Destination Sustainability Through Comprehensive Planning: The Ourense Termal Case Study

The increasing significance of sustainability for territories and the awareness from the demand point of view has transformed it into a “must” in planning documents. As suggested by (Igreja et al., Tourism and Hospitality International Journal 19:90–101, 2022), this shift is partly driven by evolving tourism demand, with travelers expressing increasing concern about sustainability issues. But also, as pointed out by ( Dwyer, L., & Edwards, D. (2010). Sustainable tourism planning. Understanding the sustainable development of tourism, 19–44.), tourism is unsustainable per definition, so it's vital to firmly include sustainability in planning as an attempt to close this gap. The examination of diverse tourism planning documents, featuring the term “sustainable” in their titles, reveals a tendency toward either greenwashing or a focus solely on defining actions visibly linked to environmental sustainability, and to a growing extent, socio-cultural sustainability. In the optimal scenario, it reflects a precise diagnosis, achievable only through a preceding history of monitoring relevant indicators, leading to appropriate sustainable planning. Unfortunately, no solutions are available for regions earnestly desiring sustainable planning but lacking a background of prior monitoring or certification. This book chapter seeks to establish and test a rigorous approach for planning tourist destinations sustainably, addressing a gap in previous sustainability and monitoring efforts. To achieve this, a practical case study is conducted in a non-contiguous rural region, highlighting a unique shared resource—hot springs. The study was carried out during the summer of 2020 amid the pandemic and aims to offer a practical demonstration of sustainable planning. It underscores the importance of conducting a comprehensive assessment of the territory and aligning proposals with sustainability pillars and principles. This involves a dual requirement: considering the region's strengths, opportunities, weaknesses, and threats to formulate a comprehensive plan and ensuring concreteness without vagueness in aligning with the mentioned principles.