Rethinking Tourism Management: Towards a Sustainable, Resilient, and Human-Centric Future

Dear Colleagues,

Contemporary tourism is largely defined as an increasingly globalized, digitalized and data-intensive activity that constitutes a fundamental component of modern lifestyle, with the sector representing over 10% of the global GDP. The sector has been established as one of the main economic driving forces, displaying admirable levels of adaptability and resilience by showing sustained growth tendencies after the vulnerability of the COVID-19 crisis.

However, there are important disadvantages of the tourism sector that have generated strong tensions across societal, environmental, and territorial dimensions. Such negative effects, along with dynamic shifts in the international landscape, have highlighted the need to redefine conventional tourism management practices.

Recent academic contributions reveal a clear integration of sustainability, resilience, and well-being as core strategic dimensions that guide tourism development. Research uses measurable indicators and integrates environmental, social, and governance (ESG) perspectives. Furthermore, increasing attention is being paid to the relationship between tourism and climate change, stressing the need for decarbonization strategies, circular economy practices, and regenerative models that contribute not only to minimizing negative impacts but also to actively restoring ecosystems and local communities (Hall et al., 2015; Gössling et al., 2020; Gössling & Higham, 2021; Corral-Gonzalez et al. 2023 & 2024).

In parallel, the transformative resilience of tourism systems must anticipate, absorb, and adapt to external shocks while maintaining its core functions, which entails structural changes aimed at enhancing long-term sustainability, diversification, and systemic flexibility in the face of uncertainty (Folke et al., 2010; Lew et al., 2020; Hall et al., 2021).

At the same time, technological innovation is reshaping tourism management and competitiveness. The development of smart tourism destinations, supported by big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and digital platforms, enables more efficient governance, improved decision-making, and the creation of personalized and seamless visitor experiences (Buhalis & Amaranggana, 2015; Gretzel et al., 2015). Nevertheless, these advances also introduce new challenges, including data governance, technological dependence, and digital inequalities between destinations.

Another key shift identified in the literature is the transition toward a human-centric approach to tourism. This perspective prioritizes the well-being of residents, workers, and visitors, aligning tourism development with broader objectives such as quality of life, social justice, and inclusive growth, which generate shared value and ensure the long-term legitimacy of tourism activities (Uysal et al., 2016; Higgins-Desbiolles, 2018; García et al., 2019; Haro-Aragú et al., 2025).

Moreover, in advancing sustainable and resilient tourism systems, contemporary studies highlight the importance of collaborative, multi-stakeholder governance models that integrate public authorities, private-sector actors, local communities, and academic institutions. These approaches foster innovation, enhance policy coherence, and strengthen the capacity of tourism systems to respond effectively to complex and evolving challenges (Bramwell & Lane, 2011; Dredge, 2022).

With these transformations in mind (long-term value creation, environmental stewardship, cultural heritage preservation, and social equity), it promotes regenerative, circular, and even degrowth-oriented approaches to address overtourism and environmental degradation (Navarro et al., 2020; Motamedi-Barabadi et al., 2023). This Special Issue invites contributions that advance theoretical, empirical, and methodological insights into the reconfiguration of tourism management toward more sustainable, resilient, and human-centric models. We particularly welcome interdisciplinary approaches that integrate diverse perspectives and address the complex interactions between economic performance, environmental responsibility, technological innovation, and societal well-being.

Proposed research themes for the Special Issue

To guide potential contributors, this Special Issue welcomes manuscripts addressing (but not limited to) the following complementary research lines:

1. Regenerative and Circular Tourism Models

Research exploring how tourism can evolve beyond sustainability toward regenerative approaches that actively restore ecosystems and local communities. Relevant themes include:

• Circular economy practices in tourism systems
• Regenerative business models and value creation
• Measurement frameworks and indicators for regenerative tourism
• Environmental restoration and community-based tourism initiatives

2. Resilience and Adaptive Capacity of Tourism Systems

Studies focusing on how tourism destinations and organizations anticipate, respond to, and adapt to external shocks and long-term uncertainties. Key areas of interest include:

• Crisis management and post-crisis recovery strategies
• Climate change adaptation and mitigation in tourism
• Diversification and transformation of tourism economies
• Systemic resilience and long-term sustainability transitions

3. Smart Tourism and Digital Transformation

Research addressing the impact of digital technologies on tourism management, governance, and competitiveness. Contributions may address:

• Applications of artificial intelligence and big data in tourism
• Smart tourism destinations and digital ecosystems
• Data governance, privacy, and ethical challenges
• Digital divides and technological inequalities between destinations

4. Human-Centric Tourism and Well-being

Contributions that place people at the center of tourism development, emphasizing social value and quality of life. This line welcomes studies on:

• Residents’ well-being and social acceptance of tourism
• Quality of working conditions and fair labor practices
• Tourist experience, satisfaction, and subjective well-being
• Social inclusion, equity, and justice in tourism development

5. Collaborative Governance and Multi-Stakeholder Approaches

Research exploring governance models that foster collaboration among key actors in tourism systems. Particular attention may be given to:

• Public–private partnerships and co-creation processes
• Participatory governance and community engagement
• Institutional innovation and policy coordination
• Stakeholder networks and collaborative decision-making

6. Sustainable Tourist Behavior and Decision-Making

Studies examining the behavioral dimension of tourism in the transition toward more sustainable and responsible models. Research in this area may explore:

• Pro-environmental decision-making and behavioral drivers
• Tourist motivations, perceptions, and value expectations
• Market segmentation based on sustainability attitudes and behaviors
• Adoption of sustainable and regenerative tourism practices

7. Rethinking Tourism Value and Performance Measurement

Research examining how tourism success should be evaluated in an era increasingly focused on sustainability, resilience, inclusion, and well-being. Relevant topics include:

• Multidimensional measures of tourism value beyond visitor arrivals and economic impact
• Social, environmental, cultural, and experiential performance indicators
• Sustainability, resilience, and inclusivity assessment frameworks and indices
• Data-driven tourism analytics, benchmarking, and decision-support systems

8. Inclusive Tourism and Demographic Transformation

Research exploring how tourism systems can respond to demographic change and promote equitable participation in tourism experiences. Contributions may address:

• Accessible tourism, universal design, and disability inclusion
• Age-friendly tourism and the implications of global population aging
• Health, wellness, and medical tourism for diverse population groups
• Inclusive destination planning, policy development, and service innovation

9. Future of Work, Leadership, and Organizational Transformation

Research investigating how tourism organizations adapt to evolving workforce expectations, technological disruption, and changing organizational environments. Topics of interest include:

• Workforce resilience, talent development, and employee well-being
• Leadership, organizational change, and transformation in tourism organizations
• Artificial intelligence, automation, and the future of tourism employment
• Diversity, equity, inclusion, and sustainable workforce practices

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 300–500 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editors GE (jgmestanza@gmail.com) or to the Administrative Sciences Editorial Office (admsci@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the guest editors to ensure a proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer-review.

REFERENCES

Bramwell, B., & Lane, B. (2011). Critical research on the governance of tourism and sustainability. Journal of sustainable tourism, 19(4-5), 411-421.

Buhalis, D., & Amaranggana, A. (2014, December). Smart tourism destinations enhancing tourism experience through personalisation of services. In Information and communication technologies in tourism 2015: Proceedings of the international conference in Lugano, Switzerland, February 3-6, 2015 (377-389). Cham: Springer International Publishing.

Corral-Gonzalez, L., Cavazos-Arroyo, J., & García-Mestanza, J. (2023). Regenerative tourism: A bibliometric analysis. Journal of Tourism, Heritage & Services Marketing, 9(2), 41-54.

Corral-Gonzalez, L., Cavazos-Arroyo, J., & García-Mestanza, J. (2024). Turismo regenerativo: Expectativas a priori de valor de consumo tras un primer contacto con el concepto. Revista De Estudios Empresariales. Segunda Época, 23-40.

Dredge, D. (2022). Regenerative tourism: transforming mindsets, systems and practices. Journal of tourism futures, 8(3), 269-281.

Folke, C., Carpenter, SR, Walker, B., Scheffer, M., Chapin, T., & Rockström, J. (2010). Resilience Thinking: Integrating Resilience, Adaptability and Transformability. Ecology and Society, 15(4).

García, J., Cerezo, A., & Cruz, M. A. (2019). A model for measuring fair labour justice in hotels: Design for the Spanish case. Sustainability, 11(17), 4639.

Gössling, S., & Higham, J. (2021). The Low-Carbon Imperative: Destination Management under Urgent Climate Change. Journal of Travel Research, 60(6), 1167-1179.

Gössling, S., Scott, D., & Hall, CM (2020). Pandemics, tourism and global change: a rapid assessment of COVID-19. Journal of sustainable tourism, 29(1), 1-20.

Gretzel, U., Sigala, M., Xiang, Z., & Koo, C. (2015). Smart tourism: foundations and developments. Electron Markets, 25(3), 179-188.

Hall, C. M., Amelung, B., Cohen, S., Eijgelaar, E., Gössling, S., Higham, J., Leemans, R., Peeters, P., Ram, Y., & Scott, D. (2015). On climate change skepticism and denial in tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 23(1), 4-25.

Hall, C. M., Scott, D., & Gössling, S. (2021). Pandemics, transformations and tourism: Be Careful what you wish for. In Global tourism and COVID-19 (123-144). Routledge.

Haro-Aragú, M., García-Mestanza, J., & Caballero-Galeote, L. (2025). Understanding ustainable accommodation choices: A segmentation analysis usigng extended TPB. Enlightening Tourism. A Pathmaking Journal, 15(2), 1-25.

Higgins-Desbiolles, F. (2018). Sustainable tourism: Sustaining tourism or something more? Tourism management perspectives, 25, 157-160.

Lew, A. A., Cheer, J. M., Haywood, M., Brouder, P., & Salazar, N. B. (2020). Visions of travel and tourism after the global COVID-19 transformation of 2020. Tourism Geographies, 22(3), 455-466.

Motamedi-Barabadi, S., Almeida-García, F., & Cortés Macías, R. (2023). Influence of environmental attitudes in Iranian ecotourist behaviour. Cuadernos de Turismo, (52).

Navarro-Jurado, E., Romero-Padilla, Y., Romero-Martínez, J. M., Serrano-Muñoz, E., Habegger, S., & Mora-Esteban, R. (2020). Growth machines and social movements in mature tourist destinations Costa del Sol-Málaga. In Tourism and Degrowth (42-59). Routledge.

Uysal, M., Sirgy, M. J., Woo, E., & Kim, H. L. (2016). The impact of tourist activities on tourists’ subjective wellbeing. In The Routledge handbook of health tourism (pp. 93-106). Routledge.

Prof. Dr. Josefa García Mestanza
Dr. Yawei Wang
Dr. Elizabeth del Carmen Pérez Ricardo
Guest Editors

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• tourism management
• sustainable
• resilient