Responsibility, Responsible Tourism, and Our Response
Following the COVID-19 crisis, responsibility in the relaunching and development of tourism is crucial to recovery. This editorial reviews the concept of responsibility and its role in tourism. Evidence from research and practice suggests that responsible tourism, which is a broad concept encompassing individual behaviours and organizational roles that promote sustainability, is increasingly critical and even urgent in the (post-) pandemic era. The tourism sector’s responses to the current pandemic are evident in the higher priority assigned to responsible tourism at the individual, destination, and policy levels. It is imperative that scholars now recognise and leverage the need for responsible tourism, not only in research but also in education and training that shapes future responsible tourism practitioners.
Keywords: responsibility, responsible tourism, sustainable tourism, pandemic