Developing Sustainable Tourism Destinations in Times of Transition: Economic and Social Resilience in Destination Communities and the New Role of DDMMOs—Editorial Note

This article belongs to the Special Issue “Developing Sustainable Tourism Destinations in Times of Transition: Economic and Social Resilience in Destination Communities and the New Role of DDMMOs”.

This Special Issue is based on the premise that tourism sustainability and destination strategy (or the lack of it) are prerequisites for all other efforts towards the sustainable development of a location. In tourist destinations, encompassing regions, cities, and islands, the visitor economy interacts with locals’ daily life, as both visitors and locals consume, deplete, and generate most of the economic and social impacts on these places. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism sector has bounced back; however, discussions on green transitions, climate change, the “invisible burden” of tourism on communities, etc., are leading to changes regarding tourism strategy goals. Destination Development Management and Marketing Organizations (DDMMOs) play a key role in adjusting these strategy goals and procedures, a fact that is also highlighted within the six articles in this Special Issue.

First, the ways in which discussions about sustainable tourism are linked to the well-being of visitors and how these can be integrated into state policies and promotional campaigns are of major importance. In their paper, Huang, Fang, Dukhaykh, Bayram, and Bayram investigated a case study on tourist participation, well-being, eco-friendly engagement, and digital infrastructure, to better understand how these elements affect tourism development in Jilin Province in China. Their emphasis on the development of digital infrastructure and environmental participation led to both a theoretical discussion and some key policy recommendations for the local government. The authors particularly highlighted the ways in which the tourism paradigm has changed in recent years, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The conscious tourist and the ways in which tourism behavior is affected by new trends that focus on sustainability was discussed by Eksili, Koksal, Caylak, Mir, and Soomro in the second article. Using an extended questionnaire, the authors linked eco-consciousness with a willingness to visit destinations with a focus on sustainability. The effects of gender and age on this willingness led to very interesting observations and discussion. Within their discussion section, the authors connected the green transitions that destinations are undergoing with the willingness of tourists to adjust to and pay for services that are in line with these trends, which have also been discussed in similar research outputs in recent years.

The stakeholder/management perspective is a crucial one and needs to be assessed when discussing future tourism strategies for DDMMOs. In their article, the Guest Editors of this Special Issue, Vlassi, Papatheodorou, and Karachalis, focused on the evaluation process of the campaign “This is Athens”, developed through an innovative initiative by the municipality of Athens, together with key stakeholders in the city, within the context of a strategic partnership. The importance of establishing an evaluation methodology to mitigate potential deficiencies in planned marketing initiatives was the key factor for the destination authorities and stakeholders. This article, in line with the other contributions to this Special Issue, highlights the importance of more effective monitoring and data-driven policy-making.

One of the most important aspects of this discussion is how the tourism industry is currently adjusting its established practices. In this vein, Papallou, Katafygiotou, and Dimopoulos presented the perspective of the hotel sector. Drawing on key evidence from Cyprus and other countries, they concluded that the role of tourism authorities is crucial in the evolution and adaptation of the tourism industry. Furthermore, the authors identified that the actual positive impacts of good practices (specifically, two leading hotels in Cyprus are given as having examples of good practices) need to be assessed before they can be used to influence government policies.

Varelas and Tsoupros highlighted the role of data-driven strategies in sustainable tourism planning, based on regional planning practices. By applying their analysis to thirteen Greek regions, they pinpointed the differences in tourism development and its impacts, while discussing the particularities of Greece. By creating a ranking system as performance indicator, they identified that management changes and adaptation to transition are of key importance. In conclusion, the need for further monitoring of the regional-level performances of DDMMOs when deciding on policy measures and when conducting effective destination management was highlighted as a key priority of tourism policy.

Finally, in the sixth article of this Special Issue, Gavriilidis and Metaxas drew connections between the discussion of the COVID-19 pandemic with the ways in and degree to which it has changed attitudes towards tourism sustainability. As a health crisis or another type of crisis may occur again in the future, their analysis of the Greek hotel industry offered some key findings regarding the quality of its response to the pandemic, leading to a discussion on how the public sector supported this process. In line with current discussions on the role of state authorities during a crisis, the role of a crisis management mechanism was illustrated. In conclusions, the authors identified the importance of a quick financial response through incentives and VAT reduction in the short term, but also the key importance of long-term crisis management strategies that include training and a digital transition, to follow smart destination practices.

All the contributions to this Special Issue emphasize the importance of evaluating practices and exchanging information in times of crisis, as well as evaluating the response to change. At the same time, the involvement of the public sector and organizations that play a key role in tourism planning (e.g., DDMMOs) during and after a crisis is highlighted as crucial, opening new discussion topics for the coming period. In a time of multiple crises and global political turbulence, which affect all types of places, including tourism destinations, the need for research articles and communications on social and economic resilience is evident. The conclusion to be drawn from this Special Issue is a hopeful one: local stakeholders and the tourism industry are willing to adjust, and timely research output will be valuable and lead to policy recommendations that will be helpful for policymakers.