Environmental Sustainability in Maritime Tourism: Current Research Trends, Gaps, and Future Directions

ABSTRACT Environmental sustainability in maritime tourism is receiving significant attention among academics and industry personnel. While numerous review studies have examined maritime tourism, few have systematically mapped the literature on environmental sustainability within this field. To address this gap, this study uses Bibliometrix and VOSviewer software to present a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of 385 scholarly publications from 1986 to 2025. The findings reveal a marked increase in publications after 2019, reflecting rising awareness of ecological challenges in maritime tourism. The thematic evolution indicates a shift from general maritime tourism research to emerging themes, including smart cruising, emission reduction, green technology, ecotourism, and green port infrastructure. Moreover, this study demonstrates both direct and partial alignment with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed by the UN. This study offers significant insights and implications for researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders while guiding future research on sustainable maritime tourism.