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This chapter offers an insightful exploration into the burgeoning field of eco-tourism, focusing on the expectations and motivations of tourists gravitating towards green destinations. Eco-tourism, while not a novel concept, has seen a significant resurgence in interest over the past few decades, with its roots tracing back to the wildlife reserves of Kenya in the 1960s. The narrative then transitions to an in-depth examination of what constitutes a green destination, emphasizing its foundational pillars, such as environmental conservation, sustainable tourism practices, active community engagement, educational initiatives, and the pursuit of certifications that affirm their commitment to sustainability. A central theme of the chapter is the nuanced expectations of eco-tourists who are increasingly seeking destinations that not only offer the tranquillity and beauty of nature but also adhere to sustainability principles and cultural authenticity. These expectations are intricately linked to the motivations driving tourists towards green destinations, including the desire to connect with nature, contribute to conservation efforts, and engage in travel practices that are both responsible and enriching. By weaving together theoretical insights and empirical evidence, the chapter provides a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic interplay between the demand for green destinations and the supply of sustainable tourism experiences, ultimately highlighting the critical role of eco-tourism in paving the way for a more sustainable and ethical travel industry.

Cities and the tourism industry are closely related. Cities are destinations that serve for the welfare of the people and the tourists visiting the city. The tourism sector, on the other hand, uses the environmental and sociocultural resources of the cities, ensures that these resources are transferred to the future by protecting them, and contributes to the economic development of the cities by creating employment. Several urban models have been created within this framework to make urban tourism viable. Eco-city tourism is one of these urban design concepts. Eco-city tourism aims to protect cities from sociocultural, economic, and environmental factors while promoting their growth. Eco-city tourism, which includes a number of practices such as prevention of pollution, protection of biological diversity, consumption of renewable energy, production of local products, employment, and protection of cultural values, is easily implement in cities in an integrated manner with smart technological systems. Smart building and smart energy systems for energy saving, mobile applications, Wi-Fi, big data, Internet of Things (IoT), and cloud computing are among the smart technological systems used in the tourism sector.

Globalization, along with its technological developments, has brought important changes and developments in all sectors and led to innovation and modernization. In the tourism industry, the concept of smart destination, derived from the concept of smart city, has become widespread to meet the changing needs of tourists. In this context, smart technologies have started to be used in destinations, but more than technology in destinations is needed in terms of sustainability. To ensure sustainability in tourism, these smart technologies must also be eco-friendly. Smart destinations and eco-friendly practices are important for the sustainable development of the tourism industry. The use of technology in destinations can increase sustainability and efficiency, while using eco-friendly practices can protect and preserve the natural environment. In this study, first of all, smart destinations and the characteristics of smart destinations are discussed. Then, smart tourism and related eco-friendly practices are argued. Following this, information about the future of smart destinations is given, and assumptions are mentioned. Afterward, problems and solutions are discussed. Finally, the study has been completed with the conclusion part. The findings of the study revealed that the concept of green especially comes to the fore in smart destinations, that there are studies to prevent all kinds of pollution (air, noise, etc.), and applications such as smart parking systems, smart lighting systems, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) are given importance.

The growth and promotion of green tourism destinations can have many potential benefits from artificial intelligence (AI). The literature on AI and applications of AI in promoting green destinations is very less. The major areas of research in this direction are related with nature-based tourism or sustainable tourism. There is a great potential to research in this area as AI can play an important role in promoting green destinations. Simultaneously, AI can play the role of enabler to achieve environmental targets by promoting various green destinations. The major finding of this chapter is that the research in this area is majorly revolving around tourist destinations and sustainable development. Another area of research where AI is used is eco-tourism and sustainable tourism. With the help of various decision support systems, sustainable tourism can be promoted. Social media platforms and digitalization of tourism is a great enabler of using AI in the field of tourism.

Green tourism and ecotourism have close meanings focusing on environmental factors and are sometimes related to rural tourism in general or a type of ecotourism itself. These forms emerged due to the concerns to protect the environment, and greater consideration has been given to tourism development and the notion that it should be approached carefully in light of recognizing its impacts.

The thematic concepts of green and responsible tourism raised questions about the definitions of both notions and their nexus of sustainability. Thus, the current chapter looks for an overview to understand green and responsible tourism, their emerging, definitions, practices and their role in the current scenario in the post-pandemic era.

Complexity and interconnections of the wicked problems constantly challenge policy-makers and public authorities. The tourism system, with its diverse nature and entangled connections among the stakeholders, provides a favourable ground for the emergence of numerous wicked issues. The Bulgarian tourism policy ecosystem has a well-developed legislative basis, envisaging most of the possible problems among the actors. Still, the decision-makers, service delivery managers, technical experts and social researchers need close coordination and a systematic approach to reach a coherent and acceptable solution. The current chapter reveals the gaps in the work of the tourism policy institutions in Bulgaria, caused mainly by the lack of coordination and limited communication among them.

A key lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic was the extent to which the collapse of tourism activity underlined the sensitivity of the industry with regard to mass and over-tourism. In previous decades, we were aware of the effects of such events as terrorist attacks and environmental disasters; the pandemic provided a display of the fragility of tourism. It represented a wake-up call for us to pause and reflect on whether the type of industry tourism had become, was entirely fit for purpose and to imagine what the ‘new normal’ tourism would be. The problem apparent since the middle of 2022, as pandemic restrictions lessened and tourism destinations re-opened, was that there would be no ‘new normal’ as in many cases there would be a return to the ‘old normal’, as mass tourism destinations refilled with visitors and environmental degradation resumed. The sense of fragility continued, no longer impelled by the pandemic, but by new critical events in the post-pandemic world – war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, the consumer inflation crisis and rising interest rates in advanced economies, and the slowing of real economic growth. In addition, in 2023, we became even more aware of dangers from an over-heating planet – such as floods and extreme weather conditions. The longer-term prospect of many popular tourism resorts being effectively wiped out is no longer an obscure threat but a potentially concrete reality. This chapter will look at how we manage trends towards a more sustainable and responsible form of tourism.