Tourism, global crises and justice: rethinking, redefining and reorienting tourism futures

Abstract

Ours is an era of crises. Having weathered the recent COVID-19 global pandemic, we are confronted with numerous interconnected crises that challenge the global community. These crises bring with them issues of justice and injustice, as different populations are differentially impacted. Certainly, we have seen obstacles to success in Global North-South inequalities, power differentials and structural injustices. It is essential to consider how we may collaborate together to manage and transition through these multitude of problems. This is the context in which contemporary tourism must operate and play its role in seeking resolutions. This introduction to the Special Issue on “Tourism Global Crises and Justice”, critiques these contemporary issues and considers how we might transition tourism for more just, sustainable and equitable futures. Drawing on contributions to this Special Issue, in this article we bring together a discussion of pertinent themes that consider just transformations, issues of climate justice, diverse worldviews and knowledges, possibilities for solidarity through tourism, and concerns with power and decolonisation. In doing so, we propose a transdisciplinary analytical framework that can inform more just and equitable practices in tourism.