The responsible behavior of tourism stakeholders

Summary of the study

The study provides a comprehensive overview of the responsible behavior of various actors in tourism and analyzes 154 scientific publications from the years 2016 to 2022. It shows that so far, research has mainly focused on the behavior of tourists, especially with regard to environmentally conscious and sustainable action. However, less attention has been paid to municipalities, tourism companies and destination management organizations, even though they also make significant contributions to sustainable development. The analysis also makes it clear that governments and political decision-makers are almost not examined as responsible actors - a key research gap. Current crises such as COVID-19, climate change and economic uncertainties are having a strong influence on research and are increasingly bringing responsible behavior in tourism into focus. The study thus provides a clear overview of the current state of research and shows where further research is needed in order to understand and promote responsible behavior in the tourism system in a holistic way.

Key findings of the study

Focus on tourists:
The majority of research to date examines the responsible behavior of tourists, especially in the area of environmental behavior.

Municipalities and businesses are underrepresented:
The responsible behavior of residents and tourism businesses is much less frequently researched, although both groups are important for sustainable development.

Destination management has only recently gained attention:
Studies on the role of destination management organizations (DMOs) in responsible tourism are still new and limited so far.

Large gap in research on governments:
Political actors and their contribution to responsible tourism are hardly studied, although they set key framework conditions.

Crises influence responsible behavior:
Developments such as COVID-19 are increasing both actual responsible behavior and research interest in it.