SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AND CLIMATE CHANGE: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS (2014-2024)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17770/etr2025vol1.8699Keywords:
climate action, environmental impacts, tourism developmentAbstract
This article conducts a bibliometric analysis of research on sustainable tourism (ST) and its environmental and climate impacts from 2014 to 2024, using data from the Scopus database. The study explores trends, key contributors, and the relationship between sustainable tourism and environmental challenges. Two main themes are examined: 1) the environmental and climate impacts on sustainable tourism, which dominates due to the sector's vulnerability to climate change, and 2) the impacts of sustainable tourism on the environment, a growing area aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement.
The analysis identified 244 publications, with research output surging since 2018, reflecting the urgency of climate change. Studies on climate change impacts dominate, focusing on adaptation strategies, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion. Research on sustainable tourism's environmental impacts, though less prominent, has grown, emphasizing waste reduction, energy efficiency, and greenhouse gas mitigation. China leads with 36 publications, followed by the UK, Italy, and Malaysia. The UK and Sweden produce highly impactful research, while the US leads in volume but with lower impact per paper. Raihan, A. leads with four articles, followed by several authors with two each. Common themes include responsible tourism, ecosystem protection, and the need for effective policies.
Citations have risen sharply, with 1,332 citations for 38 papers in 2024, indicating growing influence. The UK and Sweden have the highest citation-to-document ratios. "Climate change" and "tourism" are the most frequent keywords, showing strong interconnections. Sustainable development and environmental impact are also significant but less represented, indicating gaps in broader sustainability research. Sustainable tourism practices are essential to mitigate climate change and environmental degradation. Policymakers and industry stakeholders should prioritize sustainable practices and adaptation strategies. Increased international collaboration, interdisciplinary research, and funding are needed to address research gaps. Future research should focus on local climate impacts, social sustainability, and integrating sustainable development goals into tourism practices. Overall, the study highlights the critical role of sustainable tourism in addressing global environmental challenges and calls for integrated approaches to ensure the sector's resilience and sustainability.
References
United Nations, “Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” 2015. [Online]. Available: https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda [Accessed Feb. 5, 2025].
United Nations Framework “Convention on Climate Change” Paris Agreement, 2015. [Online]. Available: https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement [Accessed Jan. 22, 2025].
S. Gössling and M. Balas, M. Mayer and Y.-Y. Sun, “A review of tourism and climate change mitigation: The scales, scopes, stakeholders and strategies of carbon management,” Tourism Management, vol.95, p.104681, April, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2022.104681 Accessed December 28, 2024].
S. Gössling and D. Lund-Durlacher, “Tourist accommodation, climate change and mitigation: An assessment for Austria,” Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, vol.34, p. 100367, June 2021. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jort.2021.100367 [Accessed January 28, 2025].
Climate Change 2022 - Mitigation of Climate Change. Edited by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Jul. 21, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009157926 [Accessed January 24, 2025].
G. A. Muñoz-Fernández, V. F. Guzmán-Parra and J. L. Sánchez-Ollero, “Bibliometric analysis of sustainable tourism research. Sustainability,” vol. 11, no. 24, p. 6967, December 2019. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.3390/su11246967 [Accessed December 28, 2024].
C. M. Hall and S. Gössling and D. Scott, “The Routledge handbook of tourism and sustainability. London: Routledge, 2017.
L. Ruhanen, B. Weiler, B. D. Moyle and C. L. McLennan, “Trends and patterns in sustainable tourism research: A 25-year bibliometric analysis,” Journal of Sustainable Tourism, vol. 23, no. 4, pp. 517-535, February 2015. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2014.978790 [Accessed January 5, 2025].
T.Mihalic, S.Mohamadi, A. Abbasi and L.D. David, “Mapping a Sustainable and Responsible Tourism Paradigm: A Bibliometric and Citation Network Analysis,” Sustainability, vol. 13, no.2, p. 1–22, January 2021. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.3390/su13020853 [Accessed January 5, 2025].
R. M. Esparza-Huamanchumo, I. Botezan, R. Sanchez-Jimenez and K.O. Villalba-Condori, “Ecotourism, sustainable tourism and nature based tourism: an analysis of emerging fields in tourism scientific literature,” Geojournal of Tourism and Geosites, vol. 54, no. 2, pp. 953–966, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.30892/gtg.542spl19-1270 [Accessed January 5, 2025].
E. Garfield, “The history and meaning of the journal impact factor”, JAMA Network, vol.295, no.1, pp. 90–93, January 2006. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.295.1.90 [Accessed January 5, 2025].
J. M. Merigó and J.B. Yang, “Accounting research: A bibliometric analysis,” Aust. Account. Rev., vol. 27, pp.71–100, December 2016. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1111/auar.12109 [Accessed January 15, 2025].
Elsevier, “What content is indexed in Scopus?” [Online]. Available: https://service.elsevier. com/app/answers/detail/a_id/11274/supporthub/scopus/related/1/〉 (Accessed: 10 February 2025).
N. J. Van Eck and L. Waltman, ‘Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping,” Scientometrics, vol.84, pp.523–538, December 2010. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-009-0146-3 [Accessed January 15, 2025].
T. Grizane, Sustainability of tourism and the environment. In: Environment. Technology. Resources. Proceedings of the 14th International Scientific and Practical Conference, June 15–16, 2023, Rezekne, Latvia, Vol.1, pp.70–121. [Online]. Available https://doi.org/10.17770/etr2023vol1.7302244 [Accessed Jan. 10, 2025].
D. Scott and S. Gössling and C. M. Hall, Tourism and climate change: Impacts, adaptation and mitigation. London: Routledge, 2012.
C. M. Hall, “Constructing sustainable tourism development: The 2030 agenda and the managerial ecology of sustainable tourism,” Journal of Sustainable Tourism, vol.27, no.7, pp.1044–1060, July 2019. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2018.1560456 [Accessed January 15, 2025].
S. Gössling and P. Peeters, “Assessing tourism's global environmental impact 1900–2050, ”Journal of Sustainable Tourism,“ vol.23, no.5, pp. 639–659, May 2015 [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2015.1008500 [Accessed January 20, 2025].
B. Bramwell and B. Lane, Tourism governance: Critical perspectives on governance and sustainability. London: Routledge, 2013
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Tamara Grizane
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
