The past, present, and future of smart tourism destinations: a bibliometric analysis

Abstract

Despite the emergence of the notion of smart tourism destinations in tourism research, few studies have delved deeply into the topic, and the little research focusing on the subject has not offered an overview of its evolution, current scope, and potential domains of interest. This study aims to fill this gap in literature by applying a bibliometric approach. The current research offers a comprehensive review of 258 investigations published between 2013 and 2019 in outlets indexed by the ISI Web of Science database and other relevant publications on information technology related to hospitality and tourism. The findings indicate the domains of tourism, journals, and themes that merit consideration in smart tourism destination future research and serve both professionals and academics as a guide for future lines to explore.