Environmental implications of platform-based tourism

Tourism platforms have reshaped global travel by making it more accessible, convenient, and profitable. At the same time, they have intensified environmental and social pressures, including over-tourism, resource depletion, housing shortages, and community displacement. This chapter critically examines the dual impacts of tourism platforms, reviewing the platform landscape and its environmental consequences. It explores eco-certification, community-based tourism, and low-carbon mobility as strategies to mitigate negative effects. Case studies of certified accommodations in Romania and Italy, alongside collaborative initiatives such as Alpine Pearls, illustrate emerging sustainability practices. Regulatory approaches in cities such as Barcelona, Amsterdam, and New York demonstrate attempts to address housing and infrastructure impacts of short-term rentals. The findings highlight the absence of standardised sustainability criteria and the prevalence of greenwashing across platforms. This chapter argues for spatially informed, context-sensitive, and evidence-based regulation to strengthen accountability and align tourism platforms with long-term environmental and social sustainability goals.