Circular Economy in tourism: Overview of recent developments in research

Authors

• Sanna-Mari Renfors Satakunnan ammattikorkeakoulu

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33351/mt.114834

Keywords:

Circular Economy, Circular Tourism, circular economy practices, sustainable tourism development, tourism SMEs

Abstract

The article provides a review of the recent developments and trends in the research on Circular Economy (CE) in tourism and identifies possible research gaps. CE is becoming one of the hot topics in tourism research due to its increased importance in policymaking, especially in Europe. However, the review shows that research on CE in tourism is in its early stages. The studies have mainly focused on CE in tourism at the micro level from environmental and business management perspectives especially in hotels and restaurants. In addition, emerging research themes include circular consumption behaviour, CE and smart tourism, cooperation and networking with the local supply chain as well as circular tourism destination development. Thus, tourism scholars are encouraged to shift their perspective more from micro to macro level to get a holistic picture of CE in tourism. The article outlines some ideas for a research agenda on CE in tourism.