Sustainable Tourism Marketing: Towards Transparent Communication to Empower Informed Decisions

Dear Colleagues,

Since the emergence of the global environmental social movement, and particularly after the general acknowledgement of the climate crisis by mainstream media, the awareness of our ecological footprint has played an increasing role in people’s lifestyle and consumption choices. More recent events, such as the cognitive effect of the decrease in air pollution and reclaiming of habitats by wildlife during the COVID-19 lockdown, further intensified this phenomenon. Consequently, companies within all industries now offer “environmentally friendly” and “socially responsible” products as part of their marketing strategy, from consumer goods providers to oil and gas giants. The tourism and hospitality industry is no exception. “Sustainable hotels”, for instance, are no longer a market niche, as virtually every single hotel boasts about its sustainable practices. On the other hand, increasingly competitive markets and consecutive financial crises enhance the need for cost efficiency. This combination of imperatives: catering to (or appearing to cater to) green and socially responsible consumers’ expected benefits, as well as cutting costs from wherever possible, is often an incentive for greenwashing. Additionally, the encouragement of hedonistic consumerism generally associated with tourism marketing can further hinder the achievement of sustainability goals within the industry. However, can tourism marketing also be part of the solution and empower tourists to make informed decisions and reward businesses and destinations that are genuinely seeking to have a positive impact on host communities?

The aim of this Special Issue is to explore tourism marketing strategies to reach sustainability goals. This will include product development focused on green and socially aware tourists, as well as the psychological antecedents of choice and willingness to pay for sustainable tourism services and destinations. It could look at how businesses and destinations deal with the apparent contradiction between the need to encourage people to travel and limit the industry’s environmental impact, as well as the role of travel influencers in this context. Through the expansion of knowledge and theory, this Special Issue aims to support tourism stakeholders to address sustainability challenges more effectively and transparently. Topics may include the following:

• Influencing tourists’ behaviour: How to persuade tourists to adopt sustainable practices when travelling and at home.
• Marketing “alternative tourism”—regenerative, community-based, rural, creative, etc.
• Marketing that recognizes tourism workers.
• Supporting tourists in “breaking up” with fast/predatory tourism.
• Sustainability communication in tourism: effectively informing tourists about destinations’ and businesses’ sustainability credentials.
• Sustainable marketing for urban destinations.
• Sustainable performance as expected benefit: which sustainability aspects do tourists prioritize when choosing services and destinations.
• Sustainable tourism marketing in the context of the sharing economy.
• Sustainable tourism product design: co-creating sustainable tourism experiences.
• The role travel influencers in fostering sustainable tourism.
• Tourists’ reactions to and understanding of greenwashing in tourism marketing.
• Tourists’ willingness to pay for businesses’ and destinations’ sustainable practices.

Dr. Arthur F. De Araújo
Dr. Maria Isabel Andrés Marques
Guest Editors

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• sustainable tourism
• marketing
• sustainable practices
• tourism product design
• sustainability communication
• sustainable hotel
• sustainable destination
• alternative tourism
• greenwashing
• willingness to pay