Tourism has become one of the areas with the most dynamic growth, asserting itself as a fundamental pillar of economic evolution and a decisive factor in generating employment opportunities, cultural changes and the development of regions and localities.

Such dynamic is based specifically on a high elasticity of demand, related to changes in leisure time and income, innovation of tourist attractions and the increase and diversification of tourism products and places. Now, it is also generally agreed that the relationship between tourism and the environment should evolve towards sustainability, not only for reasons related to the maintenance of ecological balance and preservation and enhancement of biodiversity but also because, at a time when the tourist consumer tends to become more demanding, the environmental quality is increasingly a key factor for the affirmation of touristic destinations and products.

The study focuses on the relationship between tourism and the environment, based on case studies in southeast England and the Portuguese sub-region of Baixo Mondego, developing a set of techniques of inquiry, reliable, affordable and usable in different regions and communities, consolidating itself as a manual of best practices.