Regional Mountain Conference

The presentation critically discusses sustainability concepts and frameworks currently employed in tourism, such as the “UNWTO Statistical Framework for Measuring Sustainable Tourism” (Dwyer, 2024). Limitations and blind spots of an ethical nature are identified. Hence, after highlighting that ethics is at the heart of sustainable tourism (e.g. hospitality, care, justice, social innovations, environmental protection), the presentation reflects on contemporary understandings of ethics in tourism (Fennell, 2019; Lüfter, 2025). The proposition is made that fundamental misconceptions of moral and ethics hinder sustainable tourism to unfold its true ethical potential. Following philosopher Brodbeck (2003), the presentation reflects on the very foundations of ethics and morality. By so doing, ethical deficiencies of the Cartesian thinking form and of Popper’s critical empiricism are stressed and shown to dominate contemporary (tourism) science (Fuchs, 2023). However, also promising research trajectories of major ethical frameworks in tourism are demonstrated (Akhoundoghli & Boluk 2025). Finally, the unique sustainability strategy of the South Tyrolean destination of St. Vigil in Enneberg, certified by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), is described. The distinctive feature of this sustainability strategy is that it is based on 16 ethical values identified and progressively refined through engagement in local participatory dialogue platforms. These ethical values ​​are thus embraced and actively practiced by all stakeholder groups of the destination, including guests (Runggaldier, 2024).

• Akhoundoghli, M & Boluk, K (2025). An examination of Degrowth Frameworks: Localizing, Socializing and Regenerative Tourism, Tourism Analysis, 30(1): 23-43.
• Brodbeck, K-H. (2003). Ethik und Moral: Eine kritische Einführung, Verlag BWT, Würzburg.
• Dwyer, L. (2024). Measuring the sustainability of tourism: New wine in an old bottle? Sustainability, 16, 5867.
• Fennell, D.A. (2019). Sustainability Ethics in Tourism: The Imperative Next Imperative, Tourism Recreation Research, 44(1), 117-130.
• Fuchs, M (2023). A Post-Cartesian Economic and Buddhist view on tourism, Annals of Tourism Research, 103, 688, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2023.103688
• Lüfter, R. (2025). Kritik der Nachhaltigkeit: Eine Übung, Eudia, 19(19), 1-16
• Runggaldier, C. (2024). San Vigilio–Sustainable tourism destination expressed as a model of living-values, Free University of Bolzano-Bozen (26.11.2024).