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Sustainability
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Niche Tourism and Sustainable Marketing Trends
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Niche Tourism and Sustainable Marketing Trends

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Tourism, Culture, and Heritage".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 March 2026) | Viewed by 6995

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Bruno Barbosa Sousa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. School of Hospitality and Tourism (ESHT), IPCA-Polytechnic University of Cávado and Ave, 4750-810 Barcelos, Portugal
2. UNIAG—Applied Management Research Unit, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal
3. CiTUR—Centro de Investigação, Desenvolvimento e Inovação em Turismo, 4750-810 Barcelos, Portugal
Interests: tourism innovation; sustainable tourism; sustainable marketing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Vasco Ribeiro Santos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Instituto Politécnico de Tomar, Quinta do Contador, Estrada da Serra, 2300-313 Tomar, Portugal
2. GOVCOPP, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Rua de S. Tiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
3. CiTUR—Centre for Tourism Research, Development and Innovation, Polytechnic of Leiria, 2520-641 Peniche, Portugal
4. ISLA—Instituto Superior de Gestão e Administração, 2000-241 Santarém, Portugal
Interests: marketing; tourism; sustainability; innovation; management; hospitality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Considering the (post-)pandemic context and considering the worldwide UNWTO 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, tourism is an increasingly competitive sector. Therefore, niche tourism and sustainable marketing tourism are crucial in competitive differentiation. The main aim of the Special Issue is to bring best practices, trends, motivations, challenges, opportunities, recommendations and case studies for professionals and academics into special interest tourism and sustainable marketing perspectives.

Moreover, the subject entirely relates to the journal scope, due to the fact the themes cover the major topics and concepts addressed in the journalSustainability.

For this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Niche tourism and sustainable concerns;
  • Sustainable marketing in specific tourism contexts;
  • Sustainable strategic management in territories and place marketing;
  • Sustainable development of segmentation and niche tourism;
  • Designing sustainable and relational practices in tourism and hospitality;
  • Sustainable innovation in hospitality marketing;
  • Competitive differentiation and sustainability in tourism segments (e.g., food and wine tourism, virtual tourism, ecotourism, cultural trends, health tourism, pet-friendly tourism, accessible tourism, events, visiting friends and relatives, cross-border regions and others);
  • Green marketing and corporate social responsibility.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Bruno Barbosa Sousa
Prof. Dr. Vasco Ribeiro Santos
Guest Editors

Dr. Bruno Barbosa Sousa
Dr. Vasco Ribeiro Santos
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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

  • green marketing
  • niche tourism
  • sustainable marketing
  • special interest tourism
  • sustainability

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

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 917 KB  
Article
Connectivity vs. Community: Re-Evaluating Destination Quality for the Digital Nomad and Workationer Market
by Arinya Pongwat, Rob Law and Manisa Piuchan
Sustainability 2026, 18(5), 2181; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18052181 - 24 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1148
Abstract
The mainstreaming of remote work has catalyzed the rise of the new tribe, the kinetic elite, a demographic comprising digital nomads and workationers who utilize technology to separate work from geography. Yet, this apparently free lifestyle often leads to a freedom trap, where [...] Read more.
The mainstreaming of remote work has catalyzed the rise of the new tribe, the kinetic elite, a demographic comprising digital nomads and workationers who utilize technology to separate work from geography. Yet, this apparently free lifestyle often leads to a freedom trap, where the collapsing boundaries between work and leisure necessitate intense self-discipline within spaces originally architected for tourism. Drawing on an integrated framework of quality of destination features, service, and experience, this study investigates the antecedents of satisfaction and loyalty for this niche market of mobile workforce. Data were collected from 325 international digital nomads and workationers in Thailand using a purposive sampling approach. The proposed integrated model was empirically tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The analysis challenges the hardware-first paradigm of destination development. Findings indicate that while digital infrastructure (connectivity) and geoarbitrage (value) are non-negotiable baselines, they employ limited influence on ultimate satisfaction. Instead, human infrastructure, specifically the quality of staff and host–community interactions, emerges as the primary determinant in converting a location from a travel stop into a functional home base. These results advocate for a strategic plan toward precision niche marketing, moving beyond a homogenous view of the sector to target the community-seeking segment. Furthermore, the study frames community integration as a core practice of social sustainability, suggesting that for destinations to evolve into vibrant knowledge ecologies, Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) must prioritize community facilitation and smart policies that mitigate the social isolation inherent in nomadic life. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Niche Tourism and Sustainable Marketing Trends)
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22 pages, 1495 KB  
Article
The Sustainability Consciousness Questionnaire: Validation Among Portuguese Population
by Luzia Arantes and Bruno Barbosa Sousa
Sustainability 2025, 17(1), 305; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17010305 - 3 Jan 2025
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4995
Abstract
The primary objective of this study is to validate the Sustainability Consciousness Questionnaire (SCQ) for the Portuguese population, ensuring its reliability and applicability across the dimensions of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours related to sustainability. This validation is crucial for ensuring the SCQ captures [...] Read more.
The primary objective of this study is to validate the Sustainability Consciousness Questionnaire (SCQ) for the Portuguese population, ensuring its reliability and applicability across the dimensions of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours related to sustainability. This validation is crucial for ensuring the SCQ captures local cultural nuances and provides reliable data to inform educational and policy strategies for promoting sustainability. To achieve this goal, a quantitative methodology was adopted, involving the translation and cultural adaptation of the SCQ into Portuguese. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 630 participants, aged 17 to 83, using an online platform. Ethical procedures were rigorously followed, including obtaining informed consent from all participants and ensuring data confidentiality. The factor structure of the SCQ was analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). The analysis confirmed a three-dimensional factor structure aligned with the environmental, social, and economic pillars of sustainability, as well as significant correlations between these dimensions and real-world sustainable practices such as recycling and energy conservation. The results confirmed the construct validity of the SCQ, demonstrating robust reliability indicators across its scales and acceptable model fit indices (CFI = 0.860; TLI = 0.851; RMSEA = 0.045). These findings highlight the questionnaire’s utility as a measurement tool for sustainable consciousness in the Portuguese context. The SCQ provides a valuable resource for educators, policymakers, and researchers. For instance, educators can use the SCQ to identify gaps in students’ sustainability knowledge, policymakers can prioritise areas for intervention based on public attitudes, and researchers can explore relationships between awareness and sustainable behaviours to design effective programs. Furthermore, this study contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) by enabling data-driven strategies to integrate sustainability education into curricula, fostering a deeper understanding of sustainable practices and behaviours essential for achieving global education goals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Niche Tourism and Sustainable Marketing Trends)
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