Public–Private Partnerships as Governance Mechanisms for Sustainable and Resilient Tourism Development: A Structured Literature Review

Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs) have increasingly gained attention within tourism development, particularly in environments shaped by fiscal limitations, growing infrastructure needs, and intensified sustainability challenges. Although existing scholarship frequently evaluates PPPs through perspectives centered on financial efficiency and risk-sharing mechanisms, their broader contribution to sustainable, resilient tourism remains insufficiently clarified both conceptually and empirically. This paper systematically reviews empirical studies to assess how PPP governance tools affect infrastructure delivery, environmental outcomes, and destination resilience.

Drawing from literature in public administration, tourism governance, and socio-ecological resilience studies, this review examines main theoretical frameworks, dominant methodological approaches, and identifies critical gaps. The findings reveal that most PPP-related research continues to prioritize economic efficiency and contractual performance, whereas dimensions associated with social inclusion, environmental adaptability, and long-term systemic resilience receive considerably less attention. In addition, empirical studies appear fragmented in methodological terms, while comparative and mixed-method research capable of explaining the influence of public–private collaboration on multidimensional sustainability outcomes remains limited.

The review highlights five critical gaps in the literature:

1. Theory gap — governance and sustainability are not integrated;

2. Measurement bias — studies over-rely on economic indicators for evaluation;

3. Methods — few comparative or mixed method studies exist;

4. Context — limited attention to institutional and contextual conditions;

5. Resilience — PPP governance models rarely include resilience principles.

By addressing these gaps, the paper argues that PPPs should be understood not solely as financing arrangements, but also as institutional governance mechanisms with the capacity to shape more sustainable, adaptive, and resilient tourism systems.

The study contributes to discussions on governance innovation and business excellence by emphasizing the need to develop tools that link partnership design to measurable outcomes, such as reduced energy use, more local jobs, or faster recovery after shocks.