Call for Special Issue on
Climate challenges and Perspectives on Tourism in Mediterranean countries
Governance, Narratives and Regenerative Pathways
The Mediterranean is one of the epicentres of the global climate crisis as well as one of the most dependent regions on tourism as an economic, cultural, and identity resource. This dual condition creates a bidirectional nexus in which tourism significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, resource overuse, and ecological pressure, while also being one of the sectors most exposed to climate impacts. Rising sea levels, heatwaves, wildfires, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, and the erosion of cultural and environmental heritage are already reshaping tourism trajectories across the Mediterranean, while intensifying existing territorial pressures linked to tourism concentration, cruise-based mobilities, and broader geopolitical asymmetries within the region. As a result, the long-term sustainability of these regions is increasingly being called into question.
Against this backdrop, the special issue proposes a debate on the role of tourism not only as a driver of vulnerability but also as a potential engine of resilience and regeneration, by examining governance models and emerging social practices.
Contributions may address, but are not limited to, the following thematic axes:
1. Vulnerability and resilience of tourism regions – Analysis of climate risks, socio-ecological vulnerabilities, and adaptive capacities in cities, coastal areas, and mountain or inland regions, with a focus on mapping tools, comparative scenarios, resilience pathways, and the cumulative effects of tourism pressures, mobility regimes, and uneven regional conditions affecting Mediterranean destinations.
2. Tourism governance – Policy approaches and management tools that move beyond incremental sustainability, encompassing adaptive, regenerative, anticipatory or transformative forms of governance capable of addressing territorial pressures, uneven mobilities, and climate-related vulnerabilities.
3. Narratives and policies of regenerative tourism – Critical analysis of discourses and practices that transcend the tourism monoculture, integrating social justice, intergenerational equity, and ecological regeneration.
4. Participation and local communities – Experiences of multi-scalar and inclusive governance, territorial observatories, local networks, civic engagement, and digital tools that strengthen the role of communities in the climate transition of tourism.
The special issue aims to foster an interdisciplinary debate with the help of empirical research and theoretical reflections, highlighting innovative experiences and policies that can strengthen Mediterranean regions.
How to contribute
Please send a long abstract (1,000 words) and 5 Keywords by the 10th of April 2026 to redazione@culturedellasostenibilita.it and in copy to monica.bernardi@unimib.it
Please specify in the subject line: Climate challenges and Perspectives on Tourism in Mediterranean countries
Guest editors
Monica Bernardi (University of Milano-Bicocca)
Mariaclaudia Cusumano (University of Milano-Bicocca)
Paola de Salvo (University of Perugia)
Gabriele Manella (University of Bologna)
Key deadlines
Abstract Submission: 10th of April 2026
Notification of Acceptance: 20th of April 2026
Full Paper Submission: 30th of May 2026
Notification of Full paper: November 2026