Centering Public Health and Community Consent in Tourism Post-COVID-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the travel and tourism sector more than any previous natural or human-caused event. Recognizing the pandemic as an opportunity for self-reflection, calls to action implore the sector to reimagine, reevaluate, and restructure tourism to be more sustainable, balanced, and equitable. Meanwhile, COVID-19 will exacerbate the public health and environmental risks of tourism, widening unjust health disparities between tourists and locals. In response, we offer a novel framework centering public health and community consent as a model for future research and programming in tourism.