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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 76255

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Prof. Dr. Alina Badulescu

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Guest Editor

Department of Economics and Business, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Oradea, Oradea 410087, Romania
Interests: innovation; sustainability; entrepreneurship; energy economy; energy policy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Vicky Katsoni

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Guest Editor

Department of Tourism Management, University of West Attica, Athens, Greece
Interests: Digital Tourism, Sustainable Tourism, Cultural Tourism and other forms of Tourism, Tourism Innovation, Tourism Marketing, Sharing Economies in Tourism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainable tourism has become a necessary response to the negative impact of mass tourism. Moreover, achieving the economic and social role of tourism and meeting the sustainability imperatives require innovative approaches regarding all types of tourism. Innovation, digitalization, gamification are ways to foster economic growth, job creation, social and cultural empowerment. Recognizing the high importance of tourism industry within the global economy and also the necessary shift toward smart, innovative and sustainable tourism, this special issue calls for both theoretical and empirical articles, including case studies discussing the following topics:

Sustainable tourism
Responsible tourism
Tourism in natural protected areas
Innovation in tourism
New technologies in tourism
Digitalization in tourism
Sharing economy and collaborative consumptions in tourism
CSR and tourism
Response of tourism and hospitality industry to climate change
Education for sustainable and responsible tourism
Sustainable and innovative tourism – economic growth nexus
Sustainable and innovative tourism – job creation nexus
Sustainable and innovative tourism – social and cultural empowerment nexus

Prof. Alina Badulescu
Dr. Vicky Katsoni
Guest Editors

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Keywords

sustainable tourism
responsible tourism
innovation in tourism
new technologies in tourism
digitalization in tourism
sharing economy and collaborative consumption in tourism
tourism – economic growth
tourism – job creation
tourism – social and cultural empowerment

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 2221 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Projection Approach of Tourist Circulation under Conditions of Uncertainty

by Anca-Gabriela Turtureanu, Rodica Pripoaie, Carmen-Mihaela Cretu, Carmen-Gabriela Sirbu, Emanuel Ştefan Marinescu, Laurentiu-Gabriel Talaghir and Florentina Chițu

Sustainability 2022, 14(4), 1964; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14041964 - 9 Feb 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2665

Abstract

This paper explores an important problem in tourism demand analysis, namely, the inherent uncertainty involved in projecting tourism demand. Tourism demand continues to be severely affected by unforeseen events associated with the current global health crisis, which has led to an examination of ways to predict the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism. Tourism flow forecasting relating to arrivals is of particular importance for tourism and the entire hospitality industry, because it is an indicator of future demand. Thus, it provides fundamental information that can be applied in the planning and development of future strategies. Accurate forecasts of seasonal tourist flows can help decision-makers increase the efficiency of their strategic planning and reduce the risk of decision-making failure. Due to the growing interest in more advanced forecasting methods, we applied the ARMA model method to analyze the evolution of monthly arrival series for Romania in the period from January 2010 to September 2021, in order to ascertain the best statistical forecasting model for arrivals. We conducted this research to find the best method of forecasting tourist demand, and we compared two forecasting models: AR(1)MA(1) and AR(1)MA(2). Our study results show that the superior model for the prediction of tourist demand is AR(1)MA(1). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable, Responsible and Innovation-Driven Tourism. Economic, Social and Educational Dimensions)

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24 pages, 3102 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Tourism Development in the Protected Areas of Maramureș, Romania: Destinations with High Authenticity

by Nicoleta Mateoc-Sîrb, Simona Albu, Ciprian Rujescu, Ramona Ciolac, Eugenia Țigan, Oana Brînzan, Camelia Mănescu, Teodor Mateoc and Ioana Anda Milin

Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1763; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031763 - 3 Feb 2022

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 5248

Abstract

Sustainable development involves economic growth in line with the requirements of ecological balance and human development, involving people’s relations with the environment as well as the responsibility of the current generation over future generations. Sustainable tourism was designed and supported in an attempt to manage all resources, so that the economic, social, and aesthetic needs of an area are satisfied while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity, and life support systems. Sustainable tourism is not “a fashion”; it is a way of thinking and acting with long-term implications. At national level, we believe that Maramureş County, Romania, is one of the most gifted natural and socio-economic geographic areas in the Oriental Carpathians of Romania, in which the conditions of sustainable tourism can be met and supported long term. The purpose of this scientific paper is to identify, synthesize, process, and interpret data about the tourist qualification of some localities in the protected areas of Maramureş, so as to inform local decision-makers and tourists about tourism forms currently practiced (and) possibly practicable in the future, because since tourism, as an economic branch, leads to the growth of jobs, it can contribute to the sustainable development of the area. The mathematical model proposed in the paper allows the grouping of available resources from 25 settlements in order to establish the types of tourism that can be supported and developed in these localities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable, Responsible and Innovation-Driven Tourism. Economic, Social and Educational Dimensions)

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21 pages, 881 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cultural Dimensions and Social Media Empowerment in Digital Era: Travel-Related Continuance Usage Intention

by Farzana Sharmin, Mohammad Tipu Sultan, Dake Wang, Alina Badulescu and Benqian Li

Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 10820; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910820 - 29 Sep 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 7045

Abstract

In this digital age, technological advancements have dramatically transformed consumers′ travel behavior. Among these, social media has been identified as the most notable and popular digital platform which appeals to consumers from different cultures, mindsets, and demographics. Culture may stimulate individuals’ attitudes and subsequent behavior. Thus, prior research concentrated on technology adoption in the cross-cultural perspectives, rather than the influence of technological empowerment in an individual context. The significance of the cultural dimensions in shaping behavioral patterns of travel consumers has long been recognized, but the topic remains understudied. Moreover, the usage of social media has seen exponential growth in popularity, but little research has incorporated cultural values at an individual level, mostly for travel purposes. Hence, this current study aims to examine cultural values and their impact on social media continuance usage intention from a travel viewpoint. Therefore, an integrated framework is proposed, grounded in the technology acceptance model (TAM), and extended by cultural values (i.e., collectivism, long-term orientation, and uncertainty avoidance), and social media self-efficacy. A cross-sectional data survey (n = 346) was conducted on travel consumers and a structural equation modeling (SEM) was carried out. Results show that collectivism and long-term orientation are significantly linked with the perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, which influences the social media continuance usage intention, whereas uncertainty avoidance does not have any relevance. Moreover, social media self-efficacy significantly (though indirectly) affects the continuance usage intention via perceived usefulness. From our findings, travel providers are encouraged to follow the cultural effects and individuals’ continuance usage intention while providing tourism services on social media. The theoretical and practical implications of these results have also been an area of focus of this paper. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable, Responsible and Innovation-Driven Tourism. Economic, Social and Educational Dimensions)

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13 pages, 8630 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigating the Image of the Bihor Tourist Destination among Romanians in the Context of Increasing Economic Indicators of Tourist Activity

by Olimpia Ban, Adrian Hatos, Laurențiu Droj and Carmen Toderașcu

Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 9002; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169002 - 12 Aug 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2403

Abstract

The concept of tourism destination image is closely related to the brand image of the destination. A good public image of a certain location is the first step in establishing or enhancing the branding of that destination. The image of the destination can be a primary, secondary or global one, the latter incorporating the first two. The sustainability of a positive image of the destination is based on both positive secondary image and positive global image. The purpose of this research is to separately analyze the two types of images for a given tourist destination (Bihor, Romania) that has registered, in recent years, a remarkable increase in the number of visitors. The increase in the number of visitors was accompanied by a substantial increase in tourism revenues, which drew attention, both for the policy makers and researchers, to investigate how the image of this popular place is perceived. The research is based on a questionnaire-based survey applied on a sample of 607 persons, residents in Romania. The research method used was the questionnaire-based survey, which was applied between May and June 2020 on online city groups. The collected data were processed with IBM Statistical package for social sciences version 25 and the results show significant differences between the two types of images (secondary image and global image), a dangerous situation in the medium and long term for destination management. The nuances in the perception of the image of a destination based on the two types of respondents (who experienced and who did not experience the destination) can be explained by the aggressive strategy of promoting the tourist destination, but this is an inefficient strategy for younger age groups. The study allows us to formulate conclusions and to propose measures to correct the situation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable, Responsible and Innovation-Driven Tourism. Economic, Social and Educational Dimensions)

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19 pages, 20236 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Leadership: Philosophical and Practical Approach in Organizations

by Vasile-Petru Hategan and Camelia-Daniela Hategan

Sustainability 2021, 13(14), 7918; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13147918 - 15 Jul 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4163

Abstract

The contemporary leadership concept manifests trends of continuous improvement, which is why this paper is an approach to the field from the perspective of philosophical counseling practices, different from current training and development programs for managers. Thus, the new opportunities are identified, which can join business education and personal development programs for leaders. The paper analyzes the characteristics of coaching studies compared to those of philosophical counseling applied in organizations, using the concept of philosophical leadership in order to identify the existence of interdisciplinary links between the two fields. The intensity of these links was studied through the bibliometric analysis performed on the concepts of leadership and philosophy, which were the subject of papers published in relevant journals indexed in the international database Clarivate Analytics–Web of Science Core Collection. The results of the analysis showed a close connection between concepts, which confirms their association. Through the practical applications of philosophy in the leadership, an innovation of the programs takes place of current specialization dedicated to leaders, which contain tools and methods that can be taken from philosophical practices, to achieve high-performance leadership programs. The concept of philosophical leadership can have a sustainable approach which can be included in personal development programs addressed to leaders, and will be delivered in the form of leader service packages, in which other specialists can participate, such as philosophical counseling, who can be successfully involved in the development of the leadership training program (LTP). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable, Responsible and Innovation-Driven Tourism. Economic, Social and Educational Dimensions)

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22 pages, 715 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Social Media-Based Content towards Image Formation: A New Approach to the Selection of Sustainable Destinations

by Mohammad Tipu Sultan, Farzana Sharmin, Alina Badulescu, Darie Gavrilut and Ke Xue

Sustainability 2021, 13(8), 4241; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084241 - 11 Apr 2021

Cited by 31 | Viewed by 6957

Abstract

When addressing the ever-increasing role that social media plays in generating a clear image of the travel destination chosen by tourists, the research and specialty literature tends to be rather limited. Despite an increase in social media-generated content, the process is not yet fully understood, although research suggests the importance of two different factors (i.e., tour-operator-generated content and user-generated content) in influencing destination image formation. In this regard, the present paper aims to examine the most significant factors currently affecting the potential behavior of travelers towards the selection of sustainable destinations. What is more, another purpose of this paper is to explore the effects that tour-operator-generated content and user-generated content have upon the formation of the overall mediating destination image through cognitive and affective destination images. For the current analysis, a structural equation modeling (SEM) method was used in order to test the conceptual model. Data from Shanghai, China (n = 425) were used. The results demonstrate and establish that travel information sources (i.e., tour-operator-generated content and user-generated content) have a positive effect on destination image formation. The analytical results also revealed that in order to select a sustainable destination, travelers are influenced by tour-operator-generated content, as well as by user-generated content, with the effect of the latter being more important and influential. Travelers’ use of social media content has played a key role in the formation of the overall destination image through the mediating effect of cognitive and affective destination images. This research thus provides valuable theoretical and practical implications for academics and practitioners alike, implications which are valuable for the fields of destination marketing and management. Furthermore, practitioners of the management of sustainable destinations can thus make use of the results throughout the entire decision-making process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable, Responsible and Innovation-Driven Tourism. Economic, Social and Educational Dimensions)

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24 pages, 1000 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Destination Marketing Ecosystem through Smartphone-Based Social Media: The Consumers’ Acceptance Perspective

by Farzana Sharmin, Mohammad Tipu Sultan, Daniel Badulescu, Alina Badulescu, Afrodita Borma and Benqian Li

Sustainability 2021, 13(4), 2308; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042308 - 20 Feb 2021

Cited by 49 | Viewed by 7516

Abstract

The growth of technological revolutions and the subsequent acceptance of smart devices has increased the influence of sustainable marketing activities in the tourism industry. Due to the explosion of mobile technologies (e.g., smartphones, tablets) and social media adoption, consumers have been able to use these technologies at any time for destination marketing. However, understanding consumers’ sustainable marketing experiences from a destination perspective is a complex issue. At the moment, very few studies have focused on the effectiveness of smartphone-based social media in destination marketing. Hence, the main purpose of this study is to explore how consumers interpret and utilize smartphone-based social media for sustainable destination marketing. This study proposes an integrated framework that consists of the mobile technology acceptance model (MTAM) and the social media-based interaction, trendiness, and electronic-word-of-mouth (e-WoM). A questionnaire survey was used to collect data (n = 365), and valid data were analyzed by the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique. The findings revealed that interaction, trendiness, and e-WoM indirectly affected satisfaction through mobile usefulness and mobile ease of use. At the same time, mobile usefulness and mobile ease of use directly affected satisfaction, which then significantly influenced the intention to utilize those factors towards sustainable destination marketing. This study highlights the technological affordances and the satisfaction of smartphone-based social media in sustainable marketing. Furthermore, the results can be used in the resource allocation process to ensure the success of the vision and mission of sustainable destination marketing efforts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable, Responsible and Innovation-Driven Tourism. Economic, Social and Educational Dimensions)

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19 pages, 3519 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Tourism Development and Economic Growth: Bibliometric Review and Analysis

by Ana León-Gómez, Daniel Ruiz-Palomo, Manuel A. Fernández-Gámez and Mercedes Raquel García-Revilla

Sustainability 2021, 13(4), 2270; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042270 - 19 Feb 2021

Cited by 91 | Viewed by 16815

Abstract

Over the past decade, there has been a growing interest in studying the impact of sustainable tourism development on economic growth. However, despite its recent scope, the scientific literature published so far has not evaluated the performance of the scientific activity of this relationship. Consequently, this study analyzes the 668 articles published to date in the Web of Science database on the effect that sustainable tourism development has on the overall long-term progress of the economy. To this end, we carry out an analysis of the most recognized authors, regions with the highest percentage of scientific production, most influential organizations, the co-occurrence of keywords, most prominent citations, publications, and co-authorship among the most recognized authors. The results obtained show the trend and impact of the literature published to date and the established and emerging research groups. Also, they identify key research topics in a way that provides a planning framework for further research in this field. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable, Responsible and Innovation-Driven Tourism. Economic, Social and Educational Dimensions)

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12 pages, 249 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Does Tourism Affect Economic Growth of China? A Panel Granger Causality Approach

by Yong Su, Jacob Cherian, Muhammad Safdar Sial, Alina Badulescu, Phung Anh Thu, Daniel Badulescu and Sarminah Samad

Sustainability 2021, 13(3), 1349; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031349 - 28 Jan 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4269

Abstract

The main purpose of the current study is to investigate if tourism affects economic growth of China. The data set has been acquired from the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics, and the time span of the data set takes into account a 20-year time period, from 2000 to 2019. To determine the strength of the above-mentioned relationship previous models that have been used for this research are mainly VAR (vector auto-regression) and VECM (vector error correction) models. The VAR and VECM models have been conducted together with the Granger causality test. The internal revenue generated from tourism-related activities is taken as being the main indicator for the tourism industry, while economic growth is determined by GDP (gross domestic product). We support the above-mentioned notion, as we found that a strong relationship exists between the development of the tourism industry and economic growth. Moreover, our analysis also indicates that this industry has a major impact on long-term economic growth in the region as well. This study thus provides further support to the existing literature on the topic of tourism and the impact that tourism-related activities have upon economic development and growth. The existence and the impact of tourism-related activities upon long-term economic growth were confirmed by the results of the VAR models. At the same time, the unidirectional results of VECM models have confirmed the existence of economic growth in the short term. In our case, the cardinal relationship between the development of the tourism industry and the economic growth in the Beijing region of China have managed to provide strong empirical support to the earlier stated notions and to the literature alike. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable, Responsible and Innovation-Driven Tourism. Economic, Social and Educational Dimensions)

19 pages, 1694 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Travelers’ Responsible Environmental Behavior towards Sustainable Coastal Tourism: An Empirical Investigation on Social Media User-Generated Content

by Mohammad Tipu Sultan, Farzana Sharmin, Alina Badulescu, Elena Stiubea and Ke Xue

Sustainability 2021, 13(1), 56; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13010056 - 23 Dec 2020

Cited by 62 | Viewed by 10137

Abstract

There has been increasing interest in coastal tourism, sparking a debate on the responsible environmental behavior of travelers visiting sustainable destinations. To mitigate this issue, destination marketing organizations (DMOs) and environmental activists are trying to develop strategic approaches (i.e., by using digital technologies) to enhance the sustainable behavior of travelers. Environmental responsiveness and its impact on sustainable destinations is gaining attention by companies, scholars, and institutions. However, the relevant literature has not addressed social media user-generated content regarding sustainable destinations. Sharing stakeholder knowledge, activities, and experience on social media could accomplish this goal. Hence, this paper aims to explore travelers′ responsible environmental behavior towards coastal tourism within the social media user-generated content paradigm. To measure the effect of user-generated content (UGC), i.e., cognitive triggers and affective triggers, on the responsible environmental behavior of travelers, a survey questionnaire was used to collect data (n = 506) from the world’s longest sandy sea beach, Cox’s Bazar, located in the Southern part of Bangladesh. The data were examined by structural equation modeling (SEM). The results revealed that cognitive and affective triggers of user-generated content influence travelers’ environmental concerns and attitudes, making a significant contribution to shaping responsible environmental behavior. Additionally, the findings show that environmental concerns and attitudes play a significant role in producing commitment towards a sustainable coastal tourism practice. This study contributes to the effectiveness of user-generated content for persuasive interactions with destination marketing organizations to develop sustainable tourism practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable, Responsible and Innovation-Driven Tourism. Economic, Social and Educational Dimensions)

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24 pages, 1403 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Millennial Tourists’ Environmentally Sustainable Behavior Towards a Natural Protected Area: An Integrative Framework

by Farzana Sharmin, Mohammad Tipu Sultan, Alina Badulescu, Dorin Paul Bac and Benqian Li

Sustainability 2020, 12(20), 8545; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12208545 - 15 Oct 2020

Cited by 28 | Viewed by 6368

Abstract

In the last few years, natural protected areas have been facing great challenges and degradation around the world. Among this, environmental sustainability has become a priority to create harmony between tourists and nature. Tourists visiting protected areas are becoming progressively more concerned regarding the environment. Moreover, the United Nations (UN) “Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” have highlighted the potential role of young tourists to contribute to sustainable tourism. However, very few studies have focused on tourists’ environmentally sustainable behavior towards natural protected areas. To fill the existing gap in the literature, this study aims to provide a theoretical framework that includes environmental sustainability awareness (ESA) in measuring millennial tourists’ environmentally sustainable behavior (ESB). Thus, this study delivers an integrated approach based on the value-belief-norm (VBN) theory and the concept of the new ecological paradigm (NEP) towards protected areas. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted from one of the protected areas located in the north of Sichuan province of China, and 511 responses were obtained for statistical analysis. Results of the structural statistical analysis showed that the unified model includes a satisfactory level of predictive power for tourists’ ESB, which was superior to existing theories and concepts. The findings also revealed that all proposed relationships of the variables were significant and identified the positive influence of environmental sustainability awareness in generating the ESB. This study contributes towards sustainable tourism development and the conservation of protected areas, with several practical implications for local authorities in terms of millennial participation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable, Responsible and Innovation-Driven Tourism. Economic, Social and Educational Dimensions)

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