Exploring the State of Research on Tourism Sustainability: A Bibliometric Analysis in the Post-COVID Era

Abstract

This study conducts a literature analysis on tourism sustainability to understand the current state of research in the field and identify potential areas for future study. The analysis, based on 3823 articles published between 2020–2023, aims to examine the number of citations of the main articles, determine the main authors and countries dealing with tourism sustainability, examine the interactions between authors and countries, and determine which dimensions of sustainability (economic, environmental, social, and cultural-historical) attract the most research interest. The results reveal that the economic dimension of sustainability is the most researched followed by the environmental dimension, while the social and cultural-historical dimensions receive less attention. This study provides valuable insights for researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers in the field of sustainable tourism, particularly in light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry.