Tourism is a burgeoning industry that drives economic development, supports conservation, and fosters cultural exchange; however, there are risks associated with mismanaged and unchecked tourism. Rapid recovery post-COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity to shift away from an unsustainable ‘business-as-usual' approach while mitigating negative impacts and preparing the industry for the challenges of a changing climate. This research aims to increase our understanding of tourism’s impacts, an essential step in guiding sustainable tourism management. We employ a systematic literature mapping methodology to synthesize 47 interdisciplinary works. Our results reveal 24 distinct impacts in six categories: Environmental, Social, Economic, Socio-economic-environmental, Socio-economic, and Socio-environmental. We present key themes intended to inform targeted management strategies and policy interventions. Environmental impacts, notably changes to biodiversity, were the most frequently documented concern. As such, we suggest an increased focus on the relationship between tourism and the environment and improved management and regulation to protect wildlife and communities impacted by tourism.
AlrawafTIAbubakarIRAlshabibiNM, et al. (2023) The distribution of ecotourism activities and potential consequences for the Saudi desert ecosystem. Journal of Arid Environments213: 104950. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2023.104950.
2.
AndersonLGRocliffeSHaddawayNR, et al. (2015) The role of tourism and recreation in the spread of non-native species: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One10(10): e0140833. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0140833.
3.
ArbulúILozanoJRey-MaquieiraJ (2015) Tourism and solid waste generation in Europe: a panel data assessment of the Environmental Kuznets Curve. Waste Management46: 628–636. DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2015.04.014.
4.
BalochQBShahSNIqbalN, et al. (2023) Impact of tourism development upon environmental sustainability: a suggested framework for sustainable ecotourism. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International30(3): 5917–5930. DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-22496-w.
5.
BellatoLFrantzeskakiNNygaardCA (2022) Regenerative tourism: a conceptual framework leveraging theory and practice. Tourism Geographies25: 1–21. DOI: 10.1080/14616688.2022.2044376.
6.
BenjaminSDilletteAAldermanDH (2020) ‘“We can’t return to normal”: committing to tourism equity in the post-pandemic age. Tourism Geographies22(3): 476–483. DOI: 10.1080/14616688.2020.1759130.
7.
BrtnickýMPecinaVGaliováMV, et al. (2020) The impact of tourism on extremely visited volcanic island: link between environmental pollution and transportation modes. Chemosphere249: 126118. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126118.
8.
BuckleyR (2011) Tourism and environment. Annual Review of Environment and Resources36(1): 397–416. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-environ-041210-132637.
9.
BuckleyR (2012) Sustainable tourism: research and reality. Annals of Tourism Research39(2): 528–546. DOI: 10.1016/j.annals.2012.02.003.
10.
BuckleyRCCastleyJGPegasFV, et al. (2012) A population accounting approach to assess tourism contributions to conservation of IUCN-redlisted mammal species. PLoS One7(9): e44134. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0044134.
11.
ButlerR (2018) Sustainable tourism in sensitive environments: a wolf in sheep’s clothing?Sustainability10(6): 1789. DOI: 10.3390/su10061789.
CarolinLLindsayAVictorW (2015) Sex trafficking in the tourism industry. Tourism Hospitality4(4): 166.
14.
CaustJVeccoM (2017) Is UNESCO World Heritage recognition a blessing or burden? Evidence from developing Asian countries. Journal of Cultural Heritage27: 1–9. DOI: 10.1016/j.culher.2017.02.004.
15.
ChaplinJBrabynL (2013) Using remote sensing and GIS to investigate the impacts of tourism on forest cover in the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal. Applied Geography43: 159–168. DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2013.06.008.
16.
ChiJ (2021) Revisiting the tourism-inequality nexus: evidence from a panel of developed and developing economies. Current Issues in Tourism24(6): 755–767. DOI: 10.1080/13683500.2020.1743243.
17.
CohenE (1978) The impact of tourism on the physical environment. Annals of Tourism Research5(2): 215–237. DOI: 10.1016/0160-7383(78)90221-9.
ComerioNStrozziF (2019) Tourism and its economic impact: a literature review using bibliometric tools. Tourism Economics25(1): 109–131. DOI: 10.1177/1354816618793762.
20.
DasMChatterjeeB (2015) Ecotourism: a panacea or a predicament?Tourism Management Perspectives14: 3–16. DOI: 10.1016/j.tmp.2015.01.002.
21.
FornariFGPAllisT (2022) The role of regionalism for tourism: an analysis of responses to covid-19 in the European union and the association of southeast Asian Nations. Turismo: Visão e Ação24(1): 2–24. DOI: 10.14210/rtva.v24n1.p2-24.
22.
GösslingSPeetersP (2015) Assessing tourism’s global environmental impact 1900–2050. Journal of Sustainable Tourism23(5): 639–659. DOI: 10.1080/09669582.2015.1008500.
23.
GounderACoxC (2021) Exploring the role of tourism dependency on COVID-19 induced economic shock in the Small Island Developing States. Current Issues in Tourism25: 1–18. DOI: 10.1080/13683500.2021.1989386.
24.
GretzelUSigalaMXiangZ, et al. (2015) Smart tourism: foundations and developments. Electronic Markets25(3): 179–188. DOI: 10.1007/s12525-015-0196-8.
25.
GundersenVVistadOIPanzacchiM, et al. (2019) Large-scale segregation of tourists and wild reindeer in three Norwegian national parks: management implications. Tourism Management75: 22–33. DOI: 10.1016/j.tourman.2019.04.017.
26.
HabibullahMSDinBHChongCW, et al. (2016) Tourism and biodiversity loss: implications for business sustainability. Procedia Economics and Finance35: 166–172. DOI: 10.1016/S2212-5671(16)00021-6.
27.
HaddawayNRMacuraBWhaleyP, et al. (2018) ROSES RepOrting standards for Systematic Evidence Syntheses: pro forma, flow-diagram and descriptive summary of the plan and conduct of environmental systematic reviews and systematic maps. Environmental Evidence7(1): 7. DOI: 10.1186/s13750-018-0121-7.
HallCM (2010a) Changing paradigms and global change: from sustainable to steady-state tourism. Tourism Recreation Research35(2): 131–143. DOI: 10.1080/02508281.2010.11081629.
30.
HallCM (2010b) Tourism and biodiversity: more significant than climate change?Journal of Heritage Tourism5(4): 253–266. DOI: 10.1080/1743873X.2010.517843.
IslamMWRuhanenLRitchieBW (2018) Adaptive co-management: a novel approach to tourism destination governance?Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management37: 97–106. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhtm.2017.10.009.
38.
IUCN WCPA (2021) Parks. The International Journal of Protected Areas and Conservation27(Special Issue): 41–55. DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.CH.2021PARKS-27SI.en.
39.
JenkinsISchröderR (eds) (2013) Sustainability in Tourism: A Multidisciplinary Approach. Wiesbaden: Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-8349-7043-5.
40.
JordanEJMooreJ (2018) An in-depth exploration of residents’ perceived impacts of transient vacation rentals. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing35(1): 90–101. DOI: 10.1080/10548408.2017.1315844.
41.
JunaidId’HauteserreA-M (2017) Collaborative schemes for anticipating negative impacts of the tourists’ visit. Tourism and Hospitality Management23(2): 279–294. DOI: 10.20867/thm.23.2.8.
42.
LenzenMSunYYFaturayF, et al. (2018) The carbon footprint of global tourism. Nature Climate Change8(6): 522–528. DOI: 10.1038/s41558-018-0141-x.
43.
LiLFengRXiJ, et al. (2023) Distinguishing the impact of tourism development on ecosystem service trade-offs in ecological functional zone. Journal of Environmental Management342: 118183. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118183.
44.
LiburdJDuedahlEHeapeC (2022) Co-designing tourism for sustainable development. Journal of Sustainable Tourism30(10): 2298–2317. DOI: 10.1080/09669582.2020.1839473.
45.
LiuT-MLuD-J (2014) The cultural and ecological impacts of aboriginal tourism: a case study on Taiwan’s Tao tribe. SpringerPlus3(1): 347. DOI: 10.1186/2193-1801-3-347.
46.
LiuAKimYRSongH (2022) Toward an accurate assessment of tourism economic impact: a systematic literature review. Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights3(2): 100054. DOI: 10.1016/j.annale.2022.100054.
47.
LvZXuT (2021) Tourism and environmental performance: new evidence using a threshold regression analysis. Tourism Economics29: 194–209. DOI: 10.1177/13548166211042450.
48.
LyTPNguyenTHH (2017) Application of carrying capacity management in Vietnamese national parks. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research22(10): 1005–1020. DOI: 10.1080/10941665.2017.1359194.
49.
MacNeillTWozniakD (2018) The economic, social, and environmental impacts of cruise tourism. Tourism Management66: 387–404. DOI: 10.1016/j.tourman.2017.11.002.
50.
MandićA (2019) Nature-based solutions for sustainable tourism development in protected natural areas: a review. Environment Systems and Decisions39(3): 249–268. DOI: 10.1007/s10669-019-09718-2.
51.
MaréchalLSempleSMajoloB, et al. (2016) Assessing the effects of tourist provisioning on the health of wild barbary macaques in Morocco. PLoS One11(5): e0155920. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155920.
52.
MontiFDuriezODominiciJ, et al. (2018) The price of success: integrative long-term study reveals ecotourism impacts on a flagship species at a UNESCO site. Animal Conservation21(6): 448–458. DOI: 10.1111/acv.12407.
53.
MunanuraIEBackmanKFSabuhoroE (2013) Managing tourism growth in endangered species’ habitats of Africa: Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Current Issues in Tourism16(7–8): 700–718. DOI: 10.1080/13683500.2013.785483.
54.
NopiyaniNMSWirawanIMA (2021) The impact of tourism on the quality of life of communities in tourist destination areas: a systematic review. Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences9(F): 129–136. DOI: 10.3889/oamjms.2021.5966.
55.
NordbøITurdumambetovBGulcanB (2018) Local opinions on trophy hunting in Kyrgyzstan. Journal of Sustainable Tourism26(1): 68–84. DOI: 10.1080/09669582.2017.1319843.
56.
NoriegaJAZapata-PriscoCGarcíaH, et al. (2020) Does ecotourism impact biodiversity? An assessment using dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) as bioindicators in a tropical dry forest natural park. Ecological Indicators117: 106580. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106580.
PandeyPDhimanMChopraP, et al. (2023) Investigating the role of tourists and impact of knowledge, behaviour, and attitude towards plastic waste generation. Circular Economy and Sustainability3(2): 1013–1027. DOI: 10.1007/s43615-022-00216-3.
59.
ParamatiSRAlamMSChenC-F (2017) The effects of tourism on economic growth and CO 2 emissions: a comparison between developed and developing economies. Journal of Travel Research56(6): 712–724. DOI: 10.1177/0047287516667848.
60.
PęksaŁCiachM (2015) Negative effects of mass tourism on high mountain fauna: the case of the Tatra chamois Rupicapra rupicapra tatrica. Oryx49(3): 500–505. DOI: 10.1017/S0030605313001269.
61.
PenterianiVLópez-BaoJVBettegaC, et al. (2017) Consequences of brown bear viewing tourism: a review. Biological Conservation206: 169–180. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2016.12.035.
62.
Pérez-JorgeSGomesIHayesK, et al. (2016) Effects of nature-based tourism and environmental drivers on the demography of a small dolphin population. Biological Conservation197: 200–208. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2016.03.006.
63.
PerkumienėDAtalayASafaaL, et al. (2023) Sustainable waste management for clean and safe environments in the recreation and tourism sector: a case study of Lithuania, Turkey and Morocco. Recycling8(4): 56. DOI: 10.3390/recycling8040056.
64.
PhillipsTTaylorJNarainE, et al. (2021) Selling Authentic Happiness: indigenous wellbeing and romanticised inequality in tourism advertising. Annals of Tourism Research87: 103115. DOI: 10.1016/j.annals.2020.103115.
65.
PostmaASchmueckerD (2017) Understanding and overcoming negative impacts of tourism in city destinations: conceptual model and strategic framework. Journal of Tourism Futures3(2): 144–156. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/JTF-04-2017-0022
66.
PullinASStewartGB (2006) Guidelines for systematic review in conservation and environmental management. Conservation Biology: The Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology20(6): 1647–1656. DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2006.00485.x.
67.
PurvisBMaoYRobinsonD (2019) Three pillars of sustainability: in search of conceptual origins. Sustainability Science14(3): 681–695. DOI: 10.1007/s11625-018-0627-5.
68.
RankinBLBallantyneMPickeringCM (2015) Tourism and recreation listed as a threat for a wide diversity of vascular plants: a continental scale review. Journal of Environmental Management154: 293–298. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2014.10.035.
69.
RizzoloJB (2021) Wildlife tourism and consumption. Journal of Sustainable Tourism31: 1–14. DOI: 10.1080/09669582.2021.1957903.
70.
Ruiz-GuerraIMolina-MorenoVCortés-GarcíaFJ, et al. (2019) Prediction of the impact on air quality of the cities receiving cruise tourism: the case of the Port of Barcelona. Heliyon5(3): e01280. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e01280.
71.
Saenz-de-MieraORossellóJ (2014) Modeling tourism impacts on air pollution: the case study of PM10 in Mallorca. Tourism Management40: 273–281. DOI: 10.1016/j.tourman.2013.06.012.
72.
Sánchez-QuilesDTovar-SánchezA (2015) Are sunscreens a new environmental risk associated with coastal tourism?Environment International83: 158–170. DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2015.06.007.
73.
Santy PaullaDWakhidahK (2020) Gentrification impact to the community’s quality of life in semarang old town. In: Warsito B, Sudarno, and Triadi Putranto T. E3S Web of Conferences. The 5thInternational Conference on Energy, Environmental and Information System (ICENIS 2020),Semarang, Indonesia. Vol. 202, p. 02004. DOI: 10.1051/e3sconf/202020202004.
74.
Schmidt-BurbachJRonfotDSrisangiamR (2015) Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), pig-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina) and tiger (Panthera tigris) populations at tourism venues in Thailand and aspects of their welfare. PLoS One10(9): e0139092. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139092.
75.
SchulerARPearsonHC (2019) Conservation benefits of whale watching in juneau, Alaska. Tourism in Marine Environments14(4): 231–248. DOI: 10.3727/154427319X15719404264632.
76.
ScottDGösslingS (2022a) A review of research into tourism and climate change - launching the annals of tourism research curated collection on tourism and climate change. Annals of Tourism Research95: 103409. DOI: 10.1016/j.annals.2022.103409.
77.
ScottDGösslingS (2022b) Destination net-zero: what does the international energy agency roadmap mean for tourism?Journal of Sustainable Tourism30(1): 14–31. DOI: 10.1080/09669582.2021.1962890.
78.
ShaffrilHAMSamahAAMazukiR (2024) A systematic literature review on the adaptation of women in fisheries-based families on climate change impacts. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences[Online First]. DOI: 10.1007/s13412-024-00963-9.
79.
ShahbazMBashirMFBashirMA, et al. (2021) A bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review of tourism-environmental degradation nexus. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International28(41): 58241–58257. DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-14798-2.
80.
SharmaREklundJBarnesM, et al. (2020) The impact of terrestrial protected areas on vegetation extent and condition: a systematic review protocol. Environmental Evidence9(1): 8. DOI: 10.1186/s13750-020-00191-y.
81.
SilvaFCDFerreira JúniorALArtoniRF, et al. (2020) Impact of feeding fish as a tourist attraction on a coral reef invertivorous fish’s diet and growth. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems30(12): 2327–2335. DOI: 10.1002/aqc.3398.
82.
SinghGHaddadKMChowCW (2007) Are articles in “top” management journals necessarily of higher quality?Journal of Management Inquiry16(4): 319–331. DOI: 10.1177/1056492607305894.
83.
TolvanenAKangasK (2016) Tourism, biodiversity and protected areas – review from northern Fennoscandia. Journal of Environmental Management169: 58–66. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2015.12.011.
84.
Twining-WardLLiWBhammarH, et al. (2018) Supporting Sustainable Livelihoods through Wildlife Tourism. Washington, DC: World Bank. DOI: 10.1596/29417.
85.
UddinHAhammedSRanaMM, et al. (2023) Investigating the relationship between environmental quality and tourism industry in Thailand. Environment, Development and Sustainability26(5): 12339–12365. DOI: 10.1007/s10668-023-03801-0.
86.
UNESCO (2025) Sustainable tourism UNESCO World heritage and sustainable tourism programme. Available at: https://whc.unesco.org/en/tourism/ (accessed 12 Mar 2025).
87.
van BeukeringPSarkisSvan der PuttenL, et al. (2015) Bermuda׳s balancing act: the economic dependence of cruise and air tourism on healthy coral reefs. Ecosystem Services11: 76–86. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoser.2014.06.009.
88.
VirtanenEAKallioNNurmiM, et al. (2024) Recreational land use contributes to the loss of marine biodiversity. People and Nature6(5): 1758–1773. DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10444.
WeaverDBLawtonL (1999) Sustainable Tourism: A Critical Analysis. Gold Coast, Qld. Australia: CRC for Sustainable Tourism (Research report series), Vol. 1.
91.
WilsonEHollinsheadK (2015) Qualitative tourism research: opportunities in the emergent soft sciences. Annals of Tourism Research54: 30–47. DOI: 10.1016/j.annals.2015.06.001.
92.
Word Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) (2024) Travel & tourism economic impact research. Available at: https://wttc.org/research/economic-impact (accessed 10 May 2025).
93.
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) (2010) Tourism and Biodiversity – Achieving Common Goals towards Sustainability. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). DOI: 10.18111/9789284413713.
94.
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) (2012) Tourism in the Green Economy – Background Report. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). DOI: 10.18111/9789284414529.
95.
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) (2019) Global Report on Women in Tourism. 2nd edition. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). DOI: 10.18111/9789284420384.
96.
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) (2020) International tourism highlights. DOI: 10.18111/9789284422456 (accessed 12 Mar 2025).
97.
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) (2021) UNWTO World tourism barometer and statistical annex, 2021. DOI: 10.18111/wtobarometereng.2021.19.1.1(accessed: 10 April 2022).
98.
World Tourism Organization (2025), World Tourism Barometer. Madrid: UN Tourism, Vol. 23, No. 1. DOI: 10.18111/wtobarometereng.
99.
ZhongLDengJSongZ, et al. (2011) Research on environmental impacts of tourism in China: progress and prospect. Journal of Environmental Management92(11): 2972–2983. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2011.07.011.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
