Purpose This study evaluates the perceptions of physical and attitudinal accessibility in the interconnected urban destinations of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. This study aims to identify the main accessibility barriers faced by tourists and residents, particularly those with special needs, and to propose strategies to enhance the accessibility and inclusiveness of these cities. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative approach was used, using a structured questionnaire to assess sociodemographic profiles, specific needs and perceptions of accessibility-related issues. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, linear regression and comparative analyses. Findings The study found medium agreement on accessibility factors, with the highest agreement on the lack of information about accessible services and the lowest on societal prejudices. Women, individuals with special needs and older respondents reported lower satisfaction with physical accessibility. The study highlights the need for better dissemination of accessible services information, infrastructural improvements and educational programs to improve societal attitudes. Originality/value This research provides a comprehensive evaluation of physical and attitudinal accessibility from the perspectives of both tourists and residents, offering practical recommendations for urban planners, policymakers and tourism managers.

Purpose This study aims to address the macroeconomic factors effect on the travel and leisure (T&L) industry throughout Europe within the context of the Russo-Ukrainian war that have started on 24 February 2022. Specifically, top tourist destinations are analysed, such as Spain, France, Italy and Portugal, as well as Europe in general. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts the panel regression approach based on the data that is provided on a daily basis, and it covers a period of nearly 14 months, starting on 24 February 2022 and ending on 15 April 2023. Findings The findings indicate that the European T&L sector is impacted by macroeconomic variables. Namely, the T&L sector is significantly impacted by interest rates, geopolitical risk, oil and gas, whereas inflation has a muted effect, indicating a comparatively lesser influence on the dynamics of the industry. This research contributes to existing literature by providing one of the first quantitative analyses of how macroeconomic factors impact the European T&L business in the context of a geopolitical conflict. Research limitations/implications A study of the Russian–Ukrainian war may be limited by a number of research constraints. The continuing nature of the conflict, the lack of communication between the parties and potential political prejudice are some of these difficulties. Any research on the Russo-Ukrainian war should be done with these limits in mind. Practical implications Macroeconomic variables play a significant role on the T&L sector development; therefore, when designing resilience strategies, they need to be accounted for. Originality/value To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies to analyse how macroeconomic factors affected the European T&L business using a quantitative approach. The macroeconomic variables that were taken into account in this study included interest rates, inflation, oil and petrol prices, as well as the geopolitical risk index.

Purpose Circular economy (CE) is receiving increasing worldwide attention as a manner to overcome the challenges linked to current trends of unsustainable energy and resource consumption. This paper aims to fill this gap and analyze the adherence to sustainable, access-based and collaborative consumption practices by exploring the role of CE awareness, specifically in the context of Porto, the second-largest city of Portugal. Design/methodology/approach The methodology of choice is quantitative, based on partial least square-based structural equation modeling. Findings The result shows that there is an influence of CE awareness on subsequent sustainable consumption models. Research limitations/implications Present research contributes to the theory on CE awareness and sustainable consumption. It proposes a model that could be applied in other countries. As this research is developed within the city of Porto, it may limit generalizations of obtained results. Practical implications As CE practices are embodied into national and local policies, this research contributes to understanding local contexts of CE practices dissemination, providing practical suggestions for businesses and policymakers aiming the transition to the CE. Originality/value An original approach to measuring the awareness of CE economy is proposed, that is analyzed not only from the familiarity perspective but in six dimensions of its construction: familiarity, importance, perception or interpretation, advantages, social impact and barriers in this process. Further, the conceptual model of the impact that these dimensions have on the adoption of sustainable consumption models (purchase of sustainable products, access-based and collaborative consumption) is proposed.