Sustainable tourism policies: From crisis-related awareness to agendas towards measures

The relevance of sustainable tourism policies that aim to balance the positive and negative impacts of tourism has become particularly evident during the COVID-19 crisis, which has shown the need for more research on the impact of crises on tourism policy. The findings of this study are based on twenty-four in-depth interviews with tourism organisations responsible for tourism policy development across the globe, showing that policymakers are (1) aware of the relevance of the development of sustainable tourism during the crisis, (2) agendas such as strategies for sustainable tourism are being developed and policies do translate into (3) measures related to environmental, economic, socio-cultural and community instruments. This study carries value for the development of sustainable tourism research following the theory on the penetration of environmental awareness and also informs about the variation in sustainable tourism policies in different countries and across continents. © 2023 The Authors

Tourism organizations' responses to the COVID-19 pandemic: an investigation of the lockdown period. (Special Issue: COVID-19 and tourism.)

Tourism is facing an unprecedented crisis whose sheer scope is dictating global transformation of the industry. The aim of this paper is to explore how different countries and destinations responded to the initial blow of the COVID-19 pandemic, and what is expected in the recovery and restart phases. A crisis management model was developed using data from 31 interviews with tourism organizations. The findings help identify the actions required to build resilience, emphasizing the responsibilities and interventions that can achieve tourism restoration. The researchers point out implications for theory and practice in terms of incorporating policymakers' perceptions, while also informing tourism organizations about policy development and the reformulation of strategies. This might support countries and destinations choosing the right path in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing the negative and taking advantage of the positive repercussions.

Tourism organizations' responses to the COVID-19 pandemic: an investigation of the lockdown period

Tourism is facing an unprecedented crisis whose sheer scope is dictating global transformation of the industry. The aim of this paper is to explore how different countries and destinations responded to the initial blow of the COVID-19 pandemic, and what is expected in the recovery and restart phases. A crisis management model was developed using data from 31 interviews with tourism organizations. The findings help identify the actions required to build resilience, emphasizing the responsibilities and interventions that can achieve tourism restoration. We point out implications for theory and practice in terms of incorporating policymakers' perceptions, while also informing tourism organizations about policy development and the reformulation of strategies. This might support countries and destinations choosing the right path in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing the negative and taking advantage of the positive repercussions.