Social Carrying Capacity (SCC) has been used commonly in the past to study the impact of increasing numbers of tourists on tourists’ satisfaction with a destination. However, it has been used less commonly to research the impact of increasing levels of tourism on residents of tourism destinations. As definitions of sustainable tourism shift to be more inclusive of residents, commonly used constructs should also be refined or modified to reflect this ontological shift. Current operational definitions of SCC tend to focus on crowding as the major indicator SCC has been reached. Even the theories commonly used to study SCC, stimulus-overload and expectancy theories, relate directly to crowding. This Master’s thesis aimed to expand the concept of SCC to be more representative of the manifold impacts experienced by residents of tourism destinations as tourism increases. This aim was accomplished through an exploratory mixed methods study ultimately resulting in the creation of a new SCC measurement tool.

The qualitative phase of this research consisted of four focus groups in three sites with varying levels of tourism development. The data from the focus groups were used to inform item writing of a measurement tool that represented a greater number of SCC indicators than crowding to confirm the validity of the indicators in the quantitative phase of the research. After the instrument was distributed via a statewide poll, two structural equation models were fit to compare the operational definitions. A better understanding of the relationship between one of the supporting theories, stimulus-overload theory, and SCC was uncovered with evidence of an emergent connection between SCC and tourism-related stressors.

The results of the research indicate that there are multiple indicators of SCC experienced by residents of tourism destinations which can change in degree and expression as tourism development in a community increases. The operational definition including these indicators explained more variance in support for tourism development than overcrowding alone. A greater awareness of these indicators and their evolution can strengthen the theoretical foundation of SCC and enable practitioners to make multi-faceted, proactive decisions when managing a destination.

The United Nations projects that 68% of the world population will live in urban areas by 2050. As urban areas continue to grow, it is critical to consider how cities will be redesigned and reimagined to ensure that they are healthy and beneficial places that can properly support their residents. In addition, college students have been identified as a vulnerable population in regards to overall wellness. In Downtown Phoenix, one the biggest elements of concern will be the built environment and its influence on wellbeing as the city itself and Arizona State University’s Downtown campus populations continue to expand. Given this, the purpose of this study is two-fold. I applied Social-Cognitive Theory as a framework to first, understand student perceptions of the built and social environment and second, explore how perceptions of the built and social environment influence student wellbeing. I used semi-structured interviews and participant-driven photo elicitation to answer these questions. The study took place at Taylor Place Mall on Arizona State University’s Downtown Campus and participants were students who attend classes on the ASU Downtown Campus. Findings displayed the need for design considerations to focus on the safety of students, creating places to gather for social connection, and overall a desire for design to focus on place making and place meaning, as well as other themes. Understanding more clearly how the built and social environment guides behaviors and social opportunities can help urban designers, landscape architects, and community developers better plan healthier environments that foster productive behaviors, create meaningful spaces, and prove to be sustainable in future years.

The emphasis of this research is on the level of environmental and social sustainability in hostels located in top tourist destinations in the U.S. and Europe and the motivations of hostel proprietors in implementing sustainable practices. The related research is limited in terms of hostels; however, there are impactful studies in terms of sustainability initiatives and hoteliers perceptions of sustainable tourism that contributed to the development of this study. Additionally, research studies on the behaviors of the backpacking community provided necessary background in analyzing data on the hostel community. A 20 question survey was emailed to a total of 454 email addresses to hostels located in 29 popular tourist destinations in both the U.S. and Europe. This study found that out of the 24 completed responses, hostels in the U.S. had a higher level of implementation of sustainability practices than those in Europe, Hostels with a sustainability strategic plan ranked higher in levels of sustainability practices. Lastly, the study pinpointed selected implemented practices that positively correlated with hostels attitudes and perceptions of sustainability. However, with the limited number of participants this study is not statistically significant. There is an opportunity for future research to expand upon the implications of hostel community and sustainability.

The study looks deep into how traveling to new destinations allows individuals to explore new cultures, escape from their everyday routine and have an opportunity to grow and become a more open minded individual. The millennial generation is a group that has distinguished themselves from any other generation that came before them as they are changing the direction in which industries operate on every level. Millennial women are slowly causing a significant impact in the tourism industry as they are becoming the leading market share holders for hosting Airbnb's and have a growing trend for traveling on their own. Due to the increase of trends of solo female travelers, there is a demand for a new innovative product that encompasses all the needs and wants of women that are exploring on their own. Compass, the app, could be the ideal product that would help connect independent female travelers that want to have a personalized experience in a new destination. The app would consider the mainstream concerns of female solo travels such as safety, recommendations and reviews as the algorithms would match the women who are most compatible with each other. This paper will discuss the study that was conducted to gather data from millennial women at Arizona State University to determine whether or not there is a demand for an app such as Compass. In order to collect data, a survey was distributed through a Google form that utilized multiple question formats. The results of the study suggest there is a demand for the app as the millennial women average a high likelihood to use the app if it were to become a viable product. Compass could open the doors for a new niche market within the tourism industry that could eventually expand and change the way traveling for leisure occurs in the fast-paced world.