"Smart tourism destinations: integrative review through bibliometric analysis, network visualization, and qualitative research"

Abstract

"This paper aims to perform an integrative review in two stages. First, the quantitative stage is based on a bibliometric analysis of 320 articles to assess the scientific performance of publications on the theme ‘Smart Tourism Destination’ (STD). The quantity of scientific production and the influence of these publications on the dynamics of the topic are measured. Second, content analysis is mixed with bibliographic coupling. Based on a qualitative investigation of the 20 most-cited articles, an analytical framework is developed regarding the key elements of developing a ‘smart tourism destination’. This framework interprets three clusters of papers obtained via bibliographic coupling: Digital technology of STD, Big data management, and Marketing. Recent research avenues are presented for each cluster, providing new directions for further exploration. © 2026 International Tourism Studies Association."