Sustainability and Consumer Behavior in the Service Industry

Dear Colleagues,

Due to the success of the first edition of the Sustainability Special Issue titled “Sustainability and Consumer Behavior”, we have decided to launch a second edition with a special focus on the service industries, such as tourism, hospitality, medical and health, education, banking, etc.  The main aim of this second edition remains the same. It still aims to bring together multiple perspectives on the issue of sustainability and consumer behavior because, as emphasized in the first edition, consumer behavior can have a significant impact on sustainability especially in today’s age of rising population and dwindling resources. Nevertheless, the complex nature of both constructs makes it challenging to understand them and how they interact. It necessitates a comprehensive approach, in which concepts are examined from a variety of viewpoints and perspectives. Needs, wants, and demands, as well as influencing factors, decision making and competitiveness, are just a few of the angles and perspectives to consider in consumer behavior studies. Similarly, the concept of sustainability requires an examination of various factors and settings, with the environment, community, and business being at the forefront. Hence, this Special Issue aims to understand consumer behavior in the wider contexts of the three pillars of sustainable development, i.e., environment, society, and economy. It seeks to bring together interdisciplinary perspectives on sustainability and consumer behavior so that we, as a society, can come a little closer to understanding these two dynamic constructs and how they affect our lives.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Consumers in tourism and hospitality settings;
• Sustainability and marketing;
• Sustainability and consumer management;
• Consumers and cruise tourism;
• Consumers in emerging markets;
• Consumers and film tourism;
• Consumers and food tourism;
• Future trends in consumerism;
• Consumers and gambling tourism;
• Consumers and tourism governance;
• Consumers, sustainability, and marketing;
• Consumers, sustainability, and management;
• Consumers and event business;
• Consumers and education;
• Consumers and environmental management;
• Community as consumers;
• Branding in tourism and hospitality;
• Case studies on successful hospitality consumer management programs;
• Consumers and climate change and tourism development;
• Consumers and health tourism;
• Consumers and medical tourism;
• Consumers and hospitality product innovation;
• Consumers and tourism product development;
• Legal issues in consumerism;
• Methodological issues in consumer research;
• Consumers and sustainability planning;
• Consumers and sustainable tourism development;
• Consumers and tourism and hospitality education;
• Consumers and transportation;
• Consumers and corporate governance.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Azilah Kasim
Guest Editor

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