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Toward Sustainable Tourism: Management Practices and Customer Experiences
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Toward Sustainable Tourism: Management Practices and Customer Experiences

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 May 2026) | Viewed by 4859

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jonghyeong Kim

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. School of Community Resources and Development, Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions, Arizona State University, 411 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
2. The Hainan University-Arizona State University Joint International Tourism College, Hainan University, Haikou 570004, China
Interests: sustainability; sustainable business practices; sustainable business strategy; customer experience; consumer behavior; ESG
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Due to its significant impacts on society, environment, and economic growth, research on sustainability has rapidly increased over the last two decades. However, several research gaps have been identified in the existing literature on sustainability. For example, previous studies have (1) primarily focused on energy and the environment while neglecting other important aspects of sustainable business practices (e.g., local culture, local economy, and sustainable employment), (2) appeared preoccupied with cognitive factors of customer experiences (e.g., moral obligation, norms, etc.), (3) lacked the application of different theoretical models to elucidate the effect of sustainable business practices on consumer behavior. Thus, this Special Issue aims to redress this research gap identified in the literature.

This Special Issue welcomes theoretical, empirical, experimental, and case-study research contributions. These contributions should clearly address the theoretical and practical implications of the research. Both conceptual and empirical papers addressing sustainable business practices in the tourism and hospitality industries are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following topics:

  • Sustainable employment;
  • Sustainable products (designs, delivery, and performance);
  • Customer experience in businesses that employ sustainable practices;
  • Digitized and innovative sustainable business practices; 
  • Innovative research approaches and methods for studying the influence of sustainable business practices on consumer behavior;
  • Theory-based research on sustainability research;
  • COVID-19 and sustainable business practices;
  • Sustainable business practices related to consumers’ well-being and happiness;
  • Any other topic at the intersection of sustainability, tourism, and hospitality business development.  

I look forward to receiving your contributions. 

Dr. Jonghyeong Kim
Guest Editor

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-blind 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

  • sustainability
  • sustainable business practices
  • sustainable business strategy
  • customer experience
  • consumer behavior
  • ESG

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

27 pages, 623 KB  
Article
Technology-Enabled Social Marketing and Gestalt Coherence in Service Contexts
by Hung-Sheng Chang
Sustainability 2026, 18(10), 5024; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18105024 - 16 May 2026
Viewed by 225
Abstract
This study examines how sustainability-oriented social marketing influences relationship quality and tourism relationship value, and how perceived brand coherence (Gestalt completeness) conditions this relationship. The growing emphasis on sustainable tourism and responsible consumption has increased the importance of socially oriented marketing communication in [...] Read more.
This study examines how sustainability-oriented social marketing influences relationship quality and tourism relationship value, and how perceived brand coherence (Gestalt completeness) conditions this relationship. The growing emphasis on sustainable tourism and responsible consumption has increased the importance of socially oriented marketing communication in shaping long-term consumer–firm relationships. However, prior research has largely examined social marketing, relationship quality, and relationship value in isolation, with limited attention to how perceptual mechanisms strengthen these relational processes within contemporary, platform-mediated tourism environments. Addressing this gap, this study investigates how public-issue-promoted social marketing (PIPSM) influences relationship quality (RQ) and tourism relationship value (TRV) while incorporating Gestalt completeness (GC) as a moderating mechanism that captures perceptual coherence in brand communication. Using survey data collected from 400 consumers with prior tourism experience in Taiwan, the proposed model is tested through structural equation modeling, complemented by regression-based moderation analysis. The results indicate that PIPSM significantly enhances relationship quality, which in turn positively influences tourism relationship value. Furthermore, Gestalt completeness strengthens the relationship between RQ and TRV, suggesting that perceptually coherent communication amplifies relational outcomes. This study contributes to the literature by integrating social marketing, relationship marketing, and perceptual psychology into a unified framework. Rather than demonstrating direct sustainability outcomes, the findings highlight relational and perceptual pathways that may support sustainability-oriented behaviors. The study also offers practical implications by illustrating how socially oriented communication and coherent brand design across digital touchpoints can enhance customer engagement and long-term relational value. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toward Sustainable Tourism: Management Practices and Customer Experiences)
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21 pages, 3226 KB  
Article
Cognitive Appraisals, Status-Seeking and Consumer Resilience in Surf Tourism: A Social-Symbolic Reappraisal Framework for Destination Sustainability in Hainan, China
by Xiaopin Yang, Fumitaka Furuoka, Sameer Kumar and Chao Su
Sustainability 2026, 18(9), 4587; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18094587 - 6 May 2026
Viewed by 326
Abstract
Surf tourism, a form of sustainable experiential tourism, directly shapes the socio-economic sustainability of coastal destinations. However, existing research has not uncovered how cognitive appraisal processes and status-seeking motives interact to shape tourists’ behavioral intentions and resilience amid experiential setbacks. Based on a [...] Read more.
Surf tourism, a form of sustainable experiential tourism, directly shapes the socio-economic sustainability of coastal destinations. However, existing research has not uncovered how cognitive appraisal processes and status-seeking motives interact to shape tourists’ behavioral intentions and resilience amid experiential setbacks. Based on a cross-sectional survey design, and grounded in Cognitive Appraisal Theory (CAT) and the Theory of the Leisure Class (TLC), this study empirically tests an integrated socio-cognitive framework using data from 395 surf tourists in Hainan, China. Data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results demonstrate that cognitive appraisals (outcome desirability, agency, certainty) and status-driven imperatives are powerful predictors of behavioral intentions. Conspicuous Consumption Motivation (CCM) acts as a critical boundary condition, amplifying the positive effect of affective states on intentions, and serving as a psychological buffer that facilitates consumer resilience against tourism setbacks. We further extend a “social-symbolic reappraisal” mechanism—rather than a directly measured variable—through which tourists reframe negative experiences as a “badge of honor” to signal leisure-class status via the moderation effect of CCM. This fills an important gap in existing research on emotion regulation and tourist behavior. This study clarifies the psychological pathway of behavioral sustainability in symbolic experiential tourism and delivers high-impact actionable insights for coastal destinations: operators can leverage the social-symbolic reappraisal mechanism to design identity-focused experience narratives, stabilize tourist flow and revenue streams, increase investments in sustainable infrastructure and marine conservation, and benefit from sustainable management of coastal surf tourism destinations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toward Sustainable Tourism: Management Practices and Customer Experiences)
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36 pages, 1719 KB  
Article
Sustaining the Modern Pilgrimage: Governance, Community Impacts, and Environmental Challenges on Korea’s Jeju Olle Trail
by Bradley S. Brennan, Daniel Kessler, Yiheng Luo and Kyung Mi Bae
Sustainability 2026, 18(3), 1540; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18031540 - 3 Feb 2026
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1085
Abstract
The Jeju Olle Trail has evolved from a grassroots initiative into a contested space where post-pandemic growth intersects with environmental limits and fragmented governance. Moving beyond environment-centric models, this study examines the trail as a transcultural walking tourism system. The authors triangulated 900 [...] Read more.
The Jeju Olle Trail has evolved from a grassroots initiative into a contested space where post-pandemic growth intersects with environmental limits and fragmented governance. Moving beyond environment-centric models, this study examines the trail as a transcultural walking tourism system. The authors triangulated 900 user-generated content (UGC) narratives from major travel platforms (Korean, Chinese, and English) with semi-structured interviews from three key institutional informants (NTO, RTO, and NPO). The analysis explores how sustainable experiences are negotiated in practice. Findings suggest that Self-Determination Theory (SDT) constructs like autonomy are not universal constants but are culturally mediated through Western “digital detox,” Korean “collective healing,” and Chinese chūxīn (original heart) narratives. Institutional and narrative data indicate that these experiences appear linked to managing governance tensions between national mandates and localized stewardship. The study concludes that experiential sustainability involves navigating trade-offs regarding narratively signaled environmental impacts and community capacity. By framing walking tourism as a governance-dependent practice, this research demonstrates how culturally embedded mechanisms shape destination viability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toward Sustainable Tourism: Management Practices and Customer Experiences)
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30 pages, 611 KB  
Article
How Does Digital Experience of Cultural Heritage Transform into Sustained Behavioral Intention? Assessing Perceived Value and Place Attachment Mechanisms Based on Value Adoption Model
by Lingsen Meng and Zong-Yi Zhu
Sustainability 2026, 18(3), 1470; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18031470 - 2 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1336
Abstract
The rapid development and deep integration of digital technology into cultural heritage have created new experiential paradigms for tourists. However, to transform from technological application to behavioral retention, the internal mechanisms through which digital experiences are internalized into stable, sustained behavioral intentions must [...] Read more.
The rapid development and deep integration of digital technology into cultural heritage have created new experiential paradigms for tourists. However, to transform from technological application to behavioral retention, the internal mechanisms through which digital experiences are internalized into stable, sustained behavioral intentions must be elucidated. The influence of perceived value on tourists’ long-term behavioral intentions via place attachment remains largely unexplored. Using the value adoption model (VAM), this study constructs a sequential mediation model of “digital experience–perceived value–place attachment–sustained behavioral intentions” and employs structural equation modeling to examine cross-sectional survey responses from 618 tourists visiting Shandong Museum, China. Findings reveal that the functional dimensions of interactive experience and perceived ease of use significantly enhance perceived value, whereas the sensory dimensions of immersive and hedonic experiences have no significant impact on perceived value—possibly because tourists in cultural heritage contexts prioritize knowledge acquisition over sensory stimulation. Perceived value significantly and positively predicts place attachment and sustained behavioral intentions, and place attachment strongly predicts sustained behavioral intentions (including word-of-mouth recommendation, revisit intention, and sharing). This study extends the VAM to offline cultural heritage digital experience contexts, demonstrates that functional utility is more critical than sensory stimulation in driving value perception, and validates the value attachment–behavior transformation pathway, providing theoretical foundations and practical implications for cultural heritage digitalization management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toward Sustainable Tourism: Management Practices and Customer Experiences)
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16 pages, 438 KB  
Article
From Green Demand to Green Skills: The Role of Consumers in Shaping Sustainable Workforce Competencies
by Drita Kruja, Irina Canco and Forcim Kola
Sustainability 2025, 17(24), 10890; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172410890 - 5 Dec 2025
Viewed by 931
Abstract
As sustainability becomes central to tourism, tourists are no longer passive consumers but active stakeholders who influence organizational behavior. This study investigates how green consumer behavior (GCB) shapes expectations for employee green competencies and organizational sustainability strategy (OSS). Data were collected through a [...] Read more.
As sustainability becomes central to tourism, tourists are no longer passive consumers but active stakeholders who influence organizational behavior. This study investigates how green consumer behavior (GCB) shapes expectations for employee green competencies and organizational sustainability strategy (OSS). Data were collected through a structured survey of 326 domestic tourists in Albania. Green skills expectation (GSE) was modeled as a latent construct derived from two observed variables: green loyalty and brand image, and willingness to support sustainability. Statistical analyses included exploratory factor analysis (EFA), K-means clustering and structural equation modeling (SEM). GCB significantly predicted both OSS and GSE, confirming that green tourists influence how organizations structure and communicate their sustainability practices. Cluster analysis identified two consumer profiles: committed eco-tourists and green-adaptive tourists. This study advances current understanding of how tourists act as external agents of internal organizational change. It extends the theoretical discourse on green marketing and sustainable workforce development by positioning tourist expectations as a driver of human resource transformation. The findings offer meaningful implications for tourism operators, educators and policymakers seeking to align employee training and service delivery with the demands of sustainability-oriented travelers. In this way, the study bridges the gap between consumer behavior and workforce development, contributing to a more integrated approach to sustainable tourism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toward Sustainable Tourism: Management Practices and Customer Experiences)
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