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Tourism and Hospitality
Special Issues
Destination Resilience and Innovation for Advanced Sustainable Tourism Management
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Destination Resilience and Innovation for Advanced Sustainable Tourism Management

A special issue of Tourism and Hospitality (ISSN 2673-5768).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 7848

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Shuyue Huang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Business and Tourism Department, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, NS, Canada
Interests: tourist engagement; consumer behavior in hospitality and tourism; destination management and marketing; tourism planning and policy; cultural tourism; scholarship of teaching and learning (SOTL)
Dr. Dagnachew Leta Senbeto

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Hotel and Tourism Management, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
Interests: sustainability; crisis; innovation issues in hospitality and tourism

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, the tourism sector has faced numerous disruptions, including natural disasters, health crises, and socio-political challenges, underscoring the critical need for destination resilience and innovative management practices. Destination resilience emphasizes a destination's ability to adapt to external disturbances, as well as learn from and reorganize after disasters and crises. It is crucial to focus on developing both planned resilience—preparing in advance for unexpected events such as crises, disasters, and security threats—as well as adaptive resilience, which concerns post-event recovery. Both require leadership, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and robust internal and external communication, with these laying the foundation for sustainable development.

This Special Issue, titled “Destination Resilience and Innovation for Advanced Sustainable Tourism Management,” aims to explore comprehensive and multidisciplinary approaches that leverage innovation to enhance the resilience and sustainable development of tourism destinations. It invites contributions that examine the resilience of destinations with varied structures and resources, including city destinations, rural areas, heritage sites, and small islands. We encourage submissions that address resilience at various levels—micro (e.g., tourists, local communities), meso (e.g., destination management organizations, business operators, supply chain management), and macro (e.g., socio-ecological systems)—in order to illuminate the dynamic interplay among these scales.

We welcome submissions employing diverse approaches, such as empirical research, case studies, conceptual analysis, critical analysis, meta-analysis, big-data analysis, text mining, bibliometric analysis, and exploratory content analysis, with the ultimate aim of identifying factors contributing to destination resilience and innovation. Furthermore, as innovative practices and technologies play a pivotal role in enhancing destination resilience, solutions such as automation through robotics, mobile applications for health and safety monitoring, artificial intelligence, and big data for predictive analytics are welcome. These advancements are instrumental in developing absorptive, innovative, and adaptive capabilities essential for tackling long-term challenges such as over-tourism and climate change.

To conclude, this Special Issue seeks to catalyze cross-disciplinary dialogue and inspire a diverse range of contributions that not only enhance destination attractiveness and competitiveness but also prioritize environmental and social justice. In doing so, we aim to build a comprehensive understanding of how education, inclusivity, and innovation can drive the agenda of sustainable tourism forward. Encouraging a holistic view, we invite studies that offer fresh insights into policies, strategies, and practices that are vital for fostering resilient, innovative, and sustainable tourism ecosystems.

Dr. Shuyue Huang
Dr. Dagnachew Leta Senbeto
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 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. Tourism and Hospitality is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly 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 1200 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

  • destination resilience policy and planning
  • sustainable tourism management
  • technology and innovation in tourism
  • smart tourism destinations
  • social equity and inclusion in tourism
  • tourism supply chain sustainability
  • crisis management and risk reduction
  • stakeholder collaboration in tourism
  • climate change adaptation for tourism
  • education and capacity building in sustainable tourism

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

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 966 KiB  
Article
Pandemic-Related Factors Affecting Sales in Tourism Related Businesses: A Case Study of the Nishimikawa Region, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
by Mingji Cui and Hiroyuki Shibusawa
Tour. Hosp. 2025, 6(2), 75; https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp6020075 - 28 Apr 2025
Viewed by 275
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic severely affected Japan’s tourism-related industries, leading to significant revenue losses in the accommodation, restaurant, and tourist facility sectors. Many businesses experienced difficult situations, resulting in closures and layoffs as a result of the prolonged decline in tourism demand. Focusing on [...] Read more.
The COVID-19 pandemic severely affected Japan’s tourism-related industries, leading to significant revenue losses in the accommodation, restaurant, and tourist facility sectors. Many businesses experienced difficult situations, resulting in closures and layoffs as a result of the prolonged decline in tourism demand. Focusing on the first half of the pandemic (2020–2021), this study analyzes the loss of sales and the influencing factors among tourism-related businesses in the Nishimikawa region of Aichi Prefecture. A questionnaire survey was conducted in November 2021, and changes in sales from April 2020 to September 2021 were estimated to assess the economic impact across different sectors. A quantitative analysis was also performed to examine the relationship between sales and the state of emergency, the domestic travel subsidy program Go To Travel campaign, and business attributes. The results indicate that COVID-19 severely impacted business sales, especially in the accommodation and food service sectors, while the tourism facility and retail sectors were less affected. In the Nishimikawa region, popular for day trips from nearby areas, the Go To Travel campaign had a limited effect, highlighting the need for region-specific support measures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Destination Resilience and Innovation for Advanced Sustainable Tourism Management)
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20 pages, 2204 KiB  
Article
Confronting Colonial Narratives: How Destination Museum Exhibits Can Sustainably Engage with Social Justices Issues
by Scott R. Sanders, Michael R. Cope and Taryn J. Frerichs
Tour. Hosp. 2025, 6(2), 58; https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp6020058 - 30 Mar 2025
Viewed by 649
Abstract
As museums serve as major tourist destinations, ensuring the sustainable presentation of exhibits addressing social justice issues, such as colonial legacies, is increasingly critical. This study examines how one destination museum engaged with its colonial past through a temporary exhibit designed to challenge [...] Read more.
As museums serve as major tourist destinations, ensuring the sustainable presentation of exhibits addressing social justice issues, such as colonial legacies, is increasingly critical. This study examines how one destination museum engaged with its colonial past through a temporary exhibit designed to challenge traditional narratives and amplify marginalized perspectives. The primary objective is to assess whether such temporary interventions foster lasting engagement with colonial histories or risk becoming fleeting gestures that ultimately reinforce hegemonic narratives. Using Gramsci’s theory of hegemony and the concept of moral licensing as analytical frameworks, this research systematically analyzes the content of both original and supplementary exhibit labels to evaluate their impact on visitor engagement with colonial histories. Specifically, this study addresses two key research questions: (RQ1) What new historical narratives and perspectives on colonialism did visitors encounter through the inclusion of supplementary museum labels addressing colonial legacies? (RQ2) What insights can be drawn from the addition and subsequent removal of these labels to inform future strategies for fostering sustained critical engagement with social justice issues, particularly colonial histories, in museum settings? Findings indicate that the addition of supplementary labels provided tourists with a deeper, more critical understanding of the museum’s colonial history and helped disrupt hegemonic narratives. However, as the exhibit was temporary, the removal of these labels revealed the risks of moral licensing, where short-term efforts may justify a return to dominant perspectives. This research contributes to the literature by demonstrating that to effectively and sustainably engage visitors with social justice issues, destination museums must integrate marginalized narratives into permanent or recurring exhibits. While even modest interventions, such as additional museum labels, can challenge established narratives, sustained efforts are essential to ensure that tourists continue engaging with critical social justice issues. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Destination Resilience and Innovation for Advanced Sustainable Tourism Management)
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19 pages, 302 KiB  
Article
Visitor Participation in Deviant Leisure Practices in a South African National Park
by Michael Kuseni and Uwe P. Hermann
Tour. Hosp. 2025, 6(2), 53; https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp6020053 - 25 Mar 2025
Viewed by 317
Abstract
Kruger National Park is one of the most well-preserved national parks in the Southern Hemisphere. However, cases of visitors participating in deviant leisure practices (DLPs) are reported in the park, threatening the sustainability of sensitive tourism resources. Adopting a deviant leisure lens, this [...] Read more.
Kruger National Park is one of the most well-preserved national parks in the Southern Hemisphere. However, cases of visitors participating in deviant leisure practices (DLPs) are reported in the park, threatening the sustainability of sensitive tourism resources. Adopting a deviant leisure lens, this study assesses the extent to which visitors participate in DLPs at the Kruger National Park (KNP) and the causes of those behaviours. Variables adopted from the KNP codes of conduct for visitors were used to measure the DLPs based on the visitors’ perception of the park. A quantitative survey design, with a sample size of 237 respondents, assessed respondents’ participation in DLPs. The study results reveal that visitors participate in DLPs at KNP. However, the level at which visitors participate in DLPs is inconsistent. The most common DLPs by visitors are getting close to animals to take pictures and driving off-road to see animals. The reasons for visitors participating in these behaviours are the need to create memorable experiences and being in “holiday mode”. The least violated codes of conduct in the park are picking up archaeological objects to keep them as souvenirs and bringing prohibited items into the park without declaring. This study is significant as it is the first to investigate the extent visitors participate in DLPs using a self-reported instrument. Based on the results, park managers may develop effective strategies to reduce the number of visitors getting close to animals to take pictures and driving off-road to observe animals at close range. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Destination Resilience and Innovation for Advanced Sustainable Tourism Management)
20 pages, 2237 KiB  
Article
DMOs and Social Media Crisis Communication in Low-Responsibility Crisis: #VisitPortugal Response Strategies During COVID-19
by Mariana Casal-Ribeiro, Rita Peres and Inês Boavida-Portugal
Tour. Hosp. 2025, 6(1), 49; https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp6010049 - 19 Mar 2025
Viewed by 636
Abstract
Guided by the situational crisis communication theory (SCCT), this study explores how a destination marketing organization (DMO) managed crisis communication during a prolonged low-responsibility crisis. It analyzes the production process of crisis communication, the crisis communication content shared on Facebook to protect the [...] Read more.
Guided by the situational crisis communication theory (SCCT), this study explores how a destination marketing organization (DMO) managed crisis communication during a prolonged low-responsibility crisis. It analyzes the production process of crisis communication, the crisis communication content shared on Facebook to protect the destination’s image during COVID-19, and evaluates which crisis response strategies led to higher audience engagement. This study used a single instrumental case study with an exploratory sequential approach. A semi-structured interview was conducted with Visit Portugal’s Communication and Digital Marketing Director. Then, Facebook content from Visit Portugal, posted between 1 January 2020 and 5 May 2023, was collected and analyzed. By analyzing the DMO’s crisis communication workflow, decision-making processes, and content shared on social media, it was found that secondary response strategies effectively safeguarded and improved the destination’s image, leading to higher audience engagement. This study provides DMOs with valuable insights into the development of effective crisis communication strategies when navigating low-responsibility crises. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Destination Resilience and Innovation for Advanced Sustainable Tourism Management)
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26 pages, 2930 KiB  
Article
Reviving from the Pandemic: Harnessing the Power of Social Media Reviews in the Sustainable Tourism Management of Group Package Tours
by Wai Ki Liang, Sven Dahms, David Reay Corkindale and Joe Liddiatt
Tour. Hosp. 2025, 6(1), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp6010041 - 3 Mar 2025
Viewed by 725
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism sector encountered multiple challenges. Numerous governments chose to lock down their cities and countries. Despite this, many companies found their online businesses making the greatest leaps in their portfolios, and social media platforms became one of the [...] Read more.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism sector encountered multiple challenges. Numerous governments chose to lock down their cities and countries. Despite this, many companies found their online businesses making the greatest leaps in their portfolios, and social media platforms became one of the most valuable sources of information for purchase decisions. There have been numerous studies on the effects of social media reviews—a form of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM)—on consumer behavior. Few were found to be related to their impact on group package tours (GPTs) while considering mixed eWOM, that is, both the positive and negative forms present in word-of-mouth communication. As the tourism sector gradually revives, the need to further explore how tourism and hospitality service providers can adapt to changes in post-pandemic consumer behavior has become imperative. The influence of social media reviews on consumers’ value perceptions of a GPT to Japan, allowing for the influence of the marketing mix element of advertised price, was examined through online experiments in this study. Positive, negative, and mixed eWOM were examined. It was found that eWOM was more influential on consumers’ value perceptions than the advertised price for all price acceptability levels. Mixed eWOM was found to negatively affect consumers’ final price perceptions which override the impact of quality perceptions in value formations. The value perceptions of the GPT became less acceptable when eWOM was mixed compared to when eWOM was absent or was positive. Mixed eWOM had a negative effect on value perceptions but not as great as when negative eWOM was present, and this was consistently found to apply for all price acceptability levels of the GPT. This study’s contribution to eWOM research and implications for the post-pandemic recovery of tourism and hospitality service providers are made, together with suggested strategies using innovative technologies and communications to enhance their adaptive resilience in the new normal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Destination Resilience and Innovation for Advanced Sustainable Tourism Management)
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28 pages, 2015 KiB  
Article
Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) Towards Climate Change Among Tourists: A Systematic Review
by Chunlan Guo, Yang Lyu, Peng Li and IokTeng Esther Kou
Tour. Hosp. 2025, 6(1), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp6010032 - 17 Feb 2025
Viewed by 1020
Abstract
Climate change has profound impacts on tourists’ travel demands, travel decisions, travel experiences, and the development of the tourism industry. Consequently, understanding tourists’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards climate change is important to the future development of tourism. This study aimed to [...] Read more.
Climate change has profound impacts on tourists’ travel demands, travel decisions, travel experiences, and the development of the tourism industry. Consequently, understanding tourists’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards climate change is important to the future development of tourism. This study aimed to identify and evaluate the existing literature concerning tourists’ KAP towards climate change through a systematic review. A total of 76 articles were included to provide a comprehensive overview of tourists’ KAP towards climate change since the 1950s. This study identified a significant increase in relevant research output in recent years; however, it also found a noticeable geographical bias, with a concentration in Europe and North America. While tourists generally demonstrated a good understanding of climate change and its impact on tourism, they showed a lack of awareness regarding the environmental consequences of air travel and were reluctant to reduce air travel. Most tourists believed that governments should take the lead in addressing climate change, with only a minority recognizing their individual responsibility. Furthermore, the perceived threats of climate change directly influenced tourists’ travel decisions, prompting them to modify their travel plans, posing a challenge for tourist destinations. These findings can guide the development of policies related to climate education and sustainable tourism practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Destination Resilience and Innovation for Advanced Sustainable Tourism Management)
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21 pages, 1280 KiB  
Article
Multi-Stakeholder Analysis in Building Tourism Resilience: Collaborative Governance Implementation in the Majapahit House Heritage Area, Indonesia
by Muhammad Roisul Basyar, Antun Mardiyanta and Erna Setijaningrum
Tour. Hosp. 2025, 6(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp6010005 - 4 Jan 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1512
Abstract
The Majapahit House heritage area in Trowulan, Indonesia, represents a significant initiative where local communities, government agencies, and cultural organizations collaborate to preserve traditional architecture while developing cultural tourism. This study examines how these stakeholders interact in implementing heritage tourism governance, focusing on [...] Read more.
The Majapahit House heritage area in Trowulan, Indonesia, represents a significant initiative where local communities, government agencies, and cultural organizations collaborate to preserve traditional architecture while developing cultural tourism. This study examines how these stakeholders interact in implementing heritage tourism governance, focusing on the challenges of coordinating preservation efforts with development objectives. Through semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and field observations, we analyze how different actors influence program implementation and outcomes. Our analysis employs interest–influence matrices to identify how stakeholders’ varying capabilities affect program success, while actor linkage analysis reveals specific patterns of collaboration and conflict in governance processes. Findings demonstrate how implementation success varies across villages based on local leadership effectiveness, resource coordination, and community engagement levels. This study reveals that successful heritage tourism development requires balancing provincial directives with community initiatives, particularly in aligning preservation requirements with local development needs. This research advances understanding of stakeholder dynamics in heritage tourism by providing a framework for analyzing collaborative governance in cultural contexts while offering practical insights for improving stakeholder coordination. Recommendations focus on strengthening institutional frameworks and enhancing coordination mechanisms between government agencies and community organizations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Destination Resilience and Innovation for Advanced Sustainable Tourism Management)
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14 pages, 1310 KiB  
Article
Resilience Components in Mexican Whale-Watching Regulation
by Iyari Janethzy Espinoza-Rodríguez, Rosa María Chávez-Dagostino and Gisela Heckel
Tour. Hosp. 2024, 5(4), 1028-1041; https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp5040058 - 28 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1250
Abstract
Whale watching (WW) is a growing tourist activity that is at risk of becoming unsustainable. Legislation regarding WW must mitigate adverse effects on species and address the dynamics of complex systems. This study proposes analyzing this interaction using a socio-ecological resilience framework, considering [...] Read more.
Whale watching (WW) is a growing tourist activity that is at risk of becoming unsustainable. Legislation regarding WW must mitigate adverse effects on species and address the dynamics of complex systems. This study proposes analyzing this interaction using a socio-ecological resilience framework, considering both social and ecological components. Resilient governance is characterized by four features: flexibility to respond to change, adaptability, multi-level governance, and participation. The aim of this study was to assess how Mexican WW regulations contribute to the resilience of the socio-ecosystem through a literature review on compliance with the regulations and the presence of resilience elements in the regulations. Non-compliance with 12 guidelines was identified, with vessel crowding, distance, and unauthorized vessels being the most frequently reported issues. The analysis of the regulations revealed the presence of all four elements of resilient governance; however, participation is limited to certain key stakeholders, which undermines whale conservation due to non-compliance. In conclusion, the Mexican regulations contribute to resilient governance; however, to ensure whale conservation and socio-ecological resilience, it is essential that all involved parties understand their roles and actively participate in decision-making processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Destination Resilience and Innovation for Advanced Sustainable Tourism Management)
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