IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i12p5383-d1676510.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sustainable Tourism Through Digitalization and Smart Solutions

Author

Listed:
  • Glykeria Myrovali

    (Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Hellenic Institute of Transport, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece)

  • George Tzanis

    (Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Hellenic Institute of Transport, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece)

  • Maria Morfoulaki

    (Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Hellenic Institute of Transport, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece)

Abstract

This paper examines whether digitalization and smart solutions can be a crucial factor for reaching sustainability in tourism. It employs a literature review in combination with a comparative case study analysis and empirical data from different areas of Europe. The methodology employs a structured questionnaire distributed to regional tourism stakeholders to assess the importance of smart transformation in their region, supported by both quantitative and qualitative analysis. This research is based on the findings of the Interreg Europe project “TAAS—Tourism as a Service; a 360 degrees tourism experience” and the areas that are part of it as case studies. Using inductive reasoning, this paper highlights the importance of smart, digital interaction among tourists, regions, stakeholders and policies. The results of the questionnaire provide concrete evidence on the perspective of stakeholders regarding digitalization and its role in enhancing the social, environmental and economic dimensions of tourism sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • Glykeria Myrovali & George Tzanis & Maria Morfoulaki, 2025. "Sustainable Tourism Through Digitalization and Smart Solutions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-21, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:12:p:5383-:d:1676510
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/12/5383/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/12/5383/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Youssef El Archi & Brahim Benbba & Kai Zhu & Zineb El Andaloussi & László Pataki & Lóránt Dénes Dávid, 2023. "Mapping the Nexus between Sustainability and Digitalization in Tourist Destinations: A Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-16, June.
    2. Glykeria Myrovali & Maria Morfoulaki & Thomai Mpaltzi, 2023. "Can Destination Cards Help to Shape Areas’ Sustainability?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-18, May.
    3. World Commission on Environment and Development,, 1987. "Our Common Future," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780192820808.
    4. Grazia Chiara Elmo & Gabriella Arcese & Marco Valeri & Stefano Poponi & Francesco Pacchera, 2020. "Sustainability in Tourism as an Innovation Driver: An Analysis of Family Business Reality," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-14, July.
    5. De Noni, Ivan & Ganzaroli, Andrea & Orsi, Luigi, 2017. "The impact of intra- and inter-regional knowledge collaboration and technological variety on the knowledge productivity of European regions," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 108-118.
    6. Allen, Cameron & Metternicht, Graciela & Wiedmann, Thomas, 2016. "National pathways to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): A comparative review of scenario modelling tools," Environmental Science & Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 199-207.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jason Phillips, 2021. "The application of the Geocybernetic Assessment Matrix to the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(5), pages 7550-7572, May.
    2. HULPUȘ Ioana & HULPUȘ Alexandru, 2023. "Sustainable Development Perspectives Of Romanian Justice System In The 2030 Agenda Context," Management of Sustainable Development, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 15(2), pages 87-93, December.
    3. Matteo Pedercini & Steve Arquitt & Derek Chan, 2020. "Integrated simulation for the 2030 agenda†," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 36(3), pages 333-357, July.
    4. Luciano Barcellos-Paula & Iván De la Vega & Anna María Gil-Lafuente, 2021. "The Quintuple Helix of Innovation Model and the SDGs: Latin-American Countries’ Case and Its Forgotten Effects," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-23, February.
    5. Paul Mansell & Simon P. Philbin & Efrosyni Konstantinou, 2020. "Redefining the Use of Sustainable Development Goals at the Organisation and Project Levels—A Survey of Engineers," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-39, August.
    6. CHEN, Helen S.Y., 2020. "Designing Sustainable Humanitarian Supply Chains," OSF Preprints m82ar, Center for Open Science.
    7. Denise Ravet, 2011. "Lean production: the link between supply chain and sustainable development in an international environment," Post-Print hal-00691666, HAL.
    8. Mara Del Baldo, 2012. "Corporate social responsibility and corporate governance in Italian SMEs: the experience of some “spirited businesses”," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 16(1), pages 1-36, February.
    9. Michael Howes & Liana Wortley & Ruth Potts & Aysin Dedekorkut-Howes & Silvia Serrao-Neumann & Julie Davidson & Timothy Smith & Patrick Nunn, 2017. "Environmental Sustainability: A Case of Policy Implementation Failure?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-17, January.
    10. Parnphumeesup, Piya & Kerr, Sandy A., 2011. "Stakeholder preferences towards the sustainable development of CDM projects: Lessons from biomass (rice husk) CDM project in Thailand," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 3591-3601, June.
    11. Chin-Shan Lu & Kuo-Chung Shang & Chi-Chang Lin, 2016. "Examining sustainability performance at ports: port managers’ perspectives on developing sustainable supply chains," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(8), pages 909-927, November.
    12. Kebede, Yohannes, 1993. "The Limits to Common Resource Management: The Bypassed Commons or Commons without Tragedy," MPRA Paper 662, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 01 May 1993.
    13. John Stanley & Janet Stanley, 2023. "Improving Appraisal Methodology for Land Use Transport Measures to Reduce Risk of Social Exclusion," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-18, August.
    14. Nora Mzavanadze, 2009. "Building A Framework For National Sustainable Development Assessment And Application For Lithuania: Sustainability In Transition," Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management (JEAPM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 11(01), pages 97-130.
    15. Pishchulov, Grigory & Trautrims, Alexander & Chesney, Thomas & Gold, Stefan & Schwab, Leila, 2019. "The Voting Analytic Hierarchy Process revisited: A revised method with application to sustainable supplier selection," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 211(C), pages 166-179.
    16. Isin Ceti̇n, 2017. "Accounting Requirements And Records On Bank Subscribed Capital Compliance With European Directives," Annals - Economy Series, Constantin Brancusi University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 1, pages 52-68, February.
    17. Jean-Michel Sahuta & Sandrine Boulerne & Medhi Mili & Frédéric Teulon, 2014. "What Relation Exists Between Corporate Social Responsibility (Csr) And Longevity Of Firms?," Working Papers 2014-248, Department of Research, Ipag Business School.
    18. Alba Rocio Gutierrez Garzon & Pete Bettinger & Jacek Siry & Bin Mei & Jesse Abrams, 2019. "The Terms Foresters and Planners in the United States Use to Infer Sustainability in Forest Management Plans: A Survey Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-20, December.
    19. Shehu Folaranmi Gbolahan Yusuf & Oluwabunmi Oluwaseun Popoola & Lindokhule Gwala & Thinandavha Nesengani, 2021. "Promoting University–Community Alliances in the Experiential Learning Activities of Agricultural Extension Postgraduate Students at the University of Fort Hare, South Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-18, September.
    20. Filipa Correia & Philipp Erfruth & Julie Bryhn, 2018. "The 2030 Agenda: The roadmap to GlobALLizaton," Working Papers 156, United Nations, Department of Economics and Social Affairs.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:12:p:5383-:d:1676510. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.