Sustainable Development in Tourism: A Stakeholder Analysis of the Langhe Region

Abstract

The tourism literature has increasingly recognized the significance of various stakeholders on how a region should attempt to apply the principles of sustainable development. Based on stakeholder theory, the article aims to investigate how the business model in tourism that is used in Italy’s Langhe region is aligned to the promotion of a “sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work,” in accordance to the United Nations General Assembly 2030 agenda for sustainable development. The research employed a single case study approach, drawing on 36 semistructured interviews with key stakeholders in the region, and the findings show that a variety of stakeholders play an important role toward the sustainable development of the region. The various stakeholders were categorized as either internal or external, followed by the identification of definitive stakeholders. The article concludes with the managerial and theoretical implications of the findings and reports several future research directions.