Journal of Sustainable Tourism

Sustainable Luxury Tourism: Opportunities, Tensions, and Impacts

Luxury tourism is expected to grow faster than any other industry segment (Fortune Business Insights, 2023; McKinsey, 2024). In this vein, and although scholarship on luxury tourism has expanded in recent years (e.g., Luna-Cortés et al., 2022), much of this work focuses on its economic dimensions, often overlooking its broader sustainable, social and ethical implications. The relationship between sustainability and luxury tourism has received increasing attention in recent years (Poelina and Nordensvard, 2018; Peng & Chen, 2019; Amatulli et al., 2021; Legrand, 2020; Han, H., Lee & Koo, 2021), yet we know little about what “sustainable luxury” actually means, given the tension between exclusivity and responsible resource use (Kapferer & Michaut-Denizeau, 2014; Moscardo, 2017; Athwal et al., 2019; Poelina and Nordensvard, 2018). Furthermore, while many luxury tourists express concern for sustainability, there remains limited empirical evidence on how such concerns translate into actual decision-making or on the trade-offs they are willing to accept (Juvan, & Dolnicar, 2014; Line & Hanks, 2016; Peng, & Chen, 2019; Ullström et al., 2023). 

At the same time, the experiences of local communities and workers are largely overlooked, pointing to a broader gap around social inequality. Much of the discussion remains focused on minimizing environmental harm, with less attention given to how luxury tourism might actively support more regenerative and inclusive forms of sustainable development. For instance, luxury tourism/hospitality can amplify inequalities, concentrating wealth and privilege within exclusive enclaves while placing disproportionate burdens on local communities, ecosystems, and labour (Higgins-Desbiolles, 2018). These tensions between luxury value and impact raise critical questions about who benefits from luxury tourism, who is excluded, and how its growth reshapes societal dynamics, cultural authenticity, and environmental sustainability (Han et al., 2021; Filimonau et al., 2023). Additionally, technological innovation adds further complexity. Artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, and other immersive tools are transforming how sustainable luxury is produced, mediated, and consumed (Gonçalves et al., 2024). These technologies may democratize access and enhance personalization, yet they also raise concerns about authenticity, cultural representation, and digital exclusion (e.g., Shin et al., 2022; Flavián et al., 2021), Finally, there is also a lack of robust methods for assessing the real environmental and social impacts of luxury tourism, while questions about the role of technology are only starting to surface, particularly concerning its environmental footprint and issues of access and inequality (Frederick et al., 2024). Given the inherently complex nature of sustainable luxury tourism, the aforementioned gaps hinder a broader understanding of how it can generate value for various stakeholders. 

This Special Issue aims to advance knowledge and debate on sustainable luxury tourism by inviting research that explores how it is defined, experienced, and measured in today’s global environment (e.g., Tung & Ritchie, 2011; Von Wallpach et al., 2020) and across various contexts (e.g., Christodoulides et al., 2025; Ullström et al., 2023; Koo et al., 2023; Shin et al., 2022; Peng & Chen, 2019; Khan & Rahman, 2017; Line & Hanks, 2016). We also encourage studies of emerging forms of luxury travel, including wellness, medical, and experiential travel, which bring to the fore new environmental concerns and tensions such as the commodification of care and inequalities in access to health and well-being (e.g., Klaus, 2018). Finally, this special issue aims to advance our understanding of the tensions inherent in luxury tourism by examining both its aspirational appeal and its darker sides, including environmental degradation, overtourism, cultural appropriation, and labor exploitation (Pan et al., 2025). Research on sustainable luxury tourism, whether theoretical, conceptual, or empirical, is encouraged, particularly those that adopt holistic approaches and connect sustainable luxury theory with practical applications. We also particularly welcome mixed-method and multi-method submissions. We will also prioritise studies focusing on more than one country and culture, as well as those with a longitudinal approach.  

Indicative Themes (not exhaustive):

• Designing and conceptualizing sustainable luxury tourism experiences
• Luxury tourism consumption practices and sustainable behaviors
• Emerging forms of luxury tourism through a sustainability lens
• Cultural authenticity and heritage in sustainable luxury experiences
• Personalization, exclusivity, and sustainability tensions in luxury tourism
• Storytelling, experience design, and sustainability communication
• The environmental and social “dark sides” of luxury tourism
• Local communities, inclusion, and social value creation in sustainable luxury tourism
• Labor practices and working conditions in sustainable luxury hospitality
• Destination branding, image, and sustainable luxury positioning
• Stakeholder collaboration and governance in sustainable luxury tourism
• Sustainable luxury within tourism ecosystems and power dynamics

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