1. Introduction
In modern history, various events have marked significant moments in humanity, and it is these events that influence the decisions of governments, businesses, and individuals. One of these events is the emergence of the concept of sustainable development as a way to understand the need to give high importance to environmental care to ensure the preservation of future generations. While there have been many milestones in the development of this concept, it must be noted that the publication of the Meadows Report in 1972 serves as a reference point marking the beginnings of human concern for the impact of economic activity on the environment. This document, commissioned by the Club of Rome, posits that the pace of economic growth and the availability of natural resources cannot be sustained in the long term. Thus, pollution and environmental deterioration, coupled with economic growth and population growth, may lead to long-term imbalances that could negatively affect the quality of life for humans if necessary actions are not taken [1].
On the other hand, the Brundtland Report, published in 1987, also known as “Our Common Future”, addresses the need to balance economic growth, social development, and environmental care in such a way that they meet present needs without compromising the needs of future generations. Additionally, it incorporates the necessity of focusing on significant societal issues, such as extreme poverty, which affects a large portion of the global population [2]. Another pivotal event is the Earth Summit held in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This event underscored the importance of involving governments in the implementation of public policies aimed at environmental preservation and the execution of alternatives for societal development. Issues such as biodiversity loss, desertification, and climate change were discussed.
In the field of business management, it was Edward Freeman who introduced the concept of “stakeholder” in 1984, referring to those participants in the community to whom companies must also be accountable through their actions [3]. In fact, this concept was established in opposition to the term “shareholder”, which refers to those who directly receive financial benefits from the company. In this sense, the stakeholder perspective posits that not only shareholders should benefit from the company, but there is a range of external stakeholders who should be considered in the decision-making process.
Furthermore, there is a body of research that incorporates the environmental element into business management and explicitly addresses environmental aspects that must be taken into account for achieving results [4,5,6,7,8]. It has become increasingly evident that sustainable development is not solely related to environmental or ecological aspects, but also encompasses other dimensions, such as economic and social factors, which have also been crucial to consider. In this regard, Elkington [9] suggests that companies should adopt a management model that embraces the triple bottom-line approach. This entails not only incorporating indicators related to the financial and economic outcomes of the company but also considering indicators linked to social and environmental aspects. This can be achieved by setting clear objectives and encouraging the participation of employees and society at large.
Regarding the term “sustainable development”, Gladwin [10] introduced it, and it is now directly linked to the strategic implications for businesses. Porter and Kramer [11] argue that business activities do not necessarily have to be separate from generating social benefits, such that companies can incorporate operations that can create shared value for society and the environment. This can be accomplished by identifying the direct and indirect impacts of companies on them, such that this impact identification can lead to one or more strategies that contribute to creating shared value for society.
In relation to the terms “sustainable development” and “tourism”, one of the earliest publications on this topic corresponds to the papers presented at the seminar “Human Ecology, Tourism, and Sustainable Development”, held in 1990 in Bali, Indonesia [12]. During this event, the concept of human ecology was examined as the field that studies the relationship between humans and their natural environment, as well as the relationship between humans and the environment they create themselves. This was performed as a means of addressing the situation that arose at that time due to the rapid growth of visitors to Indonesia.
Subsequent works have been undertaken, with only a few specifically focusing on analyzing contributions in this regard. In this domain, Zolfani [13] stands out for developing a literature review pertaining to the concept of sustainable tourism, analyzing 137 scientific publications across 47 specialized journals. The primary findings illustrate how scientific contributions in these matters have primarily concentrated on the analysis of the sustainable development paradigm applied to tourism. Additionally, the review delves into ways to foster sustainable tourism development in regions where tourism is a significant activity. Another pertinent study was conducted by Huang [14], wherein a substantial increase in publications on sustainable tourism was observed from 2011 onwards. These publications predominantly emanated from Asia, Europe, and America. Streimikiene et al. [15] also address these issues, incorporating the concept of competitiveness in destinations and tourism businesses into their analysis. They conclude that it is of paramount importance to promote sustainable development in tourism through tourists’ responsible consumption, corporate governance, and social responsibility.
Regarding the impact of tourism on the environment, it must be noted that statistics in this sector indicate that flight arrivals will increase from 1.2 billion in 2016 to 1.8 billion in 2030. While this growth signifies a significant advancement in the economic activity of tourism, it also implies a potential escalation in the negative environmental impacts generated by tourist activities. In fact, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), in its report titled Transport-related CO2 Emissions of the Tourism Sector [16], reports that in 2016, 5% of human-induced CO2 emissions were attributable to tourism. Projections indicate that this proportion will rise to 5.3% by 2030, posing a considerable challenge for governments and businesses in terms of the actions needed to enhance their relationship with the environment.
It is also crucial to address the issue related to the use of plastics in the tourism sector. According to data from the One Planet Network [17], 8 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans, with this figure increasing by 40% during holiday seasons. For this reason, the UNWTO has developed initiatives aimed at controlling this negative environmental impact generated by tourist activities.
The above leads to considering the evolution of sustainable development and how this concept has permeated virtually all areas of human knowledge, and furthermore, taking into account how tourism has been one of the disciplines that has widely incorporated this concept into its study, as well as the practical implications on the environment, it is important to analyze the following question: What have been the most significant contributions in the study of tourism and sustainable development in terms of addressed themes and primary authors in the last 30 years?
Addressing this question aims to identify consolidated, developing, and emerging themes related to tourism and sustainable development in the scientific literature. This endeavor contributes to clarifying the field of study within the discipline of tourism, enabling academics and researchers to continue addressing these scientific issues.
2. Materials and Methods
A systematic literature review was conducted, assuming that such a review integrates past knowledge on a specific theme or area of interest, identifies relevant biases and knowledge gaps in contributions, and provides guidelines for future studies [18]. To achieve this, an advanced research tool, bibliometric analysis, was employed to explore citation patterns and the evolution of knowledge. For applied science, analyzing broad and complex bibliometric data is essential [19]. Furthermore, it can be stated that analyzing the bibliometric method using its own methodology is currently viable [20]. Moreover, increasingly, statistical methods are employed in bibliometric studies to assess research, enabling the analysis of scientific publications and their impacts [21].
For this type of study, reliable, impactful, and data-available databases are consulted. The primary databases for social sciences are Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science, to name a few. Web of Science (WoS) has been utilized by thousands of researchers in recent years, making it the leading platform for searching and disseminating scientific information [22]. When comparing WoS to other databases, such as Google Scholar, the former is more recommended due to its more effective citation search, reduced selection time, and lower cost [23].
Based on the foregoing, this study used publications indexed in Web of Science (WoS) on the 27th of June in the year 2023. The documents were searched in the Web of Science Core Collection, specifically in five editions: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Conference Proceedings Citation Index-Science (CPCI-S), Conference Proceedings Citation Index-Social Science & Humanities (CPCI-SSH), and Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI). In the Title and Author Keywords sections, the following commands were entered: Title:(“Sustainab* Development” AND Tourism) OR Author Keywords:”Sustainab* Development” AND Tourism). The timeframe was delimited from 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2020 to encompass the first two complete decades of publications. The examination of the first two decades of the 21st century provides a unique opportunity to analyze recent trends in research related to sustainable development in tourism. This period marks a crucial moment in history characterized by rapid technological advances, profound sociocultural changes, and a dynamic evolution of scientific disciplines. By confining the study to this timeframe, the essence of how research in tourism has responded to contemporary challenges can be effectively captured.
In addition to the aforementioned, the analysis of this specific period offers a more precise insight into the current state of knowledge, enabling the identification of emerging trends, particularly those in the early stages of study that could have a significant impact in the near future. This capability empowers the scientific and academic community to focus their efforts on directions that are relevant and pertinent in the current context. Consequently, it anticipates and prepares for the development of themes that have emerged regarding sustainable tourism development, including those on the verge of emerging.
This search resulted in a list of 972 documents. The results were refined by excluding certain document types such as Book Reviews, Editorial Material, Meeting Abstracts, Biographical Items, Book Chapters, Letters, and News Items, leaving 929 items on the list. The Citation Topics Meso of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism was selected to further refine the list of documents and include those directly related to the thematic area of tourism. Finally, 496 publications were obtained, consisting of 341 Articles, 140 Proceeding Papers, and 15 Review Articles. The definitive database was downloaded in a plain text file format with the option of a full record and cited references.
Various software options exist for bibliometric analysis of publication data, such as Bibliometrix, CiteSpace, HistCite, SciMAT, Bibexcel, and VOSViewer, among others. In a comparative study on the usage and development of three of the aforementioned tools—CiteSpace, HistCite, and VOSViewer—the latter is more frequently employed [24]. One practical utility is that its text mining algorithms, combined with a machine learning model, are particularly useful for gaining a better understanding of the thematic structure of the data [25]. Additionally, they offer exceptional visualization capabilities and the ability to import and export information from different sources and formats [26], and the maps and networks generated exhibit enhanced visualization and user friendliness [27].
Due to the virtues of this software, the database was utilized within the VOSviewer software (version 1.6.20). To achieve greater precision in estimations and results to be presented, three thesauri were generated for authors (15), cited authors (15), and keywords (12). Subsequently, calculations were performed according to the criteria outlined in Table 1, which are as follows. (1) Co-authorship: An analysis was conducted, and based on the criteria, there are 1012 authors, some of whom are not related to each other; however, the network with all items was chosen, and the first 15 authors from the results were captured in the table. (2) Citation: Three units of analysis were selected, and results were delimited to obtain data for the top fifteen items. (3) Bibliographic coupling: Using the authors as the unit of analysis, a relationship map was generated for the 15 items with the most citations and their relationships with others. (4) Co-citation: Based on the number of citations, a network of the top authors cited together with others was generated. (5) Co-occurrence: The number of words was delimited, with a minimum occurrence of 10 times. Among them, 29 met the threshold, and 5 were omitted, resulting in a map of 24 thematic items.
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. Descriptive Results
The evolution of the central theme of this document from 2001 to 2020 can be observed in Figure 1. The article titled “The consequences of tourism for sustainable water use on a tropical island: Zanzibar, Tanzania” [28] was the first published in the current century related to the topic of sustainable development. Furthermore, this publication was also the first to be cited in the year 2002, the year following its publication. Currently, it holds the 15th position among the most cited documents, as will be analyzed in the following section. From 2001 to 2008, the annual publications numbered only in single digits, and yearly citations did not exceed 50. The year 2005 stands out with an atypical number of publications according to the trend, attributed to two journal issues. The first was the second issue of volume 26 of the Tourism Management journal, which included two articles. The second was the Journal of Cleaner Production, volume 13, with a special issue on sustainable tourism, incorporating four documents addressing sustainable development. From 2008 to 2013, there is evidence of growth in publications, reaching 10 publications per year, surpassing this number to slightly over 20, while citations, following this increasing trend, exceeded 200 annually. From 2014 to 2017, the average number of annual publications increased to 32, and citations showed significant growth, rising from 268 to just under 500 per year.
The period from 2018 to 2020 witnessed the highest productivity, especially in terms of citations of articles on this topic. In 2020 alone, there were a total of 1405 citations, slightly more than double the number received in 2018. One of the reasons for the increase in the number of publications is, initially, online publications, whose date within the year is included in journals and records; however, a definitive volume and number are not assigned. In such cases, six documents appeared in 2019 and 18 in 2020. Another aspect is the increased participation of researchers from Portugal, Latin America, and Spain in these years, both in international journals and those of their own countries. These include Cuadernos de Geografía, Cuadernos de Turismo, Estudios Gerenciales, Pasos-Revista De Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural, Periplo Sustentable, Retos-Revista de Ciencias de la Administracion y Economia, Revista de Estudios Regionales, and Revista Universidad y Sociedad. The following journals stand out, concentrating a significant number of articles on this topic in these three years: the Journal of Sustainable Tourism, Sustainability, Sustainable Development, Tourism Planning & Development, and Worldwide Hospitality And Tourism Themes.
Only four studies directly mention the pandemic or COVID-19 in their research, and the substantial increase observed in the year 2020 cannot be attributed to this factor. It is only in the years 2021 and beyond that a greater number of publications related to this theme and the pandemic are reflected. Another plausible explanation lies in the multidisciplinary nature of the term, which has brought together researchers from diverse disciplinary areas and various geographical locations in its examination. For instance, economics adopts an economic focus concerning sustainable development, while engineering and computer science explore the impact of technology on such development. Geography and social studies intertwine with the concept of territory, and political science analyzes public policies aimed at comprehensive and future-oriented development. Lastly, sociology contributes by offering a cultural, identity-focused, and perceptual perspective of residents in rural communities, which have been a focal point in a significant portion of sustainable development studies.
The most cited documents, as included in Table 2, share a similar thematic focus. This convergence centers on the role of the community and residents, their perceptions, feelings, and acceptance or rejection of sustainable tourism measures in their places of residence. Sustainable tourism, when approached with a community focus, can emerge as a complementary option for communities [29,30] where residents may show greater interest in tourism development as they receive economic, sociocultural, and environmental benefits [31]. However, their perceptions may vary throughout the entire process [32].
In addition to the above, cases were analyzed in which the sustainable conception of tourism is predominantly limited to an ideal and discourse rather than being effectively implemented. This is due to various factors, such as the prevalence of commercialization over resource conservation [33], limited implementation due to the socio-economic and political conditions of developing countries [34], economic benefits for foreign investors without improvements in residents’ quality of life [35], high environmental pollution costs [36], power struggles and influence from local governments limiting implementation [37], a culture and business climate incompatible with sustainability [38], entrepreneurs’ lack of commitment to the community [39], and inadequate tourism planning with negative consequences for natural resource use [28].
Table 2Top 15 most cited documents.
| Order | Title | Year | Authors | Cited | Abstract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Traditions of sustainability in tourism studies | 2006 | Saarinen, J | 484 | The purpose is to critically analyze the relationship between sustainable tourism and sustainable development while keeping in mind the constraints posed by traditions [40]. |
| 2 | Residents’ support for tourism development: The role of residents’ place image and perceived tourism impacts | 2014 | Stylidis, D; Biran, A; Sit, J; Szivas, EM | 326 | The study demonstrates the role of a resident in shaping the image of a place for tourism development purposes, revealing that the greater the benefits they perceive in terms of economic, sociocultural, and environmental impacts, the more interest they exhibit [31]. |
| 3 | Tourism as a sustainable livelihood strategy | 2009 | Tao, TCH; Wall, G | 225 | The study illustrates the links between tourism and other livelihood strategies for the residents of a region in Taiwan, where they sustain themselves through multiple activities and incorporate tourism as a complement to those already in existence [29]. |
| 4 | The persistence of the sun and sand tourism model | 2005 | Aguilo, E; Alegre, J; Sard, M | 217 | The analysis examines the potential for restructuring a sun and beach destination, starting from the premise that such trends are in decline. Nevertheless, the possibility of a long-term model is envisioned within the framework of sustainable development [30]. |
| 5 | Challenges of sustainable tourism development in the developing world: the case of Turkey | 2001 | Tosun, C | 214 | This article presents an analysis of the challenges to the development of sustainable tourism in a developing country. It concludes that while the principles of sustainable tourism development are beneficial, their implementation is a complex task due to the prevailing socio-economic and political conditions in such countries [34]. |
| 6 | Scale, change and resilience in community tourism planning | 2014 | Lew, AA | 201 | The study mentions that resilience is considered an alternative to sustainable development in planning and demonstrates how it enables entrepreneurs to enhance their management capacity in addressing daily maintenance needs and community recovery in the face of disasters [41]. |
| 7 | Can community-based tourism contribute to sustainable development? Evidence from residents’ perceptions of the sustainability | 2019 | Lee, TH; Jan, FH | 200 | The perceptions of residents in a destination regarding the sustainability of community tourism were assessed, revealing that these perceptions vary across different stages of development. Therefore, it is necessary to consider that strategies should be adapted as needed throughout the process [32]. |
| 8 | Enclave tourism and its socio-economic impacts in the Okavango Delta, Botswana | 2005 | Mbaiwa, JE | 199 | The development of enclave tourism and its socio-economic impacts in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, were analyzed, and it was found that it cannot be described as sustainable from that perspective. This is because the benefits do not manifest in the quality of life of the residents but rather foreign investors [35]. |
| 9 | Effect of tourism on environmental pollution: Further evidence from Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. | 2018 | Azam, M; Alam, M; Hafeez, MH | 174 | The study reveals that even though the tourism industry makes a significant contribution to economic development, this is achieved at the expense of environmental pollution. Furthermore, it is suggested that sustainable development should be ensured through government intervention [36]. |
| 10 | The entrepreneurship factor in sustainable tourism development | 2005 | Lordkipanidze, M; Brezet, H; Backman, M | 167 | A case study is presented of a destination with tourism potential and the possibility of sustainable development. However, the local culture and business climate in the region were lacking due to the societal pressure characteristic of this community. Therefore, several recommendations are put forward to overcome the obstacles in its development [38]. |
| 11 | Planning for urban heritage places: Reconciling conservation, tourism, and sustainable development | 2003 | Nasser, N | 166 | This article mentions that recently, heritage has replaced conservation for the purpose of marketing tourist products. Therefore, after examining this conflict, there is a need to work on a sustainable approach to managing heritage sites and find a balance between conservation and tourism [33]. |
| 12 | Global tourism vulnerability to climate change | 2019 | Scott, D; Hall, CM; Gossling, S | 164 | The vulnerability to climate change was assessed in various countries, revealing that the most vulnerable ones have a higher representation of tourism in their GDP, as well as regions where a significant increase in tourism is expected in the next 10 years [42]. |
| 13 | Local government: facilitator or inhibitor of sustainable tourism development? | 2013 | Ruhanen, L | 163 | Even though governments at all levels have taken on greater responsibility in destination tourism planning, it was discovered through this study that power struggles, symbolic public participation, and the strong influence of local government authority in local structures were inhibiting factors for the development of sustainable tourism [37]. |
| 14 | Managing for sustainable tourism: a review of six cultural World Heritage Sites | 2009 | Landorf, C | 159 | The relationship between sustainable development and tourism activity in six heritage sites was examined. Even though they have a formal planning process, they lack a sustainable approach and commitment to local community stakeholders [39]. |
| 15 | The consequences of tourism for sustainable water use on a tropical island: Zanzibar, Tanzania | 2001 | Gossling, S | 150 | The document illustrates how mass tourism and the lack of tourism planning have had negative consequences in a region with tourism potential. This is due to the improper utilization of natural resources, which are integral to its attractions [28]. |
3.2. Results by Authors
The list of the most cited authors presented in Table 3 is led by Jarkko Saarinen from the University of Oulu in Finland with 521 citations. He has published three documents, with the first one, as a sole author, titled “Traditions of sustainability in tourism studies” [40] in 2006, which has the highest number of citations among the three, totaling 484. It is, in fact, the most cited article according to Table 1. The other two articles in which he participated as a co-author are “Nature-based tourism operators’ perceptions and adaptation to climate change in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe” [43] in 2018, with 24 citations, co-written by William Mushawemhuka and Jayne Rogerson at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, and “Development without policy: tourism planning and research needs in Cameroon, Central Africa” [44] in 2019, with 13 citations, published in collaboration with Vyasha Harilal and Tembi Maloney Tichaawa at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa.
The next most cited authors are as follows: Joseph E. Mbaiwa at the University of Botswana, with 361 citations; Stefan Gossling at Linnaeus University in Sweden, with 346 citations; Lisa M. Ruhanen at the University of Queensland in Australia, with 342 citations; and Avital Biran at Bournemouth University in England, with 326 citations. All of them constitute the top five.
Regarding bibliographic coupling, Jarkko Saarinen has the highest number of citations, but he ranks third with a value of 1484 in the total weight link strength. Based on links and their strength, Lisa Ruhanen has the highest number of relationships with 545 and the highest total weight link strength with 2640, even though she is third in terms of citations. Colin Michael Hall, who is affiliated with universities in New Zealand, Sweden, and Finland, ranks second in bibliographic coupling with a total weight link strength value of 2027, and he is placed 10th in the number of citations.
The fourth position is occupied by Geoffrey Wall at the University of Waterloo in Canada, with a value of 1211 in total weight link strength. In fifth place, with a total weight link strength of 1164, is a group of authors consisting of Avital Biran, J. Sit, D. Stylidis, and EM Szivas. They are the co-authors of the article “Residents’ support for tourism development: The role of residents’ place image and perceived tourism impacts” [31], which is the second most cited article. These authors hold positions five to eight in the list of the most cited authors, solely due to the mentioned article.
As observed in Table 3, the author with the highest co-authorship relationships (8) and the highest weight (9) is Lisa M. Ruhanen, with five documents, ranking fourth in the number of received citations. In the second place for co-authorship, we find Colin Michael Hall, with seven co-authorship relationships and a weight of eight, along with three documents, placed at tenth in terms of citations. Jose María Martín Martín and Jose Antonio Salinas Fernández, both from the University of Granada in Spain, though not part of the top 15 authors, hold the third position in co-authorship with 171 citations derived from the joint publication of three documents. Moreover, these publications involved six additional authors, totaling nine in the weight of total link strength. In fourth place for co-authorship, there is Jarkko Saarinen, with three documents written by four authors and an equal strength of relationships. It is noteworthy that this author is the most cited among all.
The significance of the authors is concentrated on four individuals who excel in all three analyzed aspects: citations, bibliographic coupling, and co-authorships. These authors are Jarkko Saarinen, Colin Michael Hall, Lisa Ruhanen, and Geoffrey Wall. They are affiliated with three different universities in three countries: Finland, Australia, and Canada. The first two are professors at the University of Oulu in Finland, although they do not have joint publications together.
Both in Table 3 and Figure 2, Colin M. Hall is observed as the most co-cited author, linked with 498 other authors among those who published the 496 documents in this analysis. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the second-largest source of co-citations with 493. Butler, R.W. and Bramwell, B. continue the list with 489 and 441 co-citations, respectively. Stefan Gossling holds a special mention as the fifth author in co-citations with 413, and according to Table 3, he is the third most cited overall. Finally, J. Saarinen does not hold a prominent position in the graph; however, he ranks 13th in co-citations and, as previously mentioned, is the most cited author. In general, it can be asserted that the two most important authors, considering their contributions and the behavior of the analyzed indicators, are Colin Michael Hall and Jarkko Saarinen.
3.3. Citations and Documents by Country
According to what is depicted in Figure 3, the country with the highest number of citations, highlighted at the center of the red circle, is Australia with 1525 citations, followed by China with 1154, the USA with 1132, England with 1017, and Canada with 949. In the sixth place is Sweden with 865, followed by Finland with 726 in the seventh place, New Zealand with 662 in the eighth place, Spain with 653 in the ninth place, and Turkey in the tenth position with 469 citations.
It is interesting to assess the effectiveness of documents/citations. To do so, when contrasting the data generated in Figure 4 in relation to Figure 3, it becomes apparent that Australia leads the list in citations with 1525, and it ranks fourth in the number of documents with 32. Therefore, it has an average of 47 citations per document. In contrast, China, which ranks second in citations with 1154, has published the most documents, totaling 97, resulting in an average of just under 12 citations per document. The USA, ranking third in citations with 1132, is the second highest in the number of documents published, with 36, resulting in an average of 31 citations per document.
Continuing with this analysis, England, in the fourth position of citations with 1017, ranks eighth in the number of documents with 18, and it has an effectiveness percentage of 56 citations per document. Canada, in the fifth position for citations with 949, ranks 13 in the number of documents with 14, resulting in an average of 68 citations per document. Sweden is the sixth in citations with 865 and ninth in documents with 13, yielding an average of 66 citations per document. Lastly, Finland, seventh in citations with 726 and 25th place in documents with only seven, has an average of 104 citations per document. There is also the special case of the United Arab Emirates, which occupies 15th place in citations and 54th place in documents with 326 citations and one document, consequently resulting in the same average of citations per document.
In the International Tourism Highlights report [45], the section “World’s Top Destination” displays the countries that receive and send the most tourists globally. Among them, notable mentions include France, Spain, USA, China, Italy, Turkey, Mexico, Thailand, Germany, UK, Canada, Russia, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, and Korea. Upon revisiting Figure 3 and Figure 4 and reflecting on the key countries generating studies, it becomes evident that some of those mentioned earlier are among the highest contributors to research and citations. In other words, they coincide not only as major hubs for tourist activity and economic impact but also in terms of specific research on this subject. This group includes Spain, USA, China, Turkey, England, Canada, UAE, and Australia.
Regarding the rest of the countries, even though they are not primary in addressing the theme of the study, they still have representation. France occupies the 27th place with five documents and 157 citations, Italy holds 21st place for citations with 228 and seventh place for documents with 20. Mexico has published five documents, ranking 32nd in that category, but does not have a single citation related to them. Thailand is in the 31st and 34th positions for citations and documents, respectively, with four publications and 107 citations in total. Germany is in 20th place for citations and 23rd for documents, with eight publications totaling 233 citations. Russia is in 29th place for citations and 14th for documents, with 14 publications totaling 116 citations. Korea holds 34th place with 94 citations and 40th place with three documents.
Special mention goes to Sweden, Finland, and New Zealand, which are within the top ten countries with the most citations and in the top 15 for publishing the most documents. However, according to the UNWTO report, they belong to the Northern Europe region, which receives the fewest tourists compared to the rest of the continent. This is explained by the number of citations received by works from the main authors in that region, as explained in Section 3.2.
Some studies shed light on the reality of well-known and established international tourist destinations. However, the predominant focus is on the study of rural, developing communities, such as national parks, indigenous communities and villages, mountain destinations, islands, trails, wine regions, agricultural populations, and protected natural areas, among others. This is confirmed by the integration of Cluster 3, labeled Rural Tourism.
3.4. Topics by Thematic Groups
The overarching theme subjected to comprehensive analysis is sustainable development in tourism. In this context, a focus on sustainable tourism development predominates. As an intermediate theme, management related to sustainable tourism activity stands out, while rural tourism as a type and geographical location of sustainable tourism activity is of lesser prominence. This can be observed in Figure 5. Consequently, the map shown in the mentioned figure breaks down these topics into three clusters, which are described below in terms of their composition and content.
3.4.1. Cluster 1: Sustainable Tourism Development
Respect for the community and its environment, both by residents and tourists, is an essential foundation for sustainable tourism development [46]. Community-based tourism can, therefore, contribute to poverty reduction and sustainability [47], with its impact varying across different stages of its development [32]. Nevertheless, there are instances where the opposite is true, leading to environmental destruction and pollution [48]. This environmental degradation is associated with reduced support from residents for tourism development [49]. In this regard, territorial planning can be an appropriate strategy for moderating resource use and generating infrastructure [50].
Historical heritage is being harnessed as an essential element of tourism activity in destinations [51]. However, this commercialization at times takes precedence over the value of preserving such heritage, which can lead to conflicts with residents in historic cities [33]. In some cases, there has been a transition from the dominance of local businesses on their main streets to the presence of national chain stores [52]. There is a significant reflection in studies on social justice, or the lack thereof, evident in the imbalanced distribution of tourism benefits at World Heritage Sites, as well as a lack of resident involvement in decision making [53]. Consequently, these sites need to develop and implement management plans to mitigate the impacts of tourism activity and preserve their relevance as heritage destinations [39].
Within this concept of heritage as a distinctive element to promote tourism, the notion of intangible cultural heritage stands out, which can be commercially leveraged, in conjunction with cultural identity, to encourage tourist consumption [54]. Industrial heritage tourism, as a cultural option, should be analyzed and studied from a sustainability perspective [55]. Additionally, it is crucial to consider the residents’ attitudes toward this activity, especially in destinations transitioning from predominantly industrial activity to the potential use of such infrastructure as a draw for visitors [56].
3.4.2. Cluster 2: Management
The benefits that tourism brings to the global economy are noteworthy. However, it is also well known that tourism has negative impacts on the environment, which has increased the need for sustainable development with appropriate planning processes [15,57,58]. These processes are used as tools for managing sites with high potential for tourism resources and, in turn, making use of them through the design of innovative tourism products [50,59] while maintaining a high level of satisfaction for tourists’ needs [15].
To make efficient management of a tourist site noticeable, it is essential to achieve the involvement and integration of key players in the tourism industry, as well as their resilience in the face of contingencies [60,61]. Fortunately, in recent years, a significant number of companies in the tourism sector worldwide have embraced actions aligned with ethical economic development. These actions range from environmental stewardship to enhancing the quality of life for their employees [62,63]. This is perceived by customers as a differentiating element, demonstrating a company’s commitment to the fair use of tourism resources and undoubtedly serving as an effective marketing strategy [64]. Despite tourism being an activity that supports and contributes to destinations achieving sustainable development goals, the vulnerability of communities to various factors is always a concern [65].
Relevant aspects related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include cooperation, governance, planning, and management of tourism activities. Focused on the former, it is demonstrated how the partnership between tourism businesses and community members can collaboratively manage economic growth, enabling the achievement of SDGs while respecting the locality and its inhabitants [66]. In this context, a proposal for co-designing tourism has been developed, representing a collaborative design process for sustainable tourism development that can be planned and micro-managed as a guide for the SDGs [67]. Specifically, the case of a private nature reserve in the Cape Floral Kingdom illustrates how 16 SDGs have been addressed through initiatives in various operations, including commercial aspects, conservation, community, and culture [58]. Conversely, a study in South Africa and Zimbabwe highlights that a lack of governance focused on the SDGs not only hinders their fulfillment but also impacts tourist sites [68].
3.4.3. Cluster 3: Rural Tourism
Rural tourism constitutes a valuable tool for the sustainable development of rural areas, offering specific characteristics that tourists seek and value, which are not necessarily provided in specialized tourism services [69]. This type of tourism is directly related to the sustainable development of destinations, resulting in an improved quality of life [70]. In this regard, it is essential for local authorities to encourage their residents to participate in this economic activity, convinced of the benefits for their families and communities, while recognizing that there is still a need for an in-depth analysis of residents’ perceptions regarding the impacts of tourism in their region [56]. It is also worth considering that even though tourism brings multiple benefits, it is known to generate some significant negative effects, especially when not processed through conscious planning [71]. Currently, in some destinations, what is known as sustainable rejuvenation is being implemented. This is seen as a necessary path of renewal aiming to balance the principles of sustainability [72].
The sustainability of a tourist site fosters a correlation among its businesses, residents, and authorities at various levels of government. Notably, its competitiveness relies considerably on the quality and proper utilization of its heritage and tourism resources [73,74]. Among the attractions that draw tourists most are those located in regions with characteristics of rural tourism and notable sustainable practices. Consequently, destinations pay special attention to such products, enabling tourists to engage in the exchange of unique cultural experiences [75,76,77]. At the international level, promoting destinations with a sustainability theme provides them with a competitive advantage, making it essential to base their marketing strategies on this aspect [78]. Currently, technology is an essential part of a competitive destination, which is why smart tourist cities are recognized worldwide as having significant potential [79].
Regarding the process of managing sustainable tourism development, actions should be based on the goal of satisfying tourists by designing experiences focused on meeting their needs, especially by implementing sustainable practices, which play a significant role in destination marketing [44]. Often, tourist satisfaction is more focused on cultural appreciation, outweighing the economic and environmental effects of the destination [80]. This reflects that there are undoubtedly factors that largely depend on the type and behavior of the attracted tourists. However, it is important to emphasize that the more a destination highlights sustainable practices, the more interest tourists show [81]. As for other factors that influence tourist satisfaction and their decision to return to the destination, safety, service quality, and environmental aspects stand out [82].
3.5. Emerging Lines of Work
There is clear evidence of topics that can be considered emergent for two main reasons. The first reason is related to the currentness of the studies in their approach, meaning topics that have been investigated for the first time in the last five years, such as governance, innovation, and sustainable development goals (Figure 6), and those gaps that arise from what has not yet been resolved in these recent works. We will focus on delving deeper into this last aspect to generate an agenda of possible future research thematic axes.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Higher education with a market-oriented and neoliberal focus can alter the training of future tourism professionals by not developing the critical thinking necessary to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals [83]. Therefore, alternatives have been developed to include sustainability in more depth and detail in tourism undergraduate courses [84]. There are also efforts to address global issues, such as a new approach where educational experiences in culinary tourism shift from the traditional to envision possibilities for eradicating hunger and malnutrition [85]. Finally, integrating the SDGs into the final course for obtaining a bachelor’s degree in management, with a focus on community development, has been proposed [86,87].
Governance. Tourism activities can have negative impacts on communities in ecological and environmental terms because stakeholders fail to agree on actions to care for shared resources [71]. Additionally, local government, which holds power and has an influential role in governing the tourist destination, does not facilitate but, on the contrary, limits its development [37]. Alternatives proposed include a backbone leadership that allows for the aggregation of common interests [88]. Moreover, network of relationships, cooperation, and coordination among stakeholders, preferably with a polycentric governance model, should be established [89,90].
Innovation. The use of new information and communication technologies applied to tourism contributes significantly to what is known as smart tourism, whose essence is innovation [91]. However, this intelligence is not solely based on the above; there are other innovative aspects that can support sustainability. These include alternative models that incorporate the use of renewable energies [92], clean technologies [93], the creation of eco-museums [94,95], the integration of agricultural activity into tourism offerings [38], the conversion of activities in communities, such as transitioning from a mining site to a heritage mining tourism destination [96], and the promotion of what is proposed as slow tourism [97].
4. Conclusions and Recommendations
Sustainable development is a common term in today’s world that is used in all fields, sectors, and areas of study. Tourism, by its very nature, has a direct and close relationship with this topic. Therefore, this study allows us to make the following conclusions. Regarding the behavior of publications in the analyzed period, there is a growing trend from the initial year, mainly from 2005 to the present. Precisely, in 2020, there was a significant increase in both received citations and published documents.
Among the various author calculations, few authors appear as the main figures in multiple categories. It can be said that only two of them, Hall, C.M. and Saarinen, J., stand out in several of the analyzed indicators from countries that do not necessarily have the highest number of citations. Following the same line of thought regarding countries, those that have generated the most documents are not necessarily the most cited. In this case, China has by far the highest number of documents published, and Australia has the most citations. Even in the ratio of documents to citations, Finland and Australia are clearly identified as the two countries with the highest effectiveness based on the average number of citations generated per document published.
The studies can be grouped into three major knowledge blocks: sustainable tourism development, management, and rural tourism. Each of these address specific topics, such as community tourism and heritage, both cultural and industrial, which provide insights into how this type of tourism can impact the sustainability of destinations. The relationship between tourism and residents is a fundamental dyad that could determine the success or failure of projects in rural contexts, as well as how these communities, with their natural and cultural wealth, can contribute to the type of consumption by tourists.
There are other similar studies with certain similarities and differences. One focused solely on the Asian continent [98] and found common themes such as rural tourism, sustainable development tourism, and sustainable tourism development, with a significant contribution from China in the publications. However, differences with respect to this work arise due to geographical and thematic delimitation, as the topic was confined to the SDGs in the period 2017–2022, generating 206 articles retrieved from journals and editorials, excluding Web of Science and Scopus.
Another study conducted by Adenidji and Özçatalbaş [99] shares similarities with the one presented here; however, the initial difference lies in the delimitation. They focused on rural tourism and sustainable development, resulting in 392 documents over a longer period from 1998 to 2022. The results align with the increasing graph of publications on the topic, the countries with significant contributions, and the themes, which are similar to those mentioned in the previous study. The analysis of the most cited studies was not conducted, which would have been interesting to contrast.
This work demonstrates a meticulous, rigorous, and in-depth effort in consulting sources. Nevertheless, it is relevant to mention three limiting aspects of the research that were considered from the initial design but merit acknowledgment to identify areas of opportunity for future work. The first limitation is the analyzed period, spanning from 2001 to 2020, chosen to recount the first 20 years of the 21st century, thus omitting publications from the critical and current period of the last three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, whose exception could impact the results, coupled with the final years of the 20th century.
In addition to the above, only documents included in Web of Science were considered as a base, despite it being one of the most important global databases. Other databases, such as Scopus, are equally relevant. Furthermore, within the collections, only the most specific areas and documents related to tourism were selected. Both situations limit the consideration of studies classified in other disciplines even when addressing the tourism focus. Finally, the query terms were delimited to Tourism AND “Sustainab* Development”. On one hand, no synonymous terms for tourism were added, and on the other hand, the concept “Sustainab* Development” was specified with quotation marks, potentially introducing variations in results by considering a search with broader thematic scope.
Based on the above, the possibilities for further studies are diverse and can be enriched by extending the longitudinal study over a more extended period from the first publication on the subject to the present. This broader timeframe would provide a stronger understanding of the historical dynamics of the phenomenon. Additionally, expanding the search terms to include SDGs, sustainable, tourism, and development without limiting the document type would be beneficial, encompassing all types of publications across various databases, particularly integrating Web of Science and Scopus.
Future studies on sustainable development in tourism are suggested to focus on what we have termed emerging themes. There are three lines that can shape a research agenda, including Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how this approach is recommended to be incorporated into university courses, especially in the final stages of students about to graduate. This allows them to have a theoretical–practical understanding of the importance and implications of achieving these goals. Governance in tourism is a priority dynamic for reaching agreements between stakeholders, with benefits for all involved parties and a collaborative and participatory vision. Innovation from various angles and perspectives, the most recognized of which is derived from technology and what is known as smart tourism. However, non-traditional elements should not be excluded; they should be summarized in the conversion of primary economic activities into tourism-based activities and the transformation of the tourism sector itself into new types of tourism. All of the above should be pursued with a sustainability focus that allows for the development of individuals, communities, and countries.
Conceptualization, A.R.G.-G. and C.A.J.-H.; data curation, C.A.J.-H. and S.V.-d.R.; formal analysis, S.O.-J.; investigation, A.R.G.-G.; methodology, A.R.G.-G.; resources, S.O.-J.; software, S.O.-J. and S.V.-d.R.; writing—original draft, A.R.G.-G. and C.A.J.-H.; writing—review and editing, C.A.J.-H., S.O.-J. and S.V.-d.R. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Footnotes
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.
Types of analysis and counting method.
| Type of Analysis | Unit of Analysis | Counting Method | Minimum Number of Documents | Minimum Number of Citations | Number of Items |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Co-authorship | Authors | Full counting | 1 | 1 | 1012 |
| Citation | Documents |
Not applicable |
Not applicable |
150 |
15 |
| Bibliographic coupling | Authors | Full counting | 1 | 1 | 1012 |
| Co-citation | Cited Authors | Full counting | Not applicable | 1 | 12,947 |
| Co-occurrence | All Keywords | Full counting | Not applicable | Not applicable | 24 |
Top 15 citations, bibliographic coupling, co-authorship, and co-citation by author.
| Citations | Bibliographic Coupling | Co-Authorship | Co-Citation | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Order | Author | Number | Weight Documents | Weight Links | Weight Total Link Strength | Weight Links | Weight Total Link Strength | Author | Weight Links | Weight Total Link Strength |
| 1 | Saarinen, J | 521 | 3 | 475 | 1484 | 4 | 4 | Hall, CM | 498 | 5350 |
| 2 | Mbaiwa, JE | 361 | 3 | 246 | 624 | 1 | 1 | Unwto | 493 | 4389 |
| 3 | Gossling, S | 346 | 3 | 101 | 289 | 2 | 2 | Butler, RW | 489 | 4094 |
| 4 | Ruhanen, LM | 342 | 5 | 545 | 2640 | 8 | 9 | Bramwell, B | 441 | 4501 |
| 5 | Biran, A | 326 | 1 | 252 | 1164 | 3 | 3 | Gossling, S | 413 | 2886 |
| 6 | Sit, J | 326 | 1 | 252 | 1164 | 3 | 3 | Sharpley, R | 479 | 2891 |
| 7 | Stylidis, D | 326 | 1 | 252 | 1164 | 3 | 3 | Weaver, DB | 425 | 2253 |
| 8 | Szivas, EM | 326 | 1 | 252 | 1164 | 3 | 3 | Scheyvens, R | 373 | 2115 |
| 9 | Wall, G | 309 | 3 | 325 | 1211 | 3 | 4 | Buckley, R | 398 | 1763 |
| 10 | Hall, CM | 307 | 3 | 448 | 2027 | 7 | 8 | Unesco | 200 | 1062 |
| 11 | Tao, TCH | 289 | 2 | 256 | 808 | 1 | 2 | Un | 351 | 1352 |
| 12 | Aguilo, E | 217 | 1 | 100 | 221 | 2 | 2 | Choi, HC | 377 | 1686 |
| 13 | Alegre, J | 217 | 1 | 100 | 221 | 2 | 2 | Saarinen, J | 360 | 1526 |
| 14 | Sard, M | 217 | 1 | 100 | 221 | 2 | 2 | Jamal, TB | 354 | 1804 |
| 15 | Tosun, C | 214 | 1 | 169 | 251 | 0 | 0 | Hunter, CJ | 336 | 1690 |
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