From aspirations of citizen power to the persistence of tokenism: a systematic review of citizen participation in destination governance

Amid increasing democratic vulnerabilities and eroding trust in public institutions, citizen participation has become a matter of paramount societal importance. This study presents the view that citizen participation is a foundational element of future-oriented destination governance, yet remains marginalized compared with its central positioning in the theory of regional governance. This disparity is traced to the disciplinary origins of destination governance, rooted primarily in the economic discourse with a short-term emphasis on competitiveness and market efficiency over long-term societal interests. The study examines the rationale for integrating citizen participation into destination governance through a narrative review and assesses the extent to which participatory processes enable meaningful citizen engagement through a systematic review of 59 studies, using Arnstein's Ladder of Citizen Participation as an underlying framework. Two complementary rationales are identified, corresponding to a socio-spatial perspective, which views destinations as dynamic living spaces shaped by interactions among local communities, visitors, and other stakeholders; and an economic perspective, which positions citizens as co-creators of tourism value and emphasizes the long-term potential of participation to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of destination governance. Findings of the systematic review reveal that citizen participation remains largely tokenistic, without genuine redistribution of decision-making power. Participatory processes vary considerably in duration and design, spanning from one-time initiatives to institutionalized mechanisms embedded within governance structures. While the study provides an integrated understanding of citizen participation in destination governance, its scope is bounded by the nature of a systematic review. Advancing citizen participation in destination governance requires replacing rhetorical commitment with targeted power-sharing and transparent information flows, underpinned by political goodwill that enables local communities to responsibly co-determine the future development of destinations that simultaneously serve as their living spaces.