A systematic literature review on tourism-related sustainability concepts with emphasis on sustainable transformation

Abstract

In the academic discourse on tourism, the concepts of sustainable transformation and sustainable transition have recently emerged alongside the more established notions of sustainable development, sustainability, and sustainable tourism. However, these terms are often used inconsistently—interchangeably or as distinct constructs—creating conceptual ambiguity and confusion within the literature. The literature has tended to explore these concepts in isolation rather than in an integrative manner. To address this ambiguity, this study builds on existing research and aims to contribute to conceptual clarification. Employing the CAD (collection, analysis, and discussion of data) framework, a systematic literature review was conducted to analyse the contribution of the concept of sustainable transformation to the sustainability discourse in tourism. A total of 437 articles related to sustainability and tourism from 2015 to 2025 were compiled from the Web of Science and Scopus databases. The results show an increasing number of tourism-related sustainability papers that employ different sustainability concepts yet share similar underlying principles. Among these concepts, sustainable transformation represents an emerging trend. It denotes radical change and is often used in spatial contexts, highlighting transformation as simultaneously systemic and disruptive.