Theoretical Horizons of Conscious Tourism

A Bibliometric Exploration of Its Conceptual, Social, and Intellectual Structures

Bibliographic Data

ID12306769
AuthorsJakson Renner Soares (0000-0002-9859-8009, University of A Coruña A Coruña Spain), Raquel Santiago Romo (0000-0002-5419-5742, University of A Coruña A Coruña Spain), María Paula Lechuga Sancho (0000-0003-2340-7615, Department of Business Organization INDESS (University Institute for Sustainable Social Development), University of Cadiz Cadiz Spain, corresponding author), María-Francisca Casado-Claro (0000-0002-4395-9620, Universidad Europea de Madrid Madrid Spain), Anderson Gomes de Souza (0000-0002-5370-7726, Federal University of Pernambuco Recife Brazil)
Year2025
Volume34
IssueS1
Pages964-981
Publication date2025-09-07
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSustainable Development (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0968-0802 • E-ISSN: 1099-1719
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/sd.70203
OpenAlexW4414077093
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited38

This article explores conscious tourism through a bibliometric analysis, highlighting its evolution, main topics, and conceptual, social, and intellectual structures in academic literature. While sharing principles with sustainable and responsible tourism, it stands out for its explicit focus on individual and collective awareness in travel decisions, promoting environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and personal transformation. Conscious tourism fosters cultural respect, environmental preservation, and community well‐being. The research analyzes 590 articles (1993–2023), from Web of Science and Scopus databases using Boolean searches for terms such as “conscious tourism,” “conscientious tourism,” and “sustainable tourism AND consumer,” with criteria limiting results to peer‐reviewed articles, reviews, and conference papers in English, Spanish, or Portuguese explicitly addressing the topic. Findings show a marked growth in publications in the last decade, especially post‐COVID‐19, when sustainability in tourism gained prominence. Using the Bibliometrix R package, the study identifies key research themes, the most influential academic journals in this field, leading authors, and academic institutions. The thematic analysis reveals four main clusters: (1) sustainability‐oriented tourism development, including links to the UN Sustainable Development Goals; (2) consumer behavior and decision‐making models in tourism; (3) community‐based and cultural heritage tourism; and (4) post‐pandemic recovery strategies and resilience in tourism systems. This analysis clarifies the emerging theoretical framework surrounding conscious tourism and its connection to the Sustainable Development Goals, providing a foundation for further study and potential applications in public policies for sustainable tourism. Finally, some research limitations are detailed and lines for future research are suggested

Heritage tourism · Scopus · Sustainability · Sustainable development · Sustainable tourism · Thematic analysis · Tourism · Tourism geography · Culinary Culture and Tourism · Diverse Aspects of Tourism Research · Hospitality and Tourism Education

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