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Many developing countries have encountered frequent pollution accidents during their rapid development, while the previously weak environmental insurance systems could seriously undermine the progress of sustainable development. Some developing countries like China has initiated and strengthened environmental pollution liability insurance, so how effective this system would be in resolving enterprises environmental risks need to be further revealed.

This research identifies the possible consequence that compulsory environmental pollution liability insurance pilot (CEPLIP) policy would bring to the risk-taking capacity of heavy-polluting corporations of China by the Differences-in-Differences (DID) approach.

The result supports the implementation of CEPLIP policy in increasing corporate risk-taking capacity. Furthermore, the CEPLIP policy can promote the corporate’s risk-taking capacity by reducing financial distress constraints and enhancing trade credit, supporting its dual role of “fallback effect” as well as “external supervision effect” of environmental insurance. As a result of heterogeneity test, the policy is more pronounced in enterprise samples with mature life cycle stage or lower industrial concentration degree. Similarly, it is more significant in enterprise samples owned better environmental management capabilities or greater strategic deviance.

This paper verifies the effectiveness of the CEPLIP policy by strengthening its supervision mechanism and restraining opportunistic behavior tendency and provides implications for alleviating increasing environmental risk pressure and building more sustainable environmental protection management systems.

We review and synthesize the existing research on directors' and officers’ (D&O) liability insurance. Our objectives are (1) to examine the institutional forces and regulatory requirements that have influenced the development of D&O liability insurance; (2) to identify the factors that influence firms to purchase D&O liability insurance and explore the consequences associated with its usage and (3) to identify gaps in the current literature and provide recommendations for future research on D&O liability insurance.

We perform a systematic literature review (SLR) using the Preferred Reporting Items for a Systematic Review of Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines to examine archival studies that investigate the determinants and consequences of D&O liability insurance. Using a Boolean search strategy on the “Web of Science” (WoS) and PRISMA selection criteria, we review 64 published archival research articles and three working papers from 1987 to October 2023.

Our review reveals that disclosing detailed information regarding D&O liability insurance, such as total insurance premiums and coverage limit, is predominantly voluntary, except in Taiwan. Our findings suggest that the decision to purchase D&O liability insurance is influenced by litigation risk, which is determined by factors such as firm size, complexity and corporate governance variables. We also find that D&O liability insurance has implications for financial reporting, audit outcomes, investment behavior and capital market performance.

In the post-COVID era, where firms face pressure due to financial constraints, our research emphasizes the practical importance of carefully considering and understanding the impact of D&O liability insurance, particularly as it concerns the demand for such insurance.

To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first systematic review of previous research on D&O liability insurance. Our review highlights some research gaps, particularly in relation to the implications for financial reporting practices, auditing outcomes, firm investment behavior and capital market consequences.

This chapter offers an insightful exploration into the burgeoning field of eco-tourism, focusing on the expectations and motivations of tourists gravitating towards green destinations. Eco-tourism, while not a novel concept, has seen a significant resurgence in interest over the past few decades, with its roots tracing back to the wildlife reserves of Kenya in the 1960s. The narrative then transitions to an in-depth examination of what constitutes a green destination, emphasizing its foundational pillars, such as environmental conservation, sustainable tourism practices, active community engagement, educational initiatives, and the pursuit of certifications that affirm their commitment to sustainability. A central theme of the chapter is the nuanced expectations of eco-tourists who are increasingly seeking destinations that not only offer the tranquillity and beauty of nature but also adhere to sustainability principles and cultural authenticity. These expectations are intricately linked to the motivations driving tourists towards green destinations, including the desire to connect with nature, contribute to conservation efforts, and engage in travel practices that are both responsible and enriching. By weaving together theoretical insights and empirical evidence, the chapter provides a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic interplay between the demand for green destinations and the supply of sustainable tourism experiences, ultimately highlighting the critical role of eco-tourism in paving the way for a more sustainable and ethical travel industry.

Dark tourism is a new coinage rooted in the perception of tourism activities at the sites or destinations connected to phenomena that bear varied, flexible, dynamic, diverse, and graded dark shades of life and civilization. It is now customary to subsume it within the sets of niche tourism. Some dark tourism sites attract visitors and generate sizable amounts of revenue, yet most of the world does not register much demand compared to other niches. Accordingly, promotion pursuit turned crucial to draw the market’s attention, creating its competitively distinct position.

Indeed, inherent issues, such as conceptual multiplicity within nature, aspect, attribute, and product paradigm, turn dark tourism into a complex phenomenon and put a challenge toward creating its distinct market position. Additionally, contradictions in semantic and functional significances, conflicts in framing morbid memory and authentic portrayal, variances in ethical, cultural and ideological interpretations, transition of liminal space identity, and diverse focuses in stakeholder engagement in imaging impede efforts to transform dark tourism attractions into a significant driver of tourism.

This chapter will locate and address the issues that challenge the marketability of dark attractions and dark tourism promotion more directly, with attention to the Indian context.

Dark Tourism is a newly recognized niche tourism type that is first coined in 1996 by Lennon and Foley. This new term has attracted academicians and researchers globally. Till mid of 20th century, major work on dark tourism was limited to understanding its concept and giving it various names such as death tourism, black tourism, horror tourism, thanatourism, morbid tourism, and many more. After the mid-20th century, the focus of researchers was shifted to tourists’ psychology specifically on tourists’ motivation. Researchers suggested various motivational factors such as ‘curiosity of unusual,’ ‘education and learning,’ ‘historic interest,’ ‘inner purification,’ and ‘interested in death-related sites’ that influence tourists to seek dark attraction places. Recent research identified impact of dark places on visitors’ emotions and experiences. Some has argued that after visit tourists’ experience negative emotions such as depression or horror. While some suggested that dark tourism have positive emotion experience. This chapter is based on a secondary database, descriptive in nature, and aims to depict the motivation, purposes, and behavior of tourists toward dark attraction places that are linked to places of dark history.

From ancient times, people have been drawn to the sites of past battles to pay their respects, learn about history, and gain a deeper understanding of the sacrifices made by those who fought. Today, battlefield tourism is a popular way for people to connect with the past and honor those who served their countries. Battlefield tourism is a significant component of war tourism and is not a new phenomenon (Smith, 1996). Even before the concepts of dark tourism or thanatourism emerged, studies were mostly carried out within the scope of heritage tourism at battlefields and war-related sites. However, with the increasing interest in the macabre and morbid aspects of history, dark tourism has gained popularity as a distinct form of tourism, encompassing sites related to death, tragedy, and disaster.

The debate about how to interpret war or how battlefield tourism relates to death is not new, and many studies on battlefield tourism compare and contrast various aspects of travel, whether they are dreary, educational, or enjoyable. To examine battlefield tourism from a historical perspective, firstly conceptually, it is necessary to consider how it has been perceived from the past to the present and what structures are involved. This section aims to examine the tourism of the battlefields from a historical perspective. In this context, at the first stage, its development in the literature was examined from a conceptual point of view, and then the turning points where tourism activities started were discussed.

Dark tourism, a phenomenon encompassing visits to sites associated with death, suffering, and historical atrocities, has gained increasing scholarly attention in recent years. This chapter explores the concept's historical roots, motivations for engagement, and its transformative impact on heritage sites, culminating in a case study of the Malcha Mahal Haunted Heritage Walks in Delhi. Despite being abandoned for centuries, this historic site gained prominence with the occupation by the self-proclaimed royal family of Oudh in the 1980s. The introduction of the Haunted Heritage Walk by Delhi Tourism aimed to harness the dark tourism potential of this previously neglected monument. However, initial challenges such as deteriorating conditions and safety concerns necessitated collaborative efforts with government departments for conservation and site preparation. Interviews with visitors revealed diverse motivations for attendance, ranging from thrill-seeking to appreciation of the monument's historical significance. Since the walk's inception, conservation efforts have commenced, accompanied by landscaping initiatives and amenities for visitors. While the future conservation and tranquility of Malcha Mahal remain uncertain amid increasing tourist interest, its transformation into an alternative destination within Delhi underscores the potential of dark tourism to revitalize neglected heritage sites. Sustainable tourism planning is essential to preserve the monument's unique features and manage tourism while maintaining its integrity for future generations.

Marketing tourism is essential for long-term tourism development which requires gaining knowledge about the motivation and needs of tourists. In order to help tourists gain a hospitable experience, information regarding the needs, perception, and their behavior while on site is important. This research attempts to explore the priority of tourists’ needs in visiting historical sites. It also tries to conceptualize new forms of hospitality strategies for smart tourism development. Based on grounded theory, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is conceptualized for historical tourists and used as the main framework for this work. The Persepolis-Pasargadae Historical Range (PPHR) is chosen as the case study of the research because of the historical and cultural attractions located in this historical range. Results indicate that tourists interested in visiting this destination are looking to fulfill their growth needs. These growth needs can be complemented by new technologies while on site such as virtual reality (VR) goggles that help tourists gain knowledge about the reality of these destinations. The research concludes with findings and suggestions that can contribute to the planning of an effective marketing plan based on tourists’ motivation and needs for visiting historical destinations.

Over the past 50 years, dark tourism has seen exponential growth in terms of both physical and digital contexts. Dark tourism is primarily a concentration around documented accounts of physical violence, and theorizations centered on dark tourism studies have generally fallen within either behavioral or interpretivist perspectives. Such perspectives are indicative of the continually evolving nature of dark tourism and its receptiveness to new definitions, conceptual frameworks, and theorizations. Taking this into consideration, this chapter seeks to develop and broaden the notion of “dark tourism” within the era of late capitalism by presenting fresh theoretical perspectives stemming from critical criminological frameworks. Specifically, in drawing upon critical notions of violence and the emerging deviant leisure framework, this chapter will aim to instigate fresh academic enquiry into the nature of dark tourism, expand its theoretical underpinnings, and subsequently provide a means in which to examine how banal forms of tourism play an integral part in the proliferation of some of the most serious harms that populate the contemporary neoliberal landscape.