From Greenwashing to Circularity: The Strategic Role of Marketing and Digital Technologies in Sustainable Tourism

Abstract

This paper addresses the research gap on how marketing leverages digital technologies to enable circular economy transitions in tourism. Guided by Stakeholder Theory, it examines how artificial intelligence, blockchain, and digital platforms reshape sustainable value creation, accountability, and collaborative governance within Spain's tourism sector. A qualitative case study combining content analysis and 25 semistructured interviews with executives and international tourists reveals that blockchain verification mitigates greenwashing, AI personalizes sustainability-aligned travel, and platforms like España Accesible (Accessible Spain) enhance inclusivity. The study extends Stakeholder Theory into digitally mediated contexts and conceptualizes circular marketing as a mechanism linking technology, ethics, and stakeholder co-creation.