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Resilient and Regenerative Tourism: Beyond Sustainability

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Tourism, Culture, and Heritage".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2026 | Viewed by 948

Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Hospitality Leadership, Driehaus College of Business, DePaul University, Chicago, IL 60604, USA
Interests: tourism strategy; tourism development; tourism technology; leadership
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Hospitality Leadership, Driehaus College of Business, DePaul University, Chicago, IL 60604, USA
Interests: talent management; revenue management; hospitality management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The concept of sustainable tourism is evolving, with scholars and practitioners increasingly advocating for a shift from minimizing harm to actively regenerating destinations, ecosystems, and communities.

This Special Issue explores how tourism can contribute to resilient and regenerative futures—moving beyond sustainability to restore ecological balance, foster social equity, and build adaptive capacity in the face of global challenges. By integrating resilience thinking and regenerative principles, tourism development can become a catalyst for healing rather than depletion.

This theme invites interdisciplinary dialogue on innovative models, policies, and practices that reimagine tourism’s role in shaping a thriving, inclusive, and climate-conscious world.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Chris Roberts
Dr. Mary Jo Dolasinski
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • resilient and regenerative tourism
  • ecological balance
  • climate change
  • sustainable development

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

29 pages, 29695 KB  
Article
Residential Tourism, Real Estate Urbanization, and Socio-Ecological Fragility: Rethinking Resilience in Isla Cortés, México
by Pascual García-Macías and Michelle Leyva-Iturrios
Sustainability 2026, 18(10), 5109; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18105109 - 19 May 2026
Viewed by 313
Abstract
This study critically examines residential tourism in Isla Cortés within the context of the real estate boom and the growing sustainability challenges facing coastal regions. Driven by global mobility, investment flows, and lifestyle migration, residential tourism is reshaping coastlines through intensive urban expansion. [...] Read more.
This study critically examines residential tourism in Isla Cortés within the context of the real estate boom and the growing sustainability challenges facing coastal regions. Driven by global mobility, investment flows, and lifestyle migration, residential tourism is reshaping coastlines through intensive urban expansion. The analysis highlights the socio-environmental consequences of this model, including habitat fragmentation, mangrove loss, increasing pressure on water resources, and the gradual privatization of coastal areas. Using a qualitative research design that combines literature review, comparative case analysis, and territorial assessment, the study identifies structural similarities between Isla Cortés and other coastal tourism enclaves while emphasizing locally specific processes shaped by Mexico’s political economy and regulatory context. Findings suggest the structurally unsustainable character of this development pathway. Although residential tourism has stimulated short-term economic growth, it has also intensified socio-spatial segregation, commodified coastal commons, and generated long-term ecological and social vulnerabilities. The study challenges dominant narratives that portray residential tourism as inherently sustainable and instead draws on ecological reflexivity and socio-ecological systems perspectives to outline alternative planning pathways. It underscores the need for stronger regulatory frameworks, nature-based solutions, participatory governance, and regenerative planning strategies capable of aligning economic activity with ecological integrity and social inclusion in coastal territories. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Resilient and Regenerative Tourism: Beyond Sustainability)
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