Objective:

To identify in the approaches in the scientific literature under which the study of sustainability in tourism has been approached with the purpose of revealing the scope and limitations in its understanding and possibilities of intervention in the destinations in which this activity is practiced.

Methodology:

Documentary review of articles between 2018 and 2023 in the repository of the Scientific Information System Network of Scientific Journals of Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain, and Portugal (Redalyc); in journals included in the SCImago Journal & Country Rank index and on the SpringerLink platform.

Results:

The economic approach to sustainability in tourism is predominant; in contrast, the cosmovision of communities in their society-nature relationship as a contributor to sustainability has been scarcely studied.

Limitations:

The hegemonic approach to tourism perpetuates the inclusion of communities for purely economic purposes under a sustainable discourse.

Conclusions:

It is necessary to reinforce this line of research as part of the cultural dimension, which delves into the human-nature understanding and which, in empirical terms, favors the integration of communities in tourism strategies with sustainable purposes.

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