Abstract
The aim of this chapter is to present the state of the art of academic research in the intersection between circular economy and tourism, trying to identify the approaches used by authors when studying the application of circular economy principles and initiatives in the tourism industry. For this purpose, a systematic search in ISI Web of Science and Scopus databases was performed. The characterization of research carried out in this field, with both a bibliometric and bibliographic analysis, is offered, presenting a detailed picture of the content of the research carried out in the abovementioned intersection, synthesizing what has been done so far. To conclude, a research agenda is proposed to develop this still understudied domain.
TopConceptual Framework
Circular Economy is not a new concept. According to Hens at al. (2018), it dates back to late 1970s and has been shaped by a number of schools of thought such as “regenerative design”, “industrial ecology” and “cradle to cradle”. For these authors, it is a generic term for economic, technological and policy guidelines striving to (better) close material loops and to make the economy less resource-dependent.
It is important to note that Circular Economy, within the paradigm of sustainability, represents a model shift intended to replace the traditional Linear Economy (take-make-use-dispose), with deep repercussions at both production and consumption levels during this transition, that is, in how to use scarce resources in a smarter way. It is assumed that without circularity in the use of limited resources (in other words, without decoupling economic growth, resources consumption and environmental impact) a sustainable development cannot exist. Nonetheless, it is fair to recognize that the loops of materials cannot be closed indefinitely (always with zero losses or waste), which means that, in practice, this new model won't be totally circular, but it aims to be as close as possible to that desideratum.
Although a consensus within the scientific community doesn't exist yet with regard to its definition, the CE model is inspired by the cycles of ecological systems, trying to eliminate waste generation. In this line, in the Circular Economy Package Report issued in Brussels on 4 March 2019 by the European Commission, it is said that: “In a circular economy the value of products and materials is maintained for as long as possible; waste and resources use are minimised, and they are kept within the economy when a product has reached the end of its life, to be used again and again to create further value”1. In short, according to Ten Brink et al. (2017), the CE “is about keeping resources and their value in the economy and avoiding them becoming waste. This requires actions ranging from upstream product innovation to downstream waste and recycling infrastructure, as well as engagement by governments, businesses and citizens”.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Circular Tourism Economy (or Tourism Circular Economy): The application of circular economy principles to tourism companies and destinations.
Circular Economy: Economic model oriented to eliminate waste generation, reuse/recycle products and materials, reduce as much as possible resources consumption as well as other actions to close material loops and, in sum, minimize the environmental impact.
Web of Science: A tool for scientific production evaluation based on citations; owned by Clarivate Analytics, this platform collects the main scientific publications in any knowledge discipline together with their references.
Scopus: Multidisciplinary bibliographic database owned by Elsewier, one of the main international publishers of scientific journals; it also provides bibliometric analyses of publications.
Circular Economy Principles: Originally known as the 3R’s (reduce, reuse, and recycle), others have been added over time, such as redesign, repair, refurbish, recover, and others.
Bibliometric Analysis: Analysis of a set of publications in a certain domain based on quantitative indicators such as its evolution over time, number of citations, most prolific authors, etc.
Bibliographic Analysis: A content analysis of the publications identified in a certain field of study.