Resumo

Sustainable tourism ensures future generations benefit from resources by preventing environmental deterioration. Despite its popularity, research on sustainable tourism in specific locations is limited. For islands, its importance spans geological, ecological, cultural, and recreational aspects. However, a gap remains in holistic strategies for island tourism, integrating conservation, community engagement, and cultural preservation. This study addresses this gap, especially considering the post-pandemic context, to optimize tourist attraction potential and ensure sustainable development.

Our article aims to identify strategies to promote sustainable tourism on islands through a systematic literature review. The research question is: What strategies have been implemented to promote island tourism with a view to the destination's sustainable development? Thus, our study benefits local authorities, residents, tourism entrepreneurs, and researchers by providing insights into sustainable tourism management, promoting economic growth, cultural preservation, and environmental conservation.

Sustainable tourism encompasses economic, environmental, and socio-cultural dimensions. On islands, challenges such as biodiversity conservation and socio-economic impacts are significant, since their unique geological and cultural aspects influence sustainability efforts. Despite its popularity in research, implementing sustainable practices varies by location, emphasizing the necessity for customized strategies. This study investigates how islands can enhance tourism sustainably, meeting local needs while fostering economic growth and safeguarding cultural and natural heritage.

47 articles underwent analysis, categorized into four groups based on geographical location. This method facilitated a comparative assessment, revealing both commonalities and distinctions among the groups. For instance, all groups emphasized ecosystem protection and local community participation in decision-making. Conversely, each group had a unique way to address some sustainability challenges, such as one case in the Euro-Mediterranean group with a shared fixed costs strategy among Samso Island residents.

The conclusions of our study highlight both global-scale strategies and context-specific, locally-scaled recommendations. Some of the key suggestions include actively involving local communities in policy-making, stakeholders' education and infrastructure development. Future research should explore emerging technologies and longitudinal impacts to improve sustainability practices. Limitations include scope restrictions and reliance on secondary data, urging broader interdisciplinary approaches in future studies.

Geng, Y., Zhang, X., Gao, J., Yan, Y., & Chen, L. (2024). Bibliometric analysis of sustainable tourism using CiteSpace. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 202, 123310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2024.123310 Xiao, Y., & Watson, M. (2019). Guidance on Conducting a Systematic Literature Review. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 39(1), 93–112. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739456X17723971