The relationship between tourism activity, natural amenities, and second-home development: Insights for Land use planning

Second-home development in regions with rich natural amenities can both enhance economic opportunities and pose environmental challenges, making sustainable planning crucial. These properties are closely tied to the preservation and well-being of their natural surroundings, and balanced development is essential for sustainable land use and economic growth in these areas. However, limited research has examined the direct interaction between second-home development, natural amenities, and their combined economic impacts. This study addresses this gap by examining the long-term causal relationship between second-homes and the expansion of natural amenities tourism. Monthly trends were analysed using expenditure data from foreign tourists in Italy from 2002 to 2019, employing univariate analysis of the structural models and multivariate Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) to examine the causality between second-home and natural amenities tourist expenditures. The findings reveal a causal link between second-homes expansion and the growth of natural amenities tourism, underscoring the importance of strategic spatial planning for sustainable growth in regions heavily dependent on second-home tourism.