Circular economy and the twin transition in the tourism industry: A systematic literature review

Abstract

Tourism generates substantial waste and resource pressure, and the shift toward a circular economy (CE) increasingly intersects with digitalization, a combination known as the twin transition. This study reviews how the tourism industry has approached circular practices and the twin transition. A systematic literature review was conducted using Scopus, with a search string combining twin transition or circular economy with tourism and covering all years up to October 2025. From 518 peer reviewed articles identified, 32 were retained after screening for language, full text availability, duplicates, and relevance, and these were analyzed by two authors using content analysis. Publication output has grown since 2015, with Italy, Spain, and China among the most active contributing countries. The reviewed literature focuses mainly on waste management, particularly food waste, and on consumer behavior, while digital technologies are comparatively underrepresented and studies that link digital and circular strategies directly are scarce. The paper argues that managing the twin transition in tourism requires coordinated policy, targeted financial support, training for tourism professionals, and collaboration among destinations, businesses, and governments. It proposes future research on skills and competencies for circular and digital tourism, regional differences, tourist behavior, and the employment effects of the twin transition. The findings are limited by reliance on a single database and English language publications.