Students’ Understanding about Sustainable Practices and Sustainable Tourism

Abstract

Students' understanding of sustainable practices and sustainable tourism is a crucial element in advancing a more responsible and future-oriented tourism industry. This study aims to provide a comprehensive review of how students perceive sustainability within the context of higher education, particularly in tourism-related fields. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach based on literature review, the study synthesizes academic sources to identify key themes shaping student understanding. The findings reveal that although students' awareness of sustainability is increasing, their comprehension often remains limited to environmental aspects and lacks balanced integration of social and economic dimensions. Moreover, curriculum design, pedagogical strategies, and institutional context significantly influence students' sustainability competencies. Therefore, higher education must adopt more transformative, participatory, and interdisciplinary approaches to empower students as change agents in promoting sustainable tourism practices.