Stakeholder theory and the sustaninable recovery of the tourism sector

Stakeholder theory has been applied in the traditional disciplines of business, as well as, in tourism research. This article presents a review of stakeholder theory, putting emphasis on instrumental stakeholder theory, and it presents the application of stakeholder theory to tourism research. It continues with a description of the current situation of the tourism industry and outlines the value of stakeholder theory in the recovery of the tourism sector. It is affirmed that the principles of instrumental stakeholder theory are capable of creating competitive advantage and social welfare. In order to attain both, stakeholder work needs to be performed and stakeholder engagement needs to be undertaken. It is argued that instrumental stakeholder theory might be very helpful for the sustainable recovery of the tourism sector after the pandemic.