Sustainability as a building block for tourism – future research: Tourism Agenda 2030

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the state-of-the-art about sustainable tourism. Despite the significant growth of publications exploring sustainable tourism, the debate on the relationship between tourism and sustainability remains open. In addition, the sector faces the challenge of the 2030 Agenda, as the authors have not yet managed to curb environmental degradation and social disparities. This research needs to be comprehensively addressed to inform future steps and to identify sustainable tourism practices that will advance the goals of this action plan. Design/methodology/approach This study applies a mixed methodology, using a bibliometric analysis performed by VOSviewer and SciMat software of 311 articles from the Web of Science. In addition, it includes an in-depth analysis of trending research topics in the field during 2019 and 2020. Findings After 20 years of research on sustainable tourism, there is still significant dispersion of studied topics, frameworks and applications. The results show the evolution of research towards the study and measurement of sustainable change, social and cultural aspects and the development of responsible governance models. Research limitations/implications New stakeholder relationships models require a methodological and technological framework. Further progress in sustainable tourism guided by the 2030 Agenda demands the establishment of worldwide recognised measurement indicators and policy frameworks. Originality/value With a mixed methodological approach and a special focus on the sustainable development goals (SDGs), this paper provides a “state-of-the-art” update to sustainability research in tourism. The results obtained have been associated with their contribution to achieving SDGs.

Gamification impact on tourists’ pro-sustainability intentions: integration of technology acceptance model (TAM) and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB)

“…Sustainability of tourist destinations is a key objective in tourism development (Pulido-Fernández et al , 2019). Experts are working to find solutions for the negative effects of tourism (Becken et al , 2020; Alonso-Muñoz et al , 2022). Using advanced technologies to promote sustainable behaviours can help reduce the negative effects of tourism (Frías-Jamilena et al , 2022).…”

Tourists' satisfaction and sense of belonging in adopting responsible behaviors: the role of on-site and social media involvement in cultural tourism

“…From a theoretical point of view, the study contributes to filling some gaps in the more recent literature focused on the behaviors and attitudes of travelers in the cultural tourism domain. In particular, six main areas of interest have been investigated: (1) the current debate on the 2030 agenda's goals, especially by focusing on the relationship between social, cultural, environmental sustainability and tourists' behaviors (Alonso-Muñoz et al. , 2023); (2) the relationship between satisfaction and SOB, thus enriching the extant literature mainly centered on the first construct (Hung et al.…”

“…Policy Makers and DMOs, as destination governance entities, play a crucial role in pushing tourism operators to qualify the involvement-experiential activities, especially by promoting sustainable on-site actions (e.g. recycling, adoption of eco-friendly transportation, renewable energy production in public places) able to favor, also in the light of the Agenda 2030, the adoption of correct sustainable practices within the destination (Alonso-Muñoz et al. , 2023).…”

“…Moreover, the growing focus on cultural tourism is also explained in light of the 2030 agenda's goals, particularly concerning the current debate about the relationship between cultural, social, environmental sustainability and tourism consumers' behaviors at the community and destination level (Alonso-Muñoz et al. , 2023).…”

Tourism towards the well-being of Small Island Developing States: Tourism Agenda 2030

“…The Agenda 2030 and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) identifies tourism as one of the main drivers of sustainable development in destinations (UNWTO, 2018) concerning several issues, such as socioeconomic development (SDG-1, SDG-2 and SDG-10); access to education and health (SDG-3 and SDG-4); gender equality (SDG-5); protection of natural and maritime resources (SDG-6, SDG-14 and SDG-15); climate change fight and energy efficiency (SDG-7 and SDG-13); and global peace (SDG-16 and SDG-17), among others. This is also being reflected in an increasingly number of works that focus on tourism effects on each one of these goals (Alonso-Muñoz et al , 2022).…”