性的论述对跨境旅游业发展的影响。途径与方法本研究关注的是欧洲地区凝聚力政策中社会可持续性话语的构建。特别是，本研究试图回答 "Interreg 如何构建与旅游业相关的社会可持续性话语？我们的研究基于对文献的批判性回顾，然后对 Interreg Europe 2021-2027 的核心文件：《计划手册》和《合作计划文件》进行了论述分析。研究结果总之，关于旅游业社会可持续性的讨论产生了三个关键主题：(1) Interreg 对依赖旅游业的地区的认可；(2) 可持续性的经济和环境支柱占据主导地位；(3) 社会支柱及其目标的特征模糊不清。因此，我们确认了社会可持续性和明确的政策制定对于发展可持续旅游业的重要意义。政策影响本文警告不要制定不精确的项目目标，不要使用过于简化和模糊的术语，同时强调了社会可持续性在旅游业可持续发展中的重要性。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Development Policy Review DEVELOPMENT STUDIES-

CiteScore

3.50

自引率

5.90%

发文量

期刊介绍： Development Policy Review is the refereed journal that makes the crucial links between research and policy in international development. Edited by staff of the Overseas Development Institute, the London-based think-tank on international development and humanitarian issues, it publishes single articles and theme issues on topics at the forefront of current development policy debate. Coverage includes the latest thinking and research on poverty-reduction strategies, inequality and social exclusion, property rights and sustainable livelihoods, globalisation in trade and finance, and the reform of global governance. Informed, rigorous, multi-disciplinary and up-to-the-minute, DPR is an indispensable tool for development researchers and practitioners alike.