Meta-Analysis of Tourism Sustainability Research: 2019–2021

Abstract

Sustainability in tourism, hospitality, and leisure is a long-standing topic of growing interest. Research in the field of tourism has accelerated over the past decade. The goal of this meta-analysis is to categorize recent research in tourism sustainability to identify patterns and trends, which could help us understand where the field is currently conducting research and where more work may be needed. Over 800 relevant articles published in major tourism journals during a three-year period (2019–2021) were included in the analysis; however, despite the increase in volume of published tourism sustainability research, this quantity was less than 4% of all publications in the same journals. Four over-arching pillars of sustainability research themes emerged (social, economic, ecological, and institutional) with numerous sub-categories within each. The majority of tourism sustainability research occurred in the social and economic arenas. Much more research is needed in the other three categories. The greater part of the recent advances in tourism sustainability appears to be driven by small- and medium-sized tourism firms. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism sustainability is only beginning to be understood. Tourism business leaders have an opportunity to strengthen and integrate their use of sustainability as they work to rebuild consumer trust in travel services.

1. Introduction

Sustainability is a topic that has been increasingly considered and studied by most disciplines in academic research. The field of tourism is no exception. Sustainability has been and continues to be explored in a variety of tourism contexts. The term sustainability has various meanings to different governments, companies, locations, and people [1] and has been used in many different ways in tourism research.

To understand the extent of sustainability research in the field of tourism, the recent tourism literature was reviewed to identify and classify the trends in investigations. While concerns of the global pandemic have significantly affected tourism, these concerns have not lessened the important research related to social, institutional, economic, or environmental sustainability in the field of hospitality and tourism. The central questions for this research effort were designed to address which of the many aspects of sustainability research have received recent attention in the hospitality and tourism literature. What follows next is a concise overview of what sustainable tourism is and a discussion on each of the four pillars of sustainability, including ecological (including environmental), economic (including financial), social (including cultural and human), and institutional (including governance) along with their associated research trends.

1.1. Conceptual Background

1.1.1. Sustainability

Sustainability discussions in some form have been in existence for over 100 years. According to Du Pisani [2], sustainability can be traced back in history to a time of growing consumption of and the related, ultimate shortage of wood in the 18th century, which then stimulated thinking on the sustainability of natural resources. The contemporary history of sustainability has its roots in the early 1900s but began to gain some momentum in the 1970s, with even more widespread acknowledgement in the 1980s.

The seminal definition of sustainability, and one of the most commonly referenced, comes from the United Nations 1987 UN Brundtland Commission, where sustainability was defined as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” [3]. In the years following the Brundtland Commission’s reports, multiple alternative and modified definitions were developed. According to Johnston, Evarard, Santillo, and Robert [4], several hundred definitions now exist. As the field of sustainability has matured, there have been advancements made, and many subsets have emerged including social sustainability, environmental sustainability, and economic sustainability [5]. Continued work in the field has resulted the identification of a fourth pillar, institutional sustainability and a fine tuning of the original three pillars [6].

Spindler [7] argued that “rarely has a concept gained status as rapidly or with such profound implications as the term sustainability” (p. 9). Spindler [7] further suggested that the term is often used as a “…metaphor for describing current issues” (p. 9). Building on earlier attempts to define sustainability, in 2015 the historic “Paris Agreement” was adopted, which brought attention to sustainability and climate change along with 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs). This agreement signaled the international community’s commitment to sustainability and development [8].

More recently, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) [9] added to the collective discussions of sustainability by suggesting that “Sustainability is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. To pursue sustainability is to create and maintain the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony to support present and future generations.” Cardonna [10] claimed that since the year 2000, well over “5000 published books” have included some version of the word sustainable (p. 7). The expansion of investigation has resulted in an escalation in the consciousness regarding the issues related to sustainability.

Tourism has been often acknowledged as the impetus for creating employment opportunities, driving community growth, and educating a diverse population of tourists [1]. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, travel and tourism contributed over 10% to the global GDP. While that number has been significantly lowered by the global COVID-19 pandemic, “travel & tourism continues to outpace that of the global economy…” [11] and is expected to rebound and grow.

The positive impact of travel and tourism with regard to economic development has simultaneously created some negative impacts on sustainability. Efforts are underway to compensate for this. More companies, communities, and governmental agencies are seeking ways to benefit from tourism while minimizing the negatives. Tourism research has “…long sought answers to what is and how to achieve sustainable tourism” [12].

Sustainability issues and the academic inquiry regarding sustainability can be found in many different disciplines in both the arts and sciences—tourism is no exception. Discussions and debates related to sustainable tourism have “…grown in importance over past decades” [13]. Orgaz-Aguera et al. [13] further suggested that limited resources, finite natural resources, the impact of tourism activity on the local communities, and the impact on the environment have contributed to this growing debate.

Along with the growing debate on sustainable tourism within companies, communities, and governments, the number of scholarly fields exploring sustainability have also grown and expanded since 2000 [10]. The worldwide growth of tourism, especially in regions reliant on natural phenomenon (e.g., beaches, ski resorts, etc.), has brought sustainable tourism to the center stage in academic inquiry. According to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) [14], “Sustainability principles refer to the environmental, economic, and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development, and a suitable balance must be established between these three dimensions to guarantee its long-term sustainability” (para 4). Prior to advancing a sustainable tourism agenda, understanding the broader issues is of paramount importance.

Sustainability’s definitions have been influenced by many different stakeholder groups and their respective needs. For example, the perspective of sustainability in the economic landscape, where issues may be more focused on a marketplace-specific issue. often differ from academic literature where the discussions are more multifaceted and complex. According to Hatipoglu, et al. [1], operationalizing and measuring sustainability is also difficult and often specific to a location, community, region, or any other variable where considerations of sustainable tourism may play a role.

1.1.2. Sustainability under Each of the Four Pillars of Sustainability

While each of the four pillars are linked to one another, and often integrated, considering each as unique in terms of definition helps to clarify each of their respective foci. For the purposes of this study, the review of literature was initially organized under the four pillars of (a) social (including cultural and human), (b) institutional (including governance), (c) ecological (including environmental), and (d) economical (including financial).

Previous research shows that the social pillar includes cultural and human elements. Social sustainability is “concerned with the human side of sustainability, including human rights (e.g., child labour and freedom of association), health and safety (e.g., safe working conditions and training), and community (e.g., charitable, philanthropic initiatives)” [15]. Of the four pillars, work on the social pillar is the newest and most recently added to the literature. The social pillar’s interest is widening as an understanding of the risks and vulnerability of humans and communities in the face of growing environmental issues and concerns related to culture, human rights, wellbeing, natural disasters, etc. has come to the forefront [16].

Over the past several decades, various attempts have been made by scholars to define institutional sustainability, but there is still little consensus [17]. The institutional pillar also contains elements of governance; often, this pillar is referred to as political-institutional. This pillar includes “institutional orientations (norms) and institutional mechanisms (formal systems of rules and procedures, whether administrative, social, political or legal” [6].

According to Kayaga, et al. [17], one definition of institutional sustainability is “…a process of internalizing normative and regulative structures and mechanisms that serve to reinforce system dynamics to produce and maintain desired outcomes that satisfy collective goals” (p. 16). As populations grow along with the increases in tourism engagement, more widespread oversight is being called for, and more institutions are focusing on their role in sustainable tourism. According to Biermann et al. [18], “Innovative research is needed also to analyse political options to govern sustainable development—taking into account not only political effectiveness and efficiency but also global and national justice and equity and the need to bridge levels of analysis and disciplinary assumptions, methods and foci” (p. 279).

Next, the environmental pillar has been studied with some frequency partly due to the many ecological issues facing various communities throughout the world [19]. With roots reaching back to the early 1900s, it became a major part of the sustainability conversation in the 1970s and 1980s [8]. Ecotourism has played a central role in promoting the sustainable development of tourism. Environmental sustainability has intensified in tourism in recent years due to greater globalization, technological advances, and a greater focus on conservation and environmental conditions [20].

Finally, the last pillar is the economic pillar, which also includes financial elements. Sustainability has often been connected to economic activities [7]. The challenges with this pillar are grounded in the insufficient agreement of what constitutes economic sustainability. The UNWTO [21] stated that “economic sustainability addresses long-term viability of economic operations, fairness and equity of benefits distribution, employment and income-earning opportunities, and poverty alleviation.” The UNEP and UNWTO’s [21] definition included “concerns with economic prosperity at different levels of society, cost effectiveness and economic efficiency, and vitality of tourism enterprises.” Further, Pitelis [22] contended that there is a lack of clarity on the measurements used to define economic sustainability. Sustainable tourism and the economic pillar have played a pivotal role in tourism.

Sustainable tourism has been and will continue to play a major role on the world stage. The research on sustainability and tourism can provide perspective on trends related to topics being investigated in each of the four pillars, how topics have changed in recent times, and areas of opportunity for future exploration.

2. Materials and Methods

A meta-analysis of tourism literature was conducted for articles published in English between 2019 and 2021. When conducting a meta-analysis, a variety of approaches to journal selection for article review can be taken. According to Akcayir and Akcayir [23], examples include selecting a defined set of articles from important journals within the field or selecting all articles published within the leading journals of the field [24].

The SCImago journal ranking system is publicly available information that includes the journal’s title and scientific indicators about that system developed from the information contained in the Scopus database. These indicators can be used to assess and analyze scientific domains, such as tourism. The academic community recognizes the SCImago journal rankings because of its ability to provide comprehensive coverage of available resources. The top 100 SCImago-ranked tourism, leisure, and hospitality management journals were initially considered for this study [25]. Three researchers independently reviewed these 100 journals in this category for consideration and inclusion in this study. The journals were selected by cross-referencing each journal’s focus and scope with their respective relevance to this study’s research objective of reviewing current sustainability research in the tourism industry. The three lists were compared, and any differences were discussed and reconciled until consensus was achieved about which journals to include in this study.

A total of 38 of the top 100 ranked hospitality and tourism journals were eventually identified and included in this study (see

Table 1. Journal and number of articles breakdown.

Journal (n = 39)	Total Published: 2019–2021	Articles Using “Sustainability” Keyword	Articles Using All Keywords	Articles Used in this Study (n = 881)
1. International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research	92	19	18	4
2. Tourism Analysis	151	9	9	3
3. Tourism Review International	59	7	7	2
4. Tourist Studies	94	21	21	4
5. Journal of Tourism Futures	137	34	27	4
6. International Journal of Tourism Cities	106	16	16	2
7. Journal of Sport and Tourism	28	10	6	0
8. European Journal of Tourism Research	153	5	4	1
9. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes	217	77	54	14
10. Journal of China Tourism Research	54	10	7	0
11. International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage	135	4	4	1
12. Tourism in Marine Environments	59	8	8	2
13. Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing	196	54	11	5
14. Journal of Sustainable Tourism	552	307	307	288
15. Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism	102	27	25	8
16. Tourism Planning and Development	180	38	38	13
17. Journal of Ecotourism	109	29	17	4
18. Tourism Recreation Research	277	38	36	7
19. Journal of Travel Research	295	249	46	19
20. Journal of Environmental Management and Tourism	282	81	36	9
21. Annals of Tourism Research	243	148	11	7
22. Current Issues in Tourism	661	31	25	16
23. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research	162	17	15	6
24. International Journal of Tourism Research	224	20	8	8
25. Tourism Review	177	91	91	9
26. Tourism and Hospitality Research	98	7	7	6
27. Journal of Vacation Marketing	85	21	21	6
28. Tourism Economics	191	18	18	11
29. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management	333	43	31	14
30. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research	263	9	7	1
31. International Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Administration	67	0	0	0
32. Tourism Management Perspectives	368	50	44	8
33. Tourism Geographies	113	23	22	5
34. Tourism and Hospitality Management	83	19	14	3
35. Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research	52	1	1	1
36. Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events	71	2	2	1
37. International Journal of Tourism Policy	52	3	3	3
38. Tourism Management	497	60	50	12
39. Sustainability	29,504	7640	425	374
Total	36,522	9246	1492	881

). Of note, over 50% of the journals selected for this meta-analysis were ranked higher than 40 on the 100 SCImago ranked journals in this category [25]. One additional non-tourism specific journal, Sustainability, was included due to its distinct relevance to the research objectives and its frequent reference within tourism sustainability research articles in predominantly tourism industry journals. When reviewing the journals used by many of the tourism sustainability authors, the journal Sustainability was frequently cited. While a scattered few other non-tourism journals were occasionally cited, the pattern of citing Sustainability was evident. Thus, it was included in this study.

Five primary criteria were used to determine the articles to be included in this meta-analysis. They were: (1) peer-reviewed only, (2) published in English, (3) published during the years 2019, 2020, and 2021, (4) the tourism industry was the research setting, and (5) articles were identified using the keywords “sustainability” and “tourism”. An initial screening was conducted to establish the broad parameters for the meta-analysis.

During the three-year period identified for this study, the 39 journals collectively published a total of 36,522 articles on various topics related to the hospitality and tourism industry (see Table 1). Following the search criteria, the number of articles identified using the key word “sustainability” yielded 9246 articles, or 25.3% of the articles published in these 39 journals over the three-year period (see Figure 1). Advancing the search criteria by adding “tourism” to “sustainability”, the number of articles found was 1492, or 4.1% of the total articles published during the three-year period in the targeted journals for this study (see Figure 1). Next, each of the 1492 article abstracts were reviewed independently by multiple researchers using a developed protocol for inclusion. The protocol included the following: (1) article must pertain to the tourism industry, and (2) sustainability must be the focus of the article. Two rounds of independent review for inclusion were conducted with a subset of the potential articles, with an initial interrater reliability of 82%. After a discussion and further review, the round two interrater reliability was 91%. A total of 881 articles were identified for inclusion in this study’s protocol.

Finally, a meta-analysis was conducted to summarize the 881 articles regarding year published, the geography of data collection, research approach utilized, and main topic of the article. To complete the meta-analysis, three researchers manually reviewed each article’s content and categorization to ensure accuracy, depending on the context (year, geography, research approach, or main topic). Using the printed date of publication, the year published was sorted into three categories: 2019, 2020, or 2021. Lists were compared and any differences were discussed and reconciled so that consensus was achieved.

Each article’s research geography was sorted into six overall regions and included (1) North America, (2) South America, (3) Europe, (4) Asia, (5) Africa and Australia/New Zealand, and (6) Other. The research approach used in each article was classified into four categories: (1) qualitative, (2) quantitative, (3) mixed methods, and (4) conceptual/review. Finally, each article was analyzed for the main research topic. The four overarching pillars of sustainability (Burford, et al., 2013) from the previously developed sustainability definition were used as an initial taxonomy process. The pillars included social, institutional, ecological, and economic. An “Other” pillar was also used for topics that did not fit clearly into one of the four overarching pillars. Researchers independently then examined the articles within each overarching pillar and sub-categorized them to further the understanding and definition of each major pillar. Any differences in researcher categorization were carefully discussed and reconciled.

3. Results

This study conducted a meta-analysis of 881 articles pertaining to sustainability in the tourism industry. Articles for this study were published in 2019–2021. The number of sustainability and tourism articles that were published in these journals noticeably increased in each subsequent year (193 articles in 2019, 325 in 2020, and 363 in 2021). Listed in

Table 2. Articles’ (n = 881) characteristics.

Characteristics	n (%)
Year
2019	193 (21.9)
2020	325 (36.9)
2021	363 (41.2)
Geographic Region Published
North America	57 (6.5)
South America	32 (3.6)
Europe	406 (46.1)
Asia	201 (22.8)
Africa/Australia	119 (13.5)
Other	66 (7.5)
Research Approach
Qualitative	323 (36.7)
Quantitative	368 (41.8)
Mixed Methods	141 (16)
Review	49 (5.6)

is a summary of each article’s main characteristics.

3.1. Geographic Location of Articles

Articles were further analyzed by geographic location of the article’s place of inquiry (see Table 2). A total of six overall regions were identified with each region having numerous countries within. The six broad regions included (1) North America, (2) South America, (3) Europe, (4) Asia, (5) Africa and Australia/New Zealand, and (6) Other. Articles without a specific country/regional focus or global-scale analyses were placed in the “Other” category.” The articles in the “Other” category were evaluated for geographic affiliation, and no concentration or pattern was found. The majority of research was conducted in the European region (n = 406), followed by Asia (n = 201) and Africa/Australia (n = 119).

3.2. Research Approach of Articles

Each article was then examined to identify the research approach utilized. Four main categories were used to categorize the articles method of inquiry, including qualitative data (which included case studies, interviews, and observations), quantitative data, mixed methods (a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches), and conceptual/review articles (papers without empirical components). Of the 881 articles analyzed, there were 323 qualitative studies (36.7%), 368 quantitative (41.8%), 141 mixed methods (16.0%), and 49 conceptual/review (5.6%).

3.3. Main Topic of Articles

Each of the studies analyzed investigated sustainability on a variety of topics within the tourism industry. The four overarching pillars included social; institutional; economic; and ecological. An “Other” category was also used for topics that did not fit well into one of the four overarching pillars. Within the overarching pillars, numerous sub-categories emerged to further provide context of the overarching pillars. Within the Social pillar, 300 articles were identified. Within this pillar, 10 distinct categories emerged, including Collaboration and Social Impact; Community-Based Operations; Corporate Social Strategies; Cultural, Religion and Political; Food, Events and Festivals; Gender and Demographics; Residents’ Perspective; Small Entrepreneurs; Social Responsibility, Equity and Justice; and Tourist’s Knowledge, Education, and Behaviors.

Within the institutional pillar, 107 articles were identified, creating four distinct categories, including Certifications and Regulations; Heritage Sites and National Parks; Organizational Goals and Practices; and Policy and Governance. Within the Economic pillar, 277 articles were identified, creating six distinct categories, including Competition and Job Market; COVID-19 Pandemic; Development Strategies and Supply Chain; Operational Practices and Management; Rural Locations; and Technology and Innovation. Within the Ecological pillar, 181 articles were identified, creating six distinct categories, including Carbon Emission and Air Quality; Conservation and Development Strategies; Energy Consumption and Climate Change; Food Security; Over-tourism; and Transportation and Space. Finally, within the Other pillar, 16 articles were identified, creating one distinct category labelled as Measurement Development and Model Creation (see

Table 3. Articles’ main topic pillars and categories defined.

Pillar and Categories	# and % of Articles within Pillar	Definition
Social (n = 300)
Tourist’s knowledge, behaviors, and education	74 (24.7)	Assessment of Tourist’s knowledge of, behaviors toward, and education of sustainability
Food, events, and festivals	42 (14.0)	Sustainability practices of and their impact on tourism food, events, and festivals
Collaboration and social impact	35 (11.7)	Communications, co-creation, and the tools used to connect individual concerning sustainability and its impact
Residents’ perspective	35 (11.7)	Local residents’ perspective of tourism and sustainable practices
Community-based operations	32 (10.7)	Sustainability approaches taken by local residents to encourage tourism within their community
Cultural, religion, and political	21 (7.0)	Influence of culture, religion, and politics toward sustainability practices
Gender and demographic characteristics	19 (6.3)	Intersection of gender, age, and economic status influencing sustainable tourism
Small entrepreneurs	18 (6.0)	Perspectives of small operators and accommodations regarding sustainable tourism
Social responsibility, equity, and justice	16 (5.3)	The role equality, diversity, and fairness play in sustainable practices utilized in the tourism industry
Corporate social strategies	8 (2.7)	Social impact large tourism corporations make using sustainable approaches
Institutional (n = 107)
Heritage sites and national parks	52 (48.6)	Sustainability practices and their impacts on landmark areas (heritage sites and national parks)
Policy and governance	25 (23.4)	Local, national, and global governmental sustainability policies, and their outcomes
Organizational goals and practices	20 (18.7)	Regional organizational tactics on sustainability to encourage tourism
Certifications and regulations	10 (9.3)	Sustainability of tourism destinations and the impact of certifications and regulations
Economic (n = 277)
Development strategies and supply chain	109 (39.4)	Sustainability approaches and objectives affecting supply of deliverables and services in the tourism industry
Operational practices and management	92 (33.2)	Various sustainability tactics and their economic impact for operations
Technology and innovation	28 (10.1)	Impact of technology and innovative approaches on sustainability in tourism
COVID-19 Pandemic	24 (8.7)	Influence of COVID-19 pandemic on sustainable practices in tourism
Rural locations	13 (4.7)	Economic impacts that sustainable practices have on rural areas
Competition and job market	11 (4.0)	Occupation-based understanding of sustainability within tourism
Ecological (n = 181)
Energy consumption and climate change	60 (33.1)	Impact of various forms of energy consumption and sustainable practices effecting climate change
Conservation and development strategies	54 (29.8)	Environmental preservation utilizing sustainable strategies
Carbon emission and air quality	21 (11.6)	Impact of carbon emissions and air quality on tourism and sustainability
Overtourism	20 (11.0)	Overcrowding and impact of tourism on sustainability
Transportation and space	16 (8.8)	Various forms of transport and their influence within tourism
Food security	14 (7.7)	Sustainable approaches to investigate or ensure food security
Other (n = 16)
Measurement development and model creation	16 (100)	Various methods to develop models and instruments to measure sustainability within the tourism industry

).

4. Discussion

Within the three-year period investigated, 2019 had the least (21.9%) number of publications. The remaining two years trended upward in quantity, publishing more articles year by year. This could be an indicator that sustainability is starting to take root in the tourism industry and academia alike. However, the geographic regions represented in the article data analysis found limited publications of studies coming from North and South America. European countries had the highest number of articles published, which could speak to their robust interest of sustainability within the tourism industry.

Research methods were fairly equally distributed between qualitative (36.7%) and quantitative (41.8%), followed by mixed methods and conceptual articles at 16% and 5.6%, respectively. Qualitative methods such as interviews, observations, and focus groups were used to explore more nuanced approaches, behaviors, attitudes, and case studies within the context of tourism sustainability. Quantitative methods, including surveys, observations, and secondary data (e.g., marketing reports), were used to examine topics such as the willingness to pay, operational practices, and strategic planning of sustainability.

Of the 881 articles reviewed and organized into the four main pillars, the majority fell into the social category (n = 300), followed by economic (n = 277) and ecological (n = 181), with institutional having the least (n = 107). Generally, this reflects the perceived importance of the social and economic aspects of tourism sustainability. The following sections provide a more detailed examination of the contents of each major pillar.

4.1. Social

Within the Social pillar, ten categories emerged around various topics. The dominating category within this pillar pertained to the assessment of tourists’ knowledge, behaviors toward, and education of sustainability concepts. Kantenbacher, Hanna, Miller, Scarles, and Yang [26] explored tourists’ air travel behavior dependent on various sustainable practices. Meanwhile, another article investigated tourists’ expectations of and attitudes towards whether the destination meets tourists’ demand for sustainable practices [27]. Yet another article found that perceived positive impacts of backpacking predict backpackers’ sustainable behavior; therefore, backpackers engage in sustainable behaviors to reaffirm such perceptions [28].

The Food, Events, and Festivals category explored sustainability practices and their impact within the tourism industry. Interest in events and festivals continues to be a trend in academic research, which also reflects their importance in the contemporary tourism industry. Various areas of the tourism industry are covered from restaurants [29], to festivals including multi-cultural [30] and themed [31]. Sustainable wine tourism [32], food tourism [33], as well as food and wine tourism [34] were recurring content from this category.

Collaboration and Social Impact discussed forms of communication, co-creation and the tools used to connect individuals concerning sustainability and its impact. The exploration of sustainable practices through the lens of their social impact [35] and collaborative capacities [36] for sustainability were identified. Social media and sustainable practices were targeted in several studies [37]. Case studies were a recurring approach to investigating social media’s prevalence in the promotion of sustainable tourism [38] and as destination marketing tool for sustainable operations [39].

The categories of Resident’s Perspective and Community-Based Operations both investigated sustainable practices from the lens of the local citizen. Resident’s Perspective aimed to understand the residents’ perceptive on tourism and sustainable practices. For example, Sanja, Dragan, Aleksandra, and Božović [40] conducted a case study investigating residents’ perceptions of, and satisfaction with, tourism’s sustainable development. Community-based operations studies explored approaches taken by residents to encourage tourism within their community. This was demonstrated by Han, Eom, Al-Ansi, Ryu, and Kim [41] in their examination of community-based tourism as a sustainable direction in destination development.

The category Culture, Religion, and Political explored the influence of culture, religion, and politics toward sustainability practices. Though the concepts of culture, religion and politics are distinct they often overlap as shown by Cortese, D’Ambrosio, and Petracca, [42] in which they investigated possible synergy between culture and religion for sustainability of tourism. Research regarding politics on sustainability in tourism has shown to be an underpinning for various constructs [43]. Another example in this category sought to determine how to identify opportunities for sustainable tourism development based on cultural heritage, finding locality a key factor as it related to culture [44].

Within the category of Gender and Demographic Characteristics, articles examined the intersection of gender, age, and economic status influencing sustainable tourism. For example, Sanggyeong Je, Khoo, and Chiao Ling Yang [45] investigated gender issues in tourism organizations with sustainability as an underlying concept. Similarly, in this category, Small investigated gender norms within the tourism industry [46]. Another article investigated gender identity within the field of tourism [47].

Small Entrepreneurship looked at the perspectives of small operators and accommodations regarding sustainable tourism. Research was conducted through quantitative [48,49] as well as qualitative [50,51] approaches, including several case studies [52]. Furthermore, Kummitha, Kolloju, Jancsik, and Szalók [53] argued that tourism social entrepreneurs play an important role in the adoption of sustainable strategies to achieve social, environmental, and community development.

The next category, Social Responsibility, Equity, and Justice, considered the role equality, diversity, and fairness play in sustainable practices utilized in the tourism industry. One article examined eco-guilt and eco-shame in tourism consumption contexts to understand the triggers and responses [54]. Several articles [55,56] examined equity for indigenous peoples within the tourism industry while another article examined justice and human rights of tour guides and the transitional promotion [57].

The final category pertained to Corporate Social Strategy, which is similar to the small entrepreneurship category, looked at sustainable practices social impact, but pertained to large tourism corporations. Research was conducted generally on corporate sustainability practices in tourism, finding social services, economic prosperity, nature conservation and eco-efficiency the main corporate sustainability practices [58]. Several studies examined Airbnb’s corporate strategies on sustainability examining various aspects [59,60].

This pillar revolved around the social aspects of tourism with an underpinning of sustainability. General elements of sustainability, either through practices or theoretical, were present within the various studies. Firms that are considering incorporating sustainable practices into their tourism operation should examine the approaches taken by articles exploring tourists’ and residents’ sustainability knowledge and behaviors. General best practices identified throughout these studies showed a need for tourism destination residents (locals) to have an understanding and “buy-in” to the sustainable practices. Furthermore, previous research showed the need to include all types of stakeholders in the communication of and co-creation of these sustainable practices, from tangibles such as food and beverage to intangibles, such as demographic characteristics and cultural identity. Finally, sustainable practices that increased social responsibility and equity among stakeholders were shown to be best practices.

4.2. Institutional

The first category within the institutional pillar, Heritage Sites and National Parks, explored sustainability practices and their impacts on landmark areas. Research examined the role of smart tourism technology in heritage tourism [61] while another article examined hotel sustainable practices within heritage areas [62]. Yttredal and Homlong [63] explored perceptions of sustainable development in a local world heritage site.

The second category, Policies and Governance, pertained to local, national, and global governmental sustainability policies and their outcomes. Various levels of sustainable practices and governance were examined including, local [64], national [65], continental [66], and global [67]. Yet another article examined policy and governance from experts in the tourism industry [68].

The next category, Organizational Goals and Practices, examined regional organizational tactics on sustainability to encourage tourism. Research in this category covered human resource practices pertaining to sustainability [69]. Other articles examined factors that foster organizational sustainability in tourism industry operations [70]. Similarly, Fang, Nguyen, and Armstrong [71] utilized a case study approach to understand collective leadership capacity in organizations with sustainable focused practices.

The final category, Certification and Regulations, investigated sustainability of tourism destinations and the impact of certifications and regulations. A study by Costa, Rodrigues, and Gomes [72] examined the importance of certifications within sustainability and tourism, finding that environmental certification has proven to be an important policy instrument, helping consumers to choose products and services that are less harmful to the environment and more authentic. Additionally, research has tested the ethical behaviors of organizations in interaction with public officials and through the strength of accountability regulations, influencing sustainability reporting practices in the tourism industry [73].

Best practices within the institutional pillar were targeted toward ensuring the longevity of heritage sites and national parks, as well as policies, regulations, and certifications that facilitated proper sustainable approaches. Various studies showed this was accomplished through local, national, and global initiatives that tracked the policies as well as their outcomes. Specifically, regional sustainable tactics were shown to be the most effective in encouraging sustainable practices in the tourism industry.

4.3. Ecological

The first and most prevalent category in the ecological pillar centered on the impact of various forms of energy consumption and sustainable practices affecting climate change. Numerous articles examined the effects of sustainable tourism practices [12] and climate change directly [74]. Similarly, research investigated the climate-related risk of forest fires for Mediterranean islands’ tourism economy [75]. Furthermore, Scott [76] considered sustainable tourism and the grand challenge of climate change.

The Conservation and Development Strategies category examined environmental preservation utilizing sustainable strategies. Within this category, several studies examined the effects of ecotourism and sustainability [77]. Similarly, Sangpikul [78] examined tourist perceptions of guided ecotourism tours. Another study examined when and how perceived sustainability-related climate influences and pro-environmental behaviors of tourism destination residents interacted [79].

The next category, Carbon Emissions and Air Quality covered the impact of carbon emissions and air quality on tourism and sustainability. Multiple articles focused on air pollution [80] and its effect on the environment [81] as well as sustainable approaches to mitigate its effects [82], while other articles targeted carbon emissions [83] related to tourism [84] and sustainable practices [85]. Other research encompassed carbon footprint in tourism [86].

The Over-Tourism category was defined as overcrowding and the impact of tourism on sustainability. Research examined over-tourism within cities [87] and at a national level [88]. In a different approach, Pasquinelli and Trunfio [89] conducted a narrative analysis of online news media to examine over-tourism in various cities. Additionally, research on over-tourism has argued for the redefinition of tourism in order to place the rights of local communities above the rights of tourists [29].

The next category, Transportation and Space, examined various forms of transport and their influence within tourism and sustainability. Sustainable practices pertaining to car rentals [90], bus tours [91], and general transportation [92] were all surveyed in this category. Additionally, research has analyzed how travel bubbles contribute towards the sustainability and reconstruction of the tourism industry [93]. Dimensions of sustainable tourism into space were also investigated [94].

The final category explores sustainable approaches to investigate or ensure Food Security. Research by Burke [95] examined the impact of food security and the global pandemic. Similarly, Lamia, Ghidouche ait-yahia, and Ghidouche [96] examined the possibility of achieving sustainable development goals, including food security, through agritourism. Finally, research has explored promoting sustainable tourism futures by creating synergies between food, place, and people [97].

Within the ecological pillar, best practices were focused on improving energy consumption throughout the tourism industry, from water usage to food waste and carbon emissions. Ensuring that over-tourism was not affecting the local ecology was also an important aim of many studies. Innovative transportation approaches such as energy-efficient trains and water vehicles were explored to encourage sustainable practices through the environmental lens. Finally, food security concerns such as food waste and farming practices were studied to provide guidance on sustainable approaches to improve current practices.

4.4. Economic

Within the economic pillar, the most-recurring category was Development Strategies and Supply Chain, which was defined as sustainability approaches and objectives affecting supply of deliverables and services in the tourism industry. In this category research investigated development strategies of sustainable practices through various lenses. Including feasibility [98], potential image [99], product development [100], and new frameworks [101]. Supply chain issues [102] and potential new approaches [103] were also targeted.

The second category, Operational Practices and Management, encompassed various sustainability tactics and their economic impact for operations. Within this category, hotels’ sustainable practices [104] were cited several times [105]. Similarly, destination management [106] and destination image [107] was a frequently cited topic of enquiry. Cruise tourism was covered as well [108].

The next category, Technology and Innovation, pertained to the impact of technology and innovative approaches on sustainability. Technology was covered in a wide variety of applications, from robotics [109] to technology’s influence [110], to “smart tourism tools” [111]. Innovation drivers were investigated [112] as well.

The influence of COVID-19 pandemic on sustainable practices was the next category of note in this pillar, entitled COVID-19 Pandemic. Articles investigated the pandemic in varying ways; some articles examined the current state of the industry [113], while others looked at the pandemic’s impact [114]. Still others explored what post-COVID-19 pandemic tourism and sustainable practices might look like [115].

Another category in this pillar, Rural Locations, overviewed the economic impacts sustainable practices have on rural locations. Content covered the length of stay and sustainability [116], as well as challenges for regional sustainability [117]. The category of public initiatives was another area of enquiry within the rural category [118]. Website development was also examined [119].

The final category focused on Occupation-Based Understanding of sustainability within tourism. While having the fewest articles in its category, competition and job market articles covered distance barriers to sustainability [120], revenue-sharing models [121], and destination competition [122].

Lastly, the Other category consisted of articles creating new measurement instruments and developing models to further explain sustainability in the tourism industry. To examine sustainable tourist behavior, the development of a second-order scale based on three destinations was completed [123], while others developed a measurement tool for sustainable tourism attitudes [124].

In the economic pillar, sustainable best practices were identified around supply chain issues such as ensuring appropriate practices for deliverables in the tourism industry. Best practices were also identified through the use of technology and innovation to provide a sustainable future for small and large economies, with a large number of studies researching rural locations. Finally, the global pandemic also played a large role in current studies of sustainability within the tourism industry, specifically on the topic of ensuring safety. The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on sustainable tourism best practices was also a research focus.

5. Conclusions, Implications, and Future Research

The aim of this meta-analysis was to identify and analyze articles concerning sustainably within the tourism industry during the three years of 2019–2021. Overall, only 3.8% of articles published during this time in the selected journals were associated with sustainability, showing a potential need for further emphasis on this topic. The research approaches adopted were fairly equally distributed between qualitative and quantitative. Within the four pillars of sustainability, the most cited correlated to the social and economic categories.

In 2020, some of sustainable tourism’s focus shifted to the COVID-19 pandemic. A question by Persson-Fischer and Liu [12] posed during the difficulty of the pandemic is, “Given the impact of the pandemic on economic losses in countries…what specifically do tourism scholars write about the pandemic and its consequences for tourism? (p. 1). While the loss of tourism has impacted many region’s economies, the pandemic has also imposed health and psychological risks that have affected tourism. Sustainable tourism will need to consider these issues, and researchers will need to contribute of the recovery through knowledge exchange and assessment.

As sustainability in the tourism industry continues to recover and grow from a buzz word to a necessity, organizations must reevaluate their sustainable practices. This meta-analysis showed that small operations and entrepreneurs have been at the forefront of this effort and will need to continue to drive these strategies to remain relevant. There have been numerous factors for the emergence of sustainability, such as climate change, changing tourist attitudes and demands, as well as new policies and regulations from governing bodies. As the tourism industry begins recovering, it is recommended that operators large and small must incorporate sustainable approaches and practices throughout their business to provide a competitive advantage as they rebuild consumer trust in their attention to health and safety.

This meta-analysis is not without limitations. This research included the most relevant tourism industry journals for its analysis; however, there may be more articles that pertain to sustainability in the tourism industry that were absent. Additionally, to ensure that the most relevant topics and content were included, only the last three years (2019–2021) were incorporated. To further understand trends in sustainability research over time, further examination of current research juxtaposed to the earlier research could be conducted.

Though COVID-19 pandemic research appeared in the 2020 and 2021 publications, future research should investigate its impact on sustainability in the tourism industry as the pandemic ends. Climate change, natural and man-made disasters, environmental issues, and a host of other issues related to sustainability cannot be ignored. Practices that have been adapted to deal with the pandemic could have an unknown impact on sustainability. Finally, as emerging new technologies continue to become more prevalent and incorporated into all aspects of daily life, investigation into how technology is affecting sustainability within the tourism industry is warranted.