A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW OF SUSTAINABILITY APPROACHES IN RECREATION MANAGEMENT

Abstract

This study systematically examined how the concept of sustainability has been addressed in recreation management across managerial, environmental, social, and behavioral dimensions by reviewing studies published between 2018 and 2025. Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, searches were conducted in Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and TR Dizin databases, yielding 412 records and seven additional sources. After removing 52 duplicates, 62 full-text articles were assessed, and 18 met the inclusion criteria for analysis. Data were analyzed using open and axial coding in Microsoft Excel and NVivo 14, with inter-coder reliability measured at κ = 0.86. Bibliometric validation was conducted using VOSviewer 1.6.20. Findings were clustered under four main themes: managerial approaches, participation and pro-environmental behavior, nature-based recreation and environmental management, and trends and research gaps in Turkish literature. Newcastle–Ottawa Scale assessments indicated that most studies presented low to moderate risk of bias. Overall, sustainability is predominantly framed through environmental protection, while managerial integration, governance, and performance assessment dimensions remain underdeveloped, particularly in local contexts. The results highlight that sustainable recreation management should evolve beyond environment-centered approaches toward institutionalization through social participation, leadership, resource management, and measurable performance indicators. Based on the findings, it is recommended to develop multidimensional assessment frameworks that integrate environmental indicators with managerial performance and participatory governance in sustainable recreation management.