Sustainability Struggle: Challenges and Issues in Managing Sustainability and Environmental Protection in Local Tourism Destinations Practices—An Overview

Zorica Đurić, Drago Cvijanović, Vita Petek () and Jasna Potočnik Topler
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Zorica Đurić: Faculty of Finance, Banking and Auditing, Alfa BK University, Bulevar Marsala Tolbuhina 8i, Palmira Toljatija 3, 11070 Belgrade, Serbia
Drago Cvijanović: Faculty of Hotel Management and Tourism in Vrnjačka Banja, University of Kragujevac, Vojvođanska 5a, 36210 Vrnjačka Banja, Serbia
Vita Petek: Faculty of Tourism, University of Maribor, Slomškov trg 15, 2000, Maribor/Cesta Prvih Borcev 36, 8250 Brežice, Slovenia
Jasna Potočnik Topler: Faculty of Tourism, University of Maribor, Slomškov trg 15, 2000, Maribor/Cesta Prvih Borcev 36, 8250 Brežice, Slovenia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 15, 1-26

Abstract: This article aims to explore and analyze current issues and features of environmental protection in managing local tourism destinations based on the principles of sustainable development through the relevant literature and thus to provide an insight into major environmental measures and activities that should be implemented in practice, emphasizing the importance of environmental sustainability as a key factor in the development and success of local tourist destinations in today’s business environment. Qualitative methods were used, with the literature review based on content analysis by keywords. This particularly affects the business process efficiency and the participation of destination stakeholders and in many cases leads to a low level of environmentally sustainable destination practices. In addition to this theoretical approach, this study also has direct managerial implications for destination environmental business operations. An attractive and well-preserved environment is the primary factor of tourism and local tourism destination development and its success, as well as an integrated part of the tourism product. This study addresses a critical gap in the existing literature on environmental sustainability at local destinations, where prior work has often overlooked the integration of actionable, practice-oriented frameworks tailored for both researchers and practitioners. While theoretical insights into sustainable practices abound, there remains a scarcity of holistic analyses that bridge scholarly understanding with implementable strategies for on-the-ground application. To fill this void, our research provides a comprehensive overview and systematic analysis of current practices, with targeted emphasis on co-developing scalable frameworks for improving environmentally sustainable practices at local destinations.

Keywords: destination management; sustainability; tourism destination; local destinations; tourism stakeholders; environmental protection; communication; actions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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