Toward a circular tourism industry: the importance of a start-up ecosystem

PurposeThis paper contributes to addressing the research gap relating to the absence of a systematic analysis as to how new technologies can support the application of circular economic principles in the tourism industry through the promotion and articulation of a start-up ecosystem able to feed tourism organizations with circular economy solutions.Design/methodology/approachA sample from a population of start-ups, mainly Spanish, linked to the circular economy was gathered and analyzed; in addition to secondary data, a survey was designed and administered for the purpose of primary tourism industry data collection.FindingsA holistic start-up ecosystem for circular tourism is taking shape, facilitated by interactions between tourism and other economic activities, with the aim of tackling a diversity of circular economic objectives. The interest from start-ups in the circular economy for tourism seems to be rising, with attention given to certain technologies in line with the trend toward digitization and automation processes. Nevertheless, the potential for growth in the application of Technology 4.0 remains significant. Finally, the circular principle of reduction (energy and food waste) has emerged as a key objective in tourism.Originality/valueThe article provides insights on the application of circular economic principles in tourism through its interaction with a specialized start-up ecosystem able to support a paradigm shift toward circular tourism.