Carlos Javier Baños Castiñeira

Carlos Javier Baños Castiñeira is a Professor at the University of Alicante, affiliated with the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters and the Department of Regional Geographic Analysis and Physical Geography. He serves as Director of the Department (since 2022) and contributes to the Interuniversity Institute of Geography and Institute of Tourism Research, focusing on tourism-geography-environmental intersections in Mediterranean contexts.

• PhD in Geography, University Institute of Geography, University of Alicante (2009)
• Postgraduate in Management Techniques for Tourism Companies, EADA and Pompeu Fabra University
• Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy and Letters, University of Alicante (1992)

His research examines territorial and environmental dimensions of tourism systems, with emphasis on water-tourism-climate nexus, sustainable resource management, and coastal planning. With over 30 publications and participation in 20+ research projects, his work analyzes how tourism development interacts with water scarcity, land use conflicts, and socio-ecological resilience in Mediterranean destinations.

Baños Castiñeira has published 5 journal articles and 6 book chapters in the last five years, demonstrating consistent scholarly output focused on tourism-water relationships, overtourism management, and climate adaptation strategies. His research shows increasing emphasis on hydrosocial cycles, stakeholder governance, and crisis response in tourist destinations.

• Director of Investigaciones Turísticas (Q2 Scopus; since 2021)
• Treasurer of Spanish Geography Association (since 2022)
• Teaching Quinquenium (5)
• Research Sexenium (3)

He has supervised 110 master's/degree theses in the last five years across Tourism, Geography, and Gastronomy programs, teaching courses including Tourism Space Planning, European Geography, and Coastal Tourism Management. His research leadership includes coordination of 21 public research projects (2020-2023), notably EU-funded SIMULATING TOURISM WATER CONSUMPTION WITH STAKEHOLDERS and national project EVALUACIÓN DE LA POBREZA HÍDRICA.

As leader of research groups Sustainable Tourism Planning and Management and Climate and Land Use Planning, he bridges academic research with practical applications through collaborations with Valencian Tourism Board and Benidorm City Council on heritage designation and water management initiatives.