Special Issue "Think Tank in Tourism, Hospitality, Culture and Heritage: Towards Creativity and Innovation"

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2021.

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Lóránt Dénes Dávid
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Tourism and Hospitality, Institute of Supply Chain Management, Marketing and Tourism, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Szent István University, Páter Károly Street 1. HU-2100 Gödöllő, Hungary
Interests: tourism; travel geography; sustainability
Special Issues and Collections in MDPI journals
Dr. Peter Szende
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
The Oxford School of Hospitality Management, Oxford Brookes University, OX3 0BP Oxford, UK
Interests: hospitality operations; restaurant management; human resources management; business history
Dr. Martin Balázs Zsarnóczky
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Sustainable Economy, Kodolanyi Janos University, Frangepan str. 30-36, H-1139 Budapest, Hungary
Interests: tourism innovation, sustainability, well-being, senior tourism

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The tourism industry has a long history. Nowadays, the tourism sector is facing one of the greatest challenges of its modern-day history (hotels, restaurants, attractions, products, etc.). Instead of focusing on novel solutions and future opportunities, decision-makers in the sector are looking to the past for the core values of tourism. The main reason behind this is that culture and heritage represent primary starting points that can be reassessed with novel and resilient approaches. Many practical solutions using innovative technologies that were developed thanks to the processes of digitalization are widespread today and can support the regeneration of these critical processes as soon as possible. The greatest challenges for experts include creative brainstorming, sustainability, and the exploitation of think tank results in a way which—beyond the positive results—can also foster the commitment and responsibility of professionals and researchers to the future of tourism.

The importance of risk avoidance related to the processes of modern tourism needs to be re-evaluated. Within the creativity, innovation, and sustainability aspects of the sector, risk management and the eliminability of unforeseen impacts represent a new research area that is foreseen to emerge as a side effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This Special Issue will focus on the central, but not exclusive, approach of creativity, innovation and sustainability. Beyond a sustainable economy, sustainable processes are becoming of key importance in the tourism sector as well, because the plannability of the sector requires solutions that are resilient in the long term. For this, the processes of globalization should be reassessed, and there is a growing need to explore the opportunities provided by cultural diversification. We look forward to receiving articles on any topic related to creativity and innovation in tourism, hospitality, heritage, and culture. Any interesting topics and themes are welcome connected with tourism responsibility and sustainability as well. We also welcome studies that look back to the historical past. There are no other strict thematic restrictions.

Prof. Dr. Lóránt Dénes Dávid
Dr. Peter Szende
Dr. Martin Balázs Zsarnóczky
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 papers will be 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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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 1900 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

  • creative sustainability
  • innovative responsibility
  • sustainable thinking
  • cultural diversity
  • heritage, hospitality

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

Article
Environmental Education Catalyzed by Tourism: Ecoliteracy Initiatives on the Coast of Kenya
Sustainability 2021, 13(15), 8501; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158501 - 29 Jul 2021
Viewed by 338
Abstract
The Diani-Ukunda area on the Kenyan coast is one of the main tourism centers of the country. Over time, individuals who originally visited the area as tourists have started sustainability initiatives that are in part funded through donor networks from abroad (drawing on [...] Read more.
The Diani-Ukunda area on the Kenyan coast is one of the main tourism centers of the country. Over time, individuals who originally visited the area as tourists have started sustainability initiatives that are in part funded through donor networks from abroad (drawing on individuals who visited the country initially as tourists). This essay explores select German initiatives in the educational sector that have emerged in the context of the area’s tourism industry. Diani Maendeleo Academy (a secondary school for girls) and the six primary and secondary schools known as Mekaela Academies collectively serve a significant portion of the population of the larger Diani-Ukunda area, including the hinterland extending widely into Kwale County. The study was designed to assess the schools’ approach toward sustainability and ecoliteracy, and centered on the following questions: 1. What kinds of sustainable practices are promoted in the select schools? 2. In what ways do students who attend these schools display environmental literacy? 3. Do these initiatives address UN SDGs, known as Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)? The study follows an interdisciplinary mixed method approach and is based on interviews, survey instruments, research on ecoliteracy and educational policy, and fieldwork data from previous stays. Findings reveal a lesser-known dimension of tourism: namely, the successful pursuit of ESD in schools thriving in the context of tourism through an integrated approach towards teaching ecoliteracy. Full article
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Article
Influence of Experiential Consumption and Social Environment of Local Tourists on the Intention to Revisit Tunisian Guesthouses: Mediating Role of Involvement in the Experience
Sustainability 2021, 13(12), 6584; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126584 - 09 Jun 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 409
Abstract
This study aims to examine the relationships between the experiential consumption, the social environment, and intention to revisit. The mediating role of involvement in the experience between experiential consumption and the intention to revisit and between the social environment and the intention to [...] Read more.
This study aims to examine the relationships between the experiential consumption, the social environment, and intention to revisit. The mediating role of involvement in the experience between experiential consumption and the intention to revisit and between the social environment and the intention to revisit has been expressed and tested. The data for this research was collected from local tourists staying in guesthouses scattered all over Tunisia. The authors applied structural partial least squares equation modeling to analyze 259 questionnaires completed by participants and to test the hypotheses. The authors found a positive and direct effects of the social environment on involvement in the experience while experiential consumption did not. In addition, the results indicated positive and significant indirect effects for the social environment on the intention to revisit through involvement in the experience. The results do not support a mediating role of involvement in experience on the relationship of experiential consumption and intention to revisit. In addition, the results showed a strong and positive effect of involvement in the experience on intention to revisit. This research makes a distinctive theoretical contribution to the literature of perceived experiential value by analyzing the relationships between experiential consumption and the social environment on experience involvement and intention to revisit a guesthouse. In addition, this study explores several practical implications of these results. Full article
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Article
Feasibility and Sustainability Challenges of the Süleyman’s Türbe Cultural-Tourism Centre Project in Szigetvár, Hungary
Sustainability 2021, 13(10), 5337; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13105337 - 11 May 2021
Viewed by 515
Abstract
The Süleyman’s Türbe in Szigetvár (Hungary) is a historical monument with exceptional features; the aim of the study is to present the planned cultural-tourism centre investment goals, risks and externalities. Cultural and tourism specificities significantly influence the implementation of such unique, three nations [...] Read more.
The Süleyman’s Türbe in Szigetvár (Hungary) is a historical monument with exceptional features; the aim of the study is to present the planned cultural-tourism centre investment goals, risks and externalities. Cultural and tourism specificities significantly influence the implementation of such unique, three nations concerning projects. One of the crucial conditions of the implementation is the integration into the existing cultural heritage plans and the proper management of the related uncertainties. The authors decided to handle the Türbe as an investment project; therefore, a tourism exploratory analysis, a risk analysis, and externalities identification are discussed in this paper. The project development was carried by nominal groups between June and December of 2019 using professional experts workshops, group decision and information gathering approaches. The paper is using a case-study-based investigation. The most significant risks and their mitigation strategies are the emergences of Turkish influence: Turkish–Hungarian consultation, intensive consultation with Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TCCA); problems related to expropriation: preventive communication, cultivating good relations; delay in project implementation: professional lobby, preparation of scenarios. This study aims to present the design model of this multifaceted, international-scale project. It is suggested that similar projects should be handled and considered as a whole to reach the maximum of their potential. Full article
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Article
Rethinking Sustainable Community-Based Tourism: A Villager’s Point of View and Case Study in Pampang Village, Indonesia
Sustainability 2021, 13(6), 3245; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063245 - 16 Mar 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 675
Abstract
Community-based tourism (CBT) considers one sustainable form of tourism to enhance tourists’ and local communities’ relationships. By investigating and studying the previous scientific production of the CBT field in general and, in particular, rural CBT, the researchers found that the local communities’ roles [...] Read more.
Community-based tourism (CBT) considers one sustainable form of tourism to enhance tourists’ and local communities’ relationships. By investigating and studying the previous scientific production of the CBT field in general and, in particular, rural CBT, the researchers found that the local communities’ roles in shaping this type of tourism have been given great importance. This literature mainly focuses on rural CBT from the academic researcher’s perspective. This study aimed to understand the villager’s view on rural sustainable CBT in Pampang Village, Indonesia. In our research, we used the triangulation method based on three kinds of data: in-depth structured interviews, non-participant field observations, and quantitative sustainability aspects of the local attractions. The research results helped us design a model for the formation of sustainable rural CBT activities in Indonesia, which depends on formal and informal leader figures in the community instead of only the community’s solidarity, as much previous research has indicated. Full article
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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: Environmental Humanitarianism: German-Kenyan Ecoliteracy Initiatives on the Coast of Kenya
Authors: Nina Berman
Affiliation: School of International Letters and Cultures, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe 870202, AZ, USA
Abstract: The Ukunda-Diani area on the coast of Kenya is one of the main tourism centers of the country. Over time, individuals who originally visited the area as tourists, have started various sustainability initiatives that are in part funded through donor networks from abroad (involving many individuals who visited the country as tourists). Germany has been at the forefront of ecological activism and policy implementation, and various projects in the Ukunda-Diani that are run by German expatriates reflect this commitment to achieving ecological literacy and promoting sustainable practices. My essay will explore select German initiatives in the educational sector that have emerged in the context of the area’s tourism industry. Diani Maendeleo Academy (a secondary school for female students) and the six primary and secondary schools known as Mekaela Academies collectively serve a significant portion of the population of the larger Diani-Ukunda area, including the hinterland extending widely into Kwale County. The study analyzes the approach toward teaching sustainability and ecoliteracy in these private schools. Specifically, I discuss the ways in which ecological literacy is integrated into the schools’ broader approach to sustainability, such as extracurricular activities and ecological practices on the schools’ compounds. The study discusses a lesser-known dimension of sustainable tourism, including possible impact in the context of the country’s commitment to SDGs.

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