Does tourism flow in cities drive green practices in the current smart city trajectories? Empirical evidence from Italy

Abstract

Purpose The concept of a smart city is becoming more closely linked to tourism destinations. The relationship between the environment, sustainability and tourism has become more interrelated. An eco-friendly city environment can influence tourists’ decisions, but tourist flows can also negatively impact the local ecosystem by increasing energy consumption, air pollution and environmental sustainability. In this research letter, the authors reverse this perspective, moving into smart city trajectories, highlighting that increasing tourism in cities drives the city to advance a green transition to respond to the imbalance generated by large flows of tourists that increase the users-density of the city. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate the symbiotic relationship between increasing tourism in cities and the imperative for a green transition. Design/methodology/approach This study builds on the generalized method of moment approach and an 11-year panel data set covering 30 Italian cities to investigate the relationship between tourism flow and the cities’ green practices embedded in the smart environment dimension. Findings This study provides empirical evidence that a large flow of tourists in cities positively affects the cities’ green transition, contributing to the advancement of smart tourism and smart city debate. Research limitations/implications The study focuses only on one country, and although its results may be generalizable to the European Union, it is not representative at a global level and requires further research. Practical implications This study offers practical implications underscoring the benefits of large tourism inflow in managing and implementing smart city projects. Social implications Tourism and overtourism may lead to a city reaction regarding green practices, which can have a multiplier benefit on the urban environment. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first study attempt to investigate the tourism flow as a driver of smart city implementation, considering the city’s reaction to tourism and overtourism conditions in the city that would lead to the ecological and sustainable collapse of a city.