Sustainable Tourism Management and Marketing

Dear Colleagues,

“To be able to fill leisure intelligently is the last product of civilization" wrote Bertrand Russell, foreseeing the evolution of tourism from a quest for immediate experience gratification to a mindful approach of balanced stakeholder interests and sustainability.

Tourism is a mature industry. The days of exotic trips to Europe by Americans or vice versa have morphed into seasonal invasions of legions of credit card brandishing Samsonite warriors grazing paella and downing Beaujolais at rates unseen. From welcoming tourists as the main hard currency source to spraying them despicably with water in Barcelona last month, tourists have reached the stage of past welcome, from needed to tolerated to borderline inimical encounters with locals, and from locals happy for tourists' money to locals expecting and imposing standards on tourists. From this is derived the importance of balancing stakeholder objectives while ensuring the sustainability of local resources, the need for authentic and sustainable place branding through resident involvement, and digital engagement strategies. There is a need to balance tourism growth and resource conservation, yielding sustainability, and to achieve a dynamic, adaptive balance attuned to stakeholder interests and sustainable resource usage.

The Prism of Sustainability (PoS) provides a comprehensive framework for the sustainable marketing and management of tourism destinations by promoting ecological, economic, socio-cultural, and institutional sustainability standards. Ecological sustainability focuses on conserving natural resources, economic sustainability aims at providing long-term economic benefits to local communities, socio-cultural sustainability concentrates on preserving local cultures and traditions, and institutional sustainability involves creating policies and regulations that support sustainable tourism practices. In combination, these four dimensions can guide marketing and management strategies that promote sustainable tourism and enhance destinations’ competitiveness.

Numbers and volumes lead to coining new words: “overtourism”, with protest movements increasing especially in very well-known urban destinations. The World Tourism Organization defines overtourism as "the impact of tourism on a destination, or parts thereof, that excessively influences perceived quality of life of citizens and/or quality of visitor experiences in a negative way". Overtourism in Venice is so high that city officials are putting a cap on tourist groups, as a tax previously did not deter enough travelers. Generally, overtourism has significant challenges for any kind of tourism destination, especially those in protected areas. It can lead to environmental degradation, loss of cultural heritage, and diminished quality of life for residents. To address these challenges, destinations must adopt strategies that balance tourism growth with sustainability by developing partnerships between public and private sectors, leveraging new technologies, and enhancing cooperation between all stakeholders. By promoting innovative and well-designed tourism products, destinations can wisely cope with overtourism and ensure sustainable tourism development.

Residents are important stakeholders: their involvement from the early planning stage as co-creators of public goods ensures that their views are considered, and tourism is helpful to the community rather than problematic. Residents are also a part of the tour, and they can be described as “friendly” or “aloof. Service staff in tourism establishments also can act serviceable and forthcoming or distant and just going through the motions. Their involvement and motivation can be the difference between ambassadors and saboteurs, with significant word-of-mouth consequences of both.

The use of digital marketing, social media, and artificial intelligence will be essential as a cost-efficient way of promoting sustainable habits among both residents and visitors:

• Virtual and augmented reality experiences aiding marketing and brand building offer immersive previews for cultural tourism, connecting visitors with local traditions and history while reducing physical impact on sensitive sites;
• Digital platforms for connecting tourists with local guides and artisans, supporting the local economy, and providing authentic experiences. Digital storytelling platforms that showcase local traditions and heritage also integrate sustainability education;
• Mobile applications that guide tourists towards sustainable practices and eco-friendly options for accommodation, transportation, and activities. Gamification elements in destination apps to encourage sustainable behaviors and educate visitors about local culture and conservation efforts;
• Data analytics tools for measuring and reporting baseline emission levels in the tourism industry, helping to establish and meet reduction targets;
• Payment platforms with blockchain technology for transparent and secure transactions, ensuring fair compensation for local communities and businesses in tourism destinations;
• Smart energy management systems in tourism infrastructure to reduce carbon footprint and promote eco-friendly practices. Internet of Things (IoT) sensors for the real-time monitoring of environmental conditions, visitor group levels, and resource usage to manage tourist flows and minimize ecological impact;
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning for predictive analytics to anticipate tourism trends and manage resources more efficiently, ensuring long-term sustainability.

Range of topics include the following:

• Integrating the Prism of Sustainability in destination marketing and branding strategies;
• Best practices in visitors and residents engagement in sustainable tourism;
• Developing public–private partnerships for sustainable tourism;
• Preserving intangible cultural heritage while promoting eco-friendly destinations;
• Policy and regulation frameworks for sustainable tourism;
• The economic benefits of sustainable tourism;
• Strategies engaging local residents as ambassadors for sustainable tourism;
• Innovative digital marketing strategies for promoting sustainable tourism;
• Digital engagement for encouragement of responsible tourism behaviors.

Hoping many participants will contribute and support the sustainable tourism topic, we will quote Bertrand Russell again "The happiness that is genuinely satisfying is accompanied by the fullest exercise of our faculties... we should be as happy as we can, and we should be happy in a way that makes us useful.” Thank you.

Dr. Florin Nechita
Dr. Snežana Štetić
Dr. Danka Milojković
Guest Editors

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• sustainable tourism marketing
• sustainable tourism management
• sustainable tourism development
• protected natural areas
• community-based tourism
• prism of sustainability in tourism
• digital engagement strategies