Sustainable tourism: A critical assessment of Target 9.8

This critical assessment unpacks SDG 8 and in particular Target 8.9 – especially in terms of its indicators – to determine how the growth approach to tourism development has led to many conflicts with other SDGs, as well as causing a number of negative impacts from a social and environmental perspective (pre-COVID-19). Specific challenges related to the growth paradigm are presented and discussed in relation to Target 8.9 and its indicators. This includes both overtourism and precarious employment in tourism. Furthermore, the chapter points out research avenues that might offer potential pathways (post-COVID-19) to develop tourism towards more sustainable trajectories within Target 8.9 while respecting the environmental and social limits of a planet with finite resources. This includes paradigm shifts from, for example, a growth orientation to a stewardship orientation or from a shareholder orientation to a stakeholder orientation. The focus is on governance and the formalisation of tourism work, education, and training to create more sustainable tourism growth and reach the targets of multiple SDGs.