Objective: To identify the main models, methods, and indicators used in recent academic literature to assess sustainability in tourist destinations and to systematize advances, trends, and research gaps. Theoretical Framework: The study is grounded in debates on sustainable tourism, indicator systems, and territorial governance, articulating classical contributions (UNWTO, Sachs, Hanai) with contemporary approaches focused on climate resilience, environmental justice, and adaptive planning. Method: A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted following the SPAR-4-SLR protocol, with searches in Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO and Google Scholar covering the period 2019–2024. The core corpus comprises fifteen recent studies (2019–2024), complemented by foundational works published before 2019, which are treated as structuring references and incorporated into the TCCM-based mapping. Results and Discussion: The results indicate the predominance of hybrid arrangements combining environmental, social, economic, and institutional indicators; the strengthening of the institutional dimension and local governance; and a clear association between the use of indicators, social participation, and the incorporation of results into the public policy cycle. Gaps remain in urban and island contexts, in the standardization of sociocultural constructs, and in the transparency of weighting and aggregation rules in composite indices. Research Implications: The study provides a replicable operational map of models and indicators, guidelines for methodological transparency and territorial validation, and an applied agenda for future research. Originality/Value: This SLR integrates the SPAR-4-SLR protocol with the TCCM framework in a specific domain, sustainability assessment in tourism, producing an analytical synthesis that articulates theory, constructs, context, and methodology, with a focus on municipal management and decision-making in tourist destinations.
Silva et al. (Thu,) studied this question.