A review of scientific-academic production on tourism in the European Union (2013-23)

Abstract

This is a heterodox review on Economic History and History of Economic Thought and its Institutions, also Public Economics, to evaluate the development of scientific-academic production on tourism within the European Union. It turns out that the scientific-academic production of the last ten years (2013-23, into Scopus), it has coincided with the emergence of two great recessions, such as the Great Recession of 2008 and the crisis of COVID-19. The Great Recession of 2008 meant the search for a new narrative of European reintegration; in this sense, the scientific-academic production was synchronized with official discourses and without a paradigmatic review from the economic micro-foundations, with a political proposal of sustainability and green growth was promoted by new-Keynesian. With the COVID-19 crisis, the scientific-academic production was aligned with the framework of the Green Deal, under of a post-Keynesian influence, with the promotion of green degrowth, affecting the tourism sector. Instead of stimulating one of the main European economic drivers (tourism accounts for more than 10% of its GDP), promoting its digitalization, more green barriers have been put in place and its replacement by a green industry is intended, which has begun to affect now to rural and cultural tourism of the Orange Economy. Faced with such a position, assumed by the European Green Deal, heterodox alternatives of foundations (specially from Austrian Economics and Neo-Institutionalists) are offered here, focusing on the promotion of digitalization strategy and talent in the tourism sector, to offer agile personalized Economy experiences of knowledge and innovation.