Mapping tourism’s contributions to the SDGs: a bibliometric and text mining analysis

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (UN, 2015) establishes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), underpinned by 169 targets and 231 indicators, offering a comprehensive framework to address global challenges such as poverty, inequality, and climate change. This agenda aligns with key theoretical frameworks, including sustainable development theory, which emphasizes the integration of social, environmental, and economic dimensions to achieve global sustainability; stakeholder theory, which stresses collaboration among diverse actors; and systems theory, which highlights the interconnectedness of components working toward the common good.

Tourism is a strategic sector for achieving multiple SDGs, with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO, 2015) identifying its significant contributions to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 14 (Life Below Water), particularly in island and coastal contexts. However, while the contributions of tourism to specific SDGs are well documented (Fauzi, 2025; Rosato et al., 2021), systematic analyses encompassing all 17 goals remain limited, highlighting the need for a more comprehensive understanding of tourism’s role within the 2030 Agenda.

Despite the optimism surrounding the 2030 Agenda, implementing specific measures for the tourism sector has sparked critical debate. Scholars such as Boluk et al. (2019), Hall (2019), and Scheyvens et al. (2016) question the feasibility of achieving these goals within the prevailing neoliberal capitalist growth model, arguing that although per capita consumption efficiency may improve, absolute sustainability often declines (Hall, 2019). Achieving the SDGs also requires policies that challenge existing political and economic structures while incorporating diverse voices and knowledge systems. Consequently, redefining tourism development models to incorporate ecological limits and foster inclusive stakeholder engagement is essential (Boluk et al., 2019; Scheyvens et al., 2016).

The concept of sustainable tourism has evolved from an initial focus on environmental conservation toward a broader framework of sustainable tourism development, encompassing cultural, social, economic, and ethical dimensions (Moyle et al., 2020; Niñerola et al., 2019). Academic literature has increasingly addressed these aspects, exploring topics such as gender equality (Alarcón and Cole, 2019), access to clean water and sanitation (Cole et al., 2020), and corporate social responsibility (Gao et al., 2024).

Recent bibliometric analyses have further advanced understanding of tourism’s contributions to the SDGs. Rosato et al. (2021) identified three main research clusters: societal impacts, business models, and policy implications. Alonso-Muñoz et al. (2023) explored emerging trends in sustainable tourism research, while Fauzi (2025) reviewed the evolution of this field, highlighting opportunities to strengthen the integration of SDGs into tourism practices and policies.

Unlike prior studies that primarily address SDGs as overarching goals, this research delves into the granularity of SDG targets, offering a unique perspective on tourism’s contributions to 2030 Agenda. Through bibliometric and content analyses, it systematically maps the sector’s alignment with the SDGs, identifying underexplored areas and actionable strategies to enhance its role in global sustainability efforts. This approach contributes to the literature by offering key insights for policymakers and fostering academic discourse on sustainable tourism.

Bibliometric analyses provide a robust method to map research trends and identify gaps in the alignment between tourism and the 2030 Agenda. Over the past two decades, bibliometric studies in tourism have grown significantly in number (Köseoglu et al., 2016; Ülker et al., 2023), with a focus on corporate social responsibility (Hernández-Garrido et al., 2023; Sánchez-Camacho et al., 2022) and specific subsectors such as sports tourism (Jiménez-García et al., 2020), ecotourism (Niñerola et al., 2019), and green hotels (Fauzi et al., 2025). Research has also examined sustainability in high-impact journals, particularly within the fields of “Business and Economics” and “Hospitality, Leisure, Sport, and Tourism” (Molina-Collado et al., 2022; Rosato et al., 2021).

Although many bibliometric studies address sustainability in tourism and reach conclusions related to the SDGs, few directly incorporate the SDGs into their search parameters. Table 1 highlights significant trends in sustainability-related research following the adoption of the 2030 Agenda while also revealing inconsistencies in the focus on specific SDGs. For instance, SDG 8 consistently ranks among the most studied, whereas SDG 12 and SDG 14 receive significantly less attention, despite their relevance to island tourism and coastal destinations, as emphasized by the UNWTO (2015). Additionally, SDGs 1 (No Poverty) and 2 (Zero Hunger) remain underexplored, despite their relevance to economic challenges in vulnerable regions. Other studies such as Moyle et al. (2020) indicate increased interest in SDG 5 (Gender Equality), though further research is needed.

The first study to explicitly focus on the SDGs was conducted by Rosato et al. (2021), analyzing research within the “Business and Economics” category from 2015 to 2019. However, it excluded key areas like “Hospitality, Leisure, Sport, and Tourism,” highlighting the necessity for more comprehensive analyses. Alonso-Muñoz et al. (2023) incorporated a content analysis on SDGs within the 20 most-cited tourism articles, uncovering a research bias toward SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 8, with less attention to environmental SDGs (e.g. SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 12, and SDG 13 (Climate Action)). Fauzi (2025) expanded these efforts by conducting a bibliometric study spanning publications from 2006 to 2021. This analysis identified five thematic clusters, including innovation in sustainable tourism, climate change adaptation, and governance challenges related to the SDGs. However, the inclusion of articles predating the 2030 Agenda diluted the study’s exclusive focus on the UN-defined goals.

Building on prior work, this study offers a comprehensive bibliometric analysis covering all research categories, focusing exclusively on post-2030 Agenda publications. Previous bibliometric analyses have examined articles linking tourism to the SDGs, often including studies where tourism played a passive or reactive role—addressing the impact of sustainability measures or adverse climatic effects on the sector, for instance. However, to date, no bibliometric study has specifically analyzed tourism’s proactive contributions to the SDGs, emphasizing the sector’s active role in supporting the achievement of these objectives.

Under this approach, our study poses the following research questions:

The UNWTO (2015) emphasized that tourism can contribute directly or indirectly to all SDGs, particularly SDG 8, SDG 12, and SDG 14, with the latter closely tied to island tourism. Although the 2030 Agenda explicitly mentions only three tourism-related targets (8.9, 12.b, and 14.7), the UNWTO later underscored tourism’s broader role in economic development and global partnerships, establishing a framework for analyzing tourism’s sustainability contributions (UNWTO and UNDP, 2017).

In the years leading up to the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, academic interest in sustainable tourism had already been growing, with research focusing on practical applications and critical analyses in the field (Ruhanen et al., 2015). Ruhanen et al. (2015), in their analysis of research on sustainable tourism from 1987 to 2012, suggested that future studies should prioritize topics such as climate change, ethical considerations, resilience, resource scarcity, and the role of tourism in promoting prosperity and peace at destinations. These early perspectives laid the groundwork for understanding the complexities of aligning tourism practices with sustainability goals. Moreover, the SDGs highlight the need to support marginalized groups and advocate for gender equality, ethical consumption, and inclusive governance mechanisms (Boluk et al., 2019; Qiao et al., 2024; Scheyvens and Biddulph, 2017; Scheyvens et al., 2016).

Following the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, research initially concentrated on SDG 12, SDG 13, SDG 14, and SDG 15 (Life on Land) (Bramwell et al., 2017). However, many studies failed to explicitly connect their findings to SDG targets, limiting their practical implications. In subsequent years, more concrete examples of SDG-related actions within the tourism sector emerged, including analyses of how tourism influenced various sustainability indicators different from those developed to assess SDG compliance (Rasoolimanesh et al., 2020; Sarpong et al., 2020).

A systematic analysis by Rasoolimanesh et al. (2020) linked sustainable tourism indicators in research published until 2018 with the SDGs, identifying SDG 8 as the most prominent, followed by SDG 15 due to the prevalence of biodiversity-related indicators. However, SDGs 1 and 2 were largely absent, likely due to the dominance of European-focused studies, which overlooked Global South contexts where these goals are most critical.

While existing studies have provided valuable insights into tourism’s potential to address sustainability challenges, many adopt a reactive perspective, evaluating the impacts of external factors on tourism. A shift is needed toward examining how tourism actively supports SDG targets. This study follows this approach, analyzing tourism through diverse lenses such as gender (Alarcón and Cole, 2019; Peña-Sánchez et al., 2020), collaborative economies (Gössling and Hall, 2019), and cultural heritage (Petti et al., 2020; Xiao et al., 2018). By aligning with these perspectives, this work fills critical gaps in the literature.

Unlike previous studies that broadly discuss tourism’s alignment with the SDGs, this research offers a detailed mapping of explicit contributions, linking tourism actions to individual SDG targets. This approach ensures a detailed mapping of tourism’s alignment with all 17 SDGs, identifying opportunities for future research. By addressing critical gaps, the study not only advances academic discourse but also offers actionable insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders aiming to align tourism practices with global sustainability objectives.

For all these reasons, the following research questions are proposed:

This study employed a dual-method approach, integrating bibliometric and content analyses to address the research questions and objectives (Figure 1). Bibliometric analysis is a key tool for interdisciplinary research, particularly in complex fields like tourism and sustainability, as it helps identify knowledge gaps and synthesize large datasets (Aria and Cuccurullo, 2017), while content analysis provides deeper insights into how SDGs are mentioned and linked to specific targets using natural language processing techniques.

This methodology introduces an innovative and replicable approach that explicitly links academic contributions to specific SDG targets, overcoming limitations in previous studies. Furthermore, it identifies concrete proposals and underexplored areas, offering a practical framework for both academic research and policy decision-making.

A systematic search was conducted in the Web of Science (WoS) database, renowned for its high quality in bibliometric research (Alonso-Muñoz et al., 2023; Palácios et al., 2021). The search targeted English-language publications on tourism and SDGs from 2015 (the launch of the 2030 Agenda) to 2022. The query structure was:

Touris* (Topic) AND (SDG* OR “Sustainable Development Goal”*) (Topic), filtered by English (Languages), and limited to Articles, Review Articles, and Early Access (Document Types).

The initial search (February 20, 2023) yielded 334 publications. After removing duplicates (n = 8) and screening abstracts, the final dataset comprised 195 articles. Two researchers independently reviewed abstracts, excluding articles that: (1) did not explicitly focus on tourism, or (2) focused solely on the effects of climate change or specific environmental stressors (e.g. desertification, pollution) on tourism.

The selection process’s reliability was assessed using Perreault and Leigh’s (1989) formula, yielding an internal consistency score of 0.95, confirming the dataset’s validity.

The pre-processing phase included an analysis of author keywords and WoS Keywords-Plus using Bibliometrix (Aria and Cuccurullo, 2017), an R-based application for bibliometric analysis. In particular, WoS Keywords-Plus, automatically generated from article titles, can be even more effective in a bibliometric analysis than the keywords when the knowledge structure is investigated (Zhang et al., 2016). Standardization was applied to unify SDG references and author names, ensuring consistency.

The bibliometric analysis comprised two main components: (1) descriptive analysis of bibliometric indicators and (2) analysis of knowledge structures through co-citation, keyword co-occurrence, and collaborative networks.

Key bibliometric indicators, including publication counts, citations, average citations per article, and topic-specific article proportions per journal were analyzed to assess scientific productivity and impact. This analysis identified the most productive journals, influential authors, leading countries, and international collaborations measured by the Multiple Countries Publications (MCP) index. Additionally, keyword analysis revealed recurring trends and emerging themes in tourism and sustainability research.

Conceptual, intellectual, and social perspectives were explored. The conceptual analysis involved mapping research topics through keyword co-occurrence analysis, identifying relationships among frequently associated keywords, and generating strategic diagrams to evaluate each topic’s centrality (importance and connections to other topics) and density (strength of internal links and evolution over time). The intellectual analysis used co-citation methods to identify influential works and authors by examining documents frequently cited together. Lastly, social analysis examined collaborative networks based on co-authorship patterns, revealing major clusters of research collaboration.

A systematic search for explicit mentions of SDGs was conducted in the titles, abstracts, and keywords (both author keywords and WoS keywords-plus) of the 195 selected articles, identifying 38 that explicitly referenced one or more specific SDGs. Articles mentioning multiple SDGs were included under each relevant goal to ensure comprehensive mapping. A comprehensive table summarizes tourism’s contributions to the SDGs, highlighting key research gaps and future research opportunities. This table includes three columns: the first lists the 17 SDGs and the number of articles referencing each; the second identifies associated targets (with their frequencies), using the SDG Mapper tool; and the third summarizes authors’ key proposals or contributions per goal.

The SDG Mapper (Borchardt et al., 2023), developed by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) and DG INTPA, ensures precision and replicability by applying text-mining techniques employing extensive keyword sets—243 keywords for goals and 2,760 for targets—to accurately associate textual content with specific SDGs. This approach significantly enhances the robustness and reliability of the analysis.

In summary, this methodology identifies patterns and gaps in tourism-SDG research, providing a practical, replicable framework connecting academic findings to actionable sustainability targets.

After screening, 195 articles were identified that addressed tourism’s contributions to the SDGs. Although the study period began in 2015, coinciding with the launch of the 2030 Agenda, the first article appeared in 2017, authored by Girard and Nocca in Aestimum. This initial article, titled “From Linear to Circular Tourism,” received 47 citations, none from within the selected dataset. Interest in this topic has grown rapidly, with an average annual growth rate of 137.14%.

The 195 articles appeared in 70 journals, with Journal of Sustainable Tourism and Sustainability emerged as core sources according to Bradford’s Law (Brookes, 1969), representing nearly 36% of all publications. Citation analysis revealed that Current Issues in Tourism and the Journal of Travel Research had the highest citation averages, with 54 and 35.33 citations per article, respectively, despite publishing only three articles each. Proportionally, Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes had the highest percentage (4.40%) of SDG-focused articles, followed by Journal of Sustainable Tourism (3.48%). Considering volume, citations, and proportional relevance, Journal of Sustainable Tourism emerged as the most influential journal.

A total of 521 authors contributed, averaging 2.99 authors per article, with 28 papers (14.36%) authored individually. Of these, 485 authors published only once, while just seven authored more than four articles. C. M. Hall was the most prolific (nine articles between 2019–2022) and the most cited author, significantly ahead of the second-most cited, R. Scheyvens (Table 2). K. Dube was notable as an emerging author, publishing five articles during 2021–2022.

Authors were affiliated with 68 countries, with Spain (45), China (44), the UK (31), and New Zealand (27) leading. Contributions from developing nations included South Africa (23 authors) and countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, and Nigeria, each with more than five authorships. In terms of international collaboration, the UK led with over 70% international co-authorship (MCP index), whereas Spain, despite producing the most articles, showed limited collaboration (20%).

The 195 articles accumulated 2,367 citations, averaging 12.14 citations each. Seven of the ten most-cited articles appeared in Journal of Sustainable Tourism, with C. M. Hall’s 2019 paper as the most cited overall and per year (Table 3). Hall also co-authored two additional highly cited articles (fifth and sixth positions), confirming his prominence (Table 2). The two most cited articles critically examine tourism in the context of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, highlighting the need for deeper analyses of sustainable tourism actions and the implications of sustainability within a neoliberal business environment.

The dataset included 742 author keywords and 533 WoS keywords-plus. The most frequent author keyword was SDG (103 occurrences), followed by terms related to sustainability (89 mentions) and tourism (115 mentions, individually and combined). Notably, Iran was the only country explicitly mentioned in WoS keywords-plus, due to four related articles.

The analysis revealed that SDG was absent among the top WoS keywords-plus, suggesting limited explicit references in the texts. While terms such as sustainable tourism and sustainability appeared, they were less frequent compared to author keywords. WoS keywords-plus also introduced terms absent in author keywords, such as impact and management.

Temporal keyword analysis revealed evolving research trends, particularly after 2019. As shown in Figure 2, new keywords emerged in 2022, including ecotourism, stakeholder engagement, and COVID-19, while earlier terms such as circular economy (SDG 12), decent work (SDG 8), pro-poor tourism (SDG 1), and inclusive tourism (SDGs 5, 8, and 10) declined or disappeared. Similarly, WoS keywords-plus indicated a rise in the term impact from 2021 and the emergence of new topics such as ecotourism, 2030 Agenda, and performance around 2022.

The co-word network analysis revealed a unified research field centered on tourism and the SDGs, with one dominant topic (SDG-centered research) and three secondary themes in the Author keywords network (Figure 3). In contrast, the WoS keywords-plus network displayed greater thematic diversity, identifying four major clusters: tourism impact management (blue), destination models (brown), ecotourism (red), and conservation challenges (pink). Smaller clusters also emerged, including corporate social responsibility (green) and SDG implementation in island tourism (yellow).

Factor analysis indicated that WoS keywords-plus effectively differentiated topics within the field, supporting the construction of a strategic diagram (Figure 4). Certain topics, such as the authenticity of sustainable development in social networks and ecotourism, exhibited high centrality and density, positioning them as pivotal “motor themes” that drive the scientific discourse. These themes, characterized by strong internal coherence and significant interactions with other keyword groups, also included innovation in demand and consumption, tourism destination growth, management of tourism impact, satisfaction perception models, and sustainable development progress in hotels. Collectively, these represent highly influential keyword groups that shape the research landscape.

Additionally, the analysis identified broader, yet underdeveloped, themes with high centrality but lower density: sustainability on islands in the 2030 Agenda framework, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and employment opportunities. In contrast, specialized research areas such as biodiversity and microenterprise opportunities, culture of responsibility, and model sites exhibited lower centrality, indicating active yet isolated niches within the research landscape. Lastly, peripheral topics like livelihood determinants and composite indicators showed low centrality and density, reflecting emerging or declining areas with limited influence in the broader scientific discourse.

The bibliographic co-citation network identified five major author clusters (Figure 5). The largest cluster featured foundational works, such as Hall (2019) and Boluk et al. (2019), highlighting the necessity of applying critical perspectives to tourism-related SDGs and reexamining human-environment interactions. Other clusters included gender equality-focused research by Alarcón and Cole (2019) and a standalone group led by Gössling et al. (2012), which addressed the relationship between tourism and water use.

Nine research groups were identified through co-authorship networks. The most prominent clusters were led by C. M. Hall and R. Scheyvens, from New Zealand, followed by smaller collaborations, including a Spanish group (M. Jiménez-García, J. Ruiz-Chico, A. R. Peña-Sánchez, and J. A. López-Sánchez) and a joint team of Chinese and US researchers. These findings align with the earlier country-level analysis.

Of the 195 publications addressing tourism’s contributions to the SDGs, only 38 explicitly referenced specific goals. A detailed analysis revealed that 21 articles mentioned only one SDG, with three of these including it in the title. SDG 8 was the most frequently cited (11 articles), with a notable emphasis on target 8.5 (inclusive and productive employment, cited 169 times), while the specific target on sustainable tourism (8.9) received comparatively less attention (Table 4). SDG 12 (10 articles) also stood out, particularly target 12.b (95 mentions), highlighting tools for monitoring tourism sustainability. Other significant targets addressed topics such as social protection in rural tourism (SDG 1, target 1.3), food security linked to local agriculture (SDG 2, target 2.1), gender equality through empowerment policies (SDG 5, target 5.c), water efficiency (SDG 6, target 6.4), and renewable energy adoption (SDG 7, target 7.2).

Additional contributions focused on technological innovation in e-tourism platforms (SDG 9, target 9.5), reduction of inequalities through inclusive tourism (SDG 10, target 10.1), conservation of cultural and natural heritage (SDG 11, target 11.4), and climate resilience strategies (SDG 13, target 13.1). SDGs 4, 14, and 15 received minimal attention, with only one, one, and two mentions respectively. Specifically, marine ecosystem conservation targets (14.2 and 14.5) and terrestrial biodiversity protection (15.5) were scarcely addressed, while sustainable marine tourism (14.7) was entirely absent. Notably, SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) was not explicitly referenced in any publication. Finally, the literature highlighted tourism’s role in promoting peace through policy (SDG 16, target 16.1) and in fostering multi-stakeholder partnerships (SDG 17, targets 17.16 and 17.17).

Geographically, the studies primarily focused on tourism in developing regions in Africa and Asia, where tourism often serves as a key driver of economic growth and poverty alleviation. Only a small fraction of the research addressed SDG contributions in developed countries, with three cases focusing on Spain, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The limited representation of North and South America further highlights geographic research disparities.

The reviewed studies emphasized the role of tourism in promoting rural development, poverty reduction, and cultural heritage preservation. Effective rural destination management was identified as a key strategy for alleviating poverty (SDG 1), developing infrastructure (SDG 9), and fostering partnerships (SDG 17). Additionally, automation and digitalization were highlighted as transformative strategies for advancing SDG goals through sustainable tourism, including reducing food and water waste (SDG 2 and SDG 6), safeguarding cultural heritage (SDG 11), and monitoring environmental impacts (SDG 12).

On the other hand, the implications of policies affecting tourism and the SDGs also rank among the key contributions. Specifically, the following are highlighted: inclusive policies supporting the achievement of SDG 8, eco-friendly policies under SDG 12, sustainability-focused policies aimed at achieving SDG 13, the integration of environmental protection into tourism policies to support SDG 15, and the promotion of peace through tourism policies and interfaith tourism as a contribution to SDG 16.

This study aimed to analyze research indexed in the WoS database on tourism’s contribution to achieving the SDGs, employing bibliometric indicators and content analysis techniques. By mapping the state of the art on tourism and the SDGs, the study identified influential works and highlighted both latent and emerging topics in this area. Unlike other bibliometric studies specific to tourism and SDGs (Fauzi, 2025; Rosato et al., 2021), this research broadens the temporal and thematic scope, adopting a novel approach focused on articles that examine tourism’s potential contributions to specific SDG targets. Additionally, it establishes links between the SDGs, their respective targets, and key proposals. While prior studies often limit their analyses to the frequency of SDG mentions, this research introduces a methodological framework, including a table, to systematically explore how tourism research aligns with the 2030 Agenda. This approach facilitates the identification of well-explored areas, research gaps, and potential future directions.

Addressing RQ1, the analysis observed a significant increase in scientific production on tourism and the SDGs since 2017, coinciding with the consolidation of the 2030 Agenda as a central research topic (Rasoolimanesh et al., 2020). This trend reflects increasing global interest in integrating sustainability within tourism research (Alonso-Muñoz et al., 2023; de Bruyn et al., 2023; Mihalic et al., 2021; Molina-Collado et al., 2022; Moyle et al., 2020). Spain and China emerged as leaders in publication volume, likely due to Spain’s global ranking as a top tourist destination (UNWTO, 2023) and China’s rapid economic growth and sustainability initiatives (UNWTO, 2017). New Zealand stood out in terms of research quality, exemplified by influential authors such as C. M. Hall and R. Scheyvens. This study also highlights the growing and previously underrepresented contribution of authors from developing countries, indicating an emerging academic interest in tourism’s contribution to SDGs from previously underrepresented regions.

Regarding RQ2, C. M. Hall, R. Scheyvens, and K. A. Boluk emerged as the most influential authors. Hall’s (2019) “Constructing Sustainable Tourism Development: The 2030 Agenda and the Managerial Ecology of Sustainable Tourism” was the most cited, nearly doubling those of the second most influential study, Boluk et al.’s (2019) “A Critical Framework for Interrogating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 Agenda in Tourism”. Scheyvens and Biddulph’s (2017) “Inclusive Tourism Development” also stood out among highly cited works. Journal of Sustainable Tourism and Sustainability were identified as key publication platforms, with Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes also demonstrating high specialization and relevance. The comparison between journals’ overall output and their thematic specialization in tourism and sustainability constitutes a novel methodological contribution.

The bibliometric analysis addressed RQ3 by highlighting dominant areas in tourism and the SDGs. Destination management models and ecotourism emerged as significant yet underexplored topics. Destination management seeks to balance sustainability and competitiveness through innovative resource use aligned with SDG 12. Ecotourism promotes environmental conservation and community well-being, aligning with global sustainability priorities (Ruhanen et al., 2015). The increased focus on SDG 12 may reflect its emphasis on collaboration among businesses, organizations, and consumers.

Conversely, SDG 14, especially in island tourism, remains less developed, showing minimal representation among identified targets by UNWTO (2015).

Topics identified previously by Fauzi (2025) and Rosato et al. (2021), such as tourism impact management, were confirmed. Fauzi (2025) highlighted tourism’s impacts on natural, social, and economic environments, sustainability indicators, and best practices. Seven mainstream topics emerged from the strategic analysis.

Research focus has shifted from economic issues (SDG 8 and SDG 12) to integrated areas such as environmental impact, ecotourism, gender equity, and inclusive tourism. Growing urgency around climate change and resource conservation underscores the importance of these topics. The COVID-19 pandemic further underscores the need for resilient and inclusive approaches to sustainable tourism. Unlike Fauzi (2025) and Rosato et al. (2021), this study found decreasing attention to SDG 8 and SDG 12, suggesting researchers are now focusing on other sustainability dimensions.

Addressing RQ4, climate change adaptation emerged prominently, alongside ecotourism and stakeholder management, highlighting tourism’s potential to support environmental conservation and responsible practices. The importance of climate resilience strategies and adaptive capacity within tourism destinations has also been increasingly recognized, reflecting heightened awareness of the sector’s vulnerability to climate-related risks. Furthermore, studies have emphasized the crucial role of effective stakeholder engagement and governance structures to ensure successful implementation of sustainable practices and policies, underscoring the necessity of collaboration among local communities, industry stakeholders, and policymakers (Boluk et al., 2019; Hall, 2019).

In response to RQ5 and RQ6, the analysis revealed that SDGs 8 and 12 are most frequently cited in the tourism context, particularly targets 8.5 (productive employment) and 12.b (sustainability monitoring tools), aligning with previous studies on tourism’s role in economic growth and sustainable consumption (Moyle et al., 2020; UNWTO, 2015). Other notable targets include 1.3 (social protection systems) and 2.1 (food security), highlighting tourism’s capacity to alleviate poverty and hunger in developing regions (Ruhanen et al., 2015). Additional targets such as 5.c (gender equality policies) and 6.4 (water efficiency) further emphasize tourism’s broader contributions to sustainability, although research gaps exist in targets 8.9 (sustainable tourism policies) and 14.7 (marine tourism) (Rosato et al., 2021).

Digitalization and automation emerged as key strategies for advancing these targets, especially in reducing food and water waste (targets 2.1, 6.4), protecting cultural heritage (target 11.4), and monitoring environmental impacts (target 12.b), aligning with recent trends highlighting innovation as a driver of sustainable tourism (Fauzi, 2025).

The study found greater emphasis on developing countries due to the explicit inclusion of these countries in 16 of the 17 SDGs (except SDG 5) and the significant impact of tourism in generating employment and income in the Global South (UNWTO, 2023). This contrasts with findings by Rasoolimanesh et al. (2020), who highlighted a previous research focus on developed countries regarding sustainable tourism indicators, suggesting a possible shift in priorities since 2018.

However, it remains essential to evaluate tourism commitments in developed countries, particularly regarding SDGs tied to economic growth, such as health (SDG 3), water efficiency (SDG 6), reducing food waste and promoting ecotourism (SDG 12), and marine and terrestrial conservation (SDGs 14 and 15). Expanding the geographic scope of research would ensure a balanced understanding of tourism’s contributions to the 2030 Agenda (UNWTO and UNDP, 2017).

Finally, the analysis emphasizes the importance of policies, governance, and stakeholder engagement in aligning tourism with the SDGs, highlighting measures such as market regulation and sustainable initiatives consistent with Boluk et al. (2019) and Hall (2019).

This study contributes to bibliometric analyses on tourism and the SDGs by addressing multiple knowledge domains and examining the SDGs in an integrated manner, an approach not addressed in earlier bibliometric studies (Fauzi, 2025; Rosato et al., 2021). In particular, this analysis highlights important implications that suggest future lines of investigation, as detailed below.

First, new research topics emerged, such as models of action at tourism destinations, ecotourism, and gender perspectives in tourism. While gender perspectives were included under the non-financial performance cluster in Rosato et al. (2021), they were not explored as an independent research theme.

Second, the study identifies mainstream topics reflecting current research trends, including tourism impact management, ecotourism, tourism image perceptions, innovations in consumption and emissions management, sustainable development communication via social networks, and reducing tourism pressures in developing countries.

Third, there is increased attention to tourism’s contribution to SDGs in developing countries, highlighting the ethical commitment to sustainable growth with global implications.

Fourth, despite increased publications on tourism and the SDGs, specific SDGs are rarely explicitly addressed. Future research should clarify the relationships by directly linking tourism actions to specific SDG targets.

Fifth, this study reinforces tourism’s interdisciplinary nature, highlighting its connections to environmental conservation, social inclusion, and economic development, suggesting future research integrate these areas more extensively.

Sixth, the methodological framework combining bibliometric and content analysis with tools like SDG Mapper provides a replicable approach for exploring SDG alignment in other sectors, such as agriculture, energy, or healthcare.

Finally, this study identifies research gaps in tourism’s contributions to SDG 3, SDG 4, and SDG 14. Future studies could explore the development of tourism destinations that promote health, such as wellness tourism, spa destinations, or outdoor sports activities, assessing their benefits for stress reduction, physical activity, and mental health. Similarly, investigations could examine the role of tourism in education and environmental awareness, focusing on how tourist destinations can function as educational spaces for visitors and local communities in marine conservation and sustainable resource management.

As society takes on a more active role in promoting global sustainability, all economic sectors must collaborate to meet the challenges set by the 2030 Agenda. Growing consumer demand for sustainability significantly influences destination and establishment choices. Emerging motor themes such as authenticity, social media, and sustainable development highlight intangible factors like perceived authenticity and customer satisfaction as crucial for tourism strategies. Tourism businesses should leverage social media to effectively communicate their sustainability initiatives, as it is a key channel for engaging customers.

This study emphasizes proactive tourism sector actions toward the SDGs, highlighting the importance of managing impacts and coordinating effective governance. Niche topics, such as microentrepreneurship promoting biodiversity, remain relevant, and public policies should support small businesses implementing sustainable practices. Strategic planning should foster biodiversity, reduce consumption and emissions, and encourage ecotourism, inclusion, and decent work.

Additionally, tourism businesses and destinations should implement robust monitoring systems to track contributions to specific SDG targets, ensuring transparency and continuous improvement. Tools like sustainability scorecards or certifications could provide measurable indicators to assess the impact of tourism activities on sustainability goals. Clearly linking tourism activities to specific SDGs enhances accountability and helps measure progress effectively within 2030 Agenda.

This study has several methodological limitations. First, bibliometric analysis efficiently manages large data volumes and identifies research trends, but its accuracy depends heavily on the databases used. Incorporating qualitative assessments in future research could complement this quantitative approach by evaluating article quality and relevance. Additionally, this study provides a foundation for more detailed systematic analyses on tourism and SDGs.

Second, the study’s scope, focused specifically on tourism’s contribution to the SDGs, involved extensive paper filtering. Despite rigorous selection, minor errors in manual filtering may have occurred, potentially excluding relevant articles not explicitly addressing tourism or 2030 Agenda. Also, grouping synonyms and identifying latent topics might have unintentionally affected the clustering accuracy, influencing specific research area representations.

Third, limiting the analysis to articles published in English may have excluded significant research in languages such as Spanish and Chinese, potentially affecting representation from key tourism-focused regions like Spain and China. Including other languages could provide additional perspectives and enrich the findings.

Fourth, while analyzing specific SDG targets provided insights, limitations exist due to targets possibly being underrepresented or inaccurately linked if not explicitly mentioned. Automated tools like SDG Mapper may not fully capture the complexities of how tourism aligns with specific SDGs, potentially offering an incomplete view.

Finally, analyzing explicit SDG mentions serves mainly as an indicator of gaps in clearly linking tourism research to specific SDGs. Due to limited explicit SDG references in research articles, identifying well-explored and under-explored areas requires careful interpretation to avoid overgeneralizations.