Critical tourism studies in Argentina in the post-normal: epistemological resistance, environmental justice and emergent paradigms in scholarship

Purpose This paper examines the emergence and evolution of critical tourism studies (CTS) in Argentina, arguing that Argentine scholarship constitutes a distinctive Southern epistemological formation rather than a delayed adoption of Northern critical frameworks. Design/methodology/approach Conceptual paper based on a critical review of Spanish- and English-language scholarship, institutional sources and Argentine tourism research published between 2000 and 2025. Findings Argentine CTS evolved from social geography and territorial analysis toward political economy, environmental justice, decoloniality and tourism epistemology, producing locally grounded theoretical perspectives that challenge epistemological dependency. Research limitations/implications The purposive selection of predominantly Spanish-language scholarship limits comprehensiveness. Future research should systematically compare Argentine CTS with critical tourism traditions across Latin America and other Global South contexts. Social implications Recognizing Argentine CTS can strengthen epistemological diversity, support locally grounded tourism policies and challenge unequal knowledge hierarchies affecting communities, territories and tourism development. Originality/value The paper conceptualizes Argentine CTS as an epistemologically productive Southern tradition, proposing a shift from knowledge transfer toward polycentric dialogue between Northern and Southern tourism scholarship.