international marketing of global tourism in the digital age

Digital Marketing in Tourism

• Living reference work entry
• First Online: 04 December 2021
• Cite this living reference work entry

• Christian Maurer 5  

543 Accesses

4 Citations

Information and communication technologies have contributed significantly to the development and growth of the tourism industry. Tourists use the Internet in all phases of the customer journey. In 2020, the typical user spent on average 6 h and 43 min online each day, which was about 40% of their waking life. Mobile devices account for more than half of all the online time, but most Internet users still use a combination of mobiles and computers to access the Internet. Therefore, digital marketing offers great opportunities for tourism organizations and suppliers to promote and sell their offers and to establish long-lasting relationship with their customers. This chapter discusses the development of digital marketing in tourism and illustrates the evolution over various steps. A brief history of the development of digital marketing for tourism businesses and an outline of its benefits and challenges will be provided. This chapter focuses on website publishing, traffic building, and digital marketing campaign planning. Challenges and future developments of digital marketing conclude this chapter.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Inclusive Use of Digital Marketing in Tourism Industry

Implementation of Digital Marketing Techniques in Smart Tourism

Andrews M, Luo X, Fang Z, Ghose A (2015) Mobile ad effectiveness: Hyper-contextual targeting with crowdedness. Market Sci 35(2):218–233

Article   Google Scholar  

Batra R, Keller KL (2016) Integrating marketing communications: new findings, new lessons and new ideas. J Market 90:122–145

Berger S, Lehmann H, Lehner F (2001) Location-based services in the tourist industry. Inf Technol Tour 5(4):243–256

Buhalis D (2003) eTourism. Information technology for strategic tourism management

Google Scholar  

Buhalis D, Foerste M (2015) SoCoMo marketing for travel and tourism: Empowering co-creation of value. J Destination Market Manage 4:151–161

Chaffey D, Smith PR (2017) Digital marketing excellence. Planning, optimizing and integrating online marketing. Routledge

Charlesworth A (2014) Digital marketing. A practical approach. Elsevier

Book   Google Scholar  

Chung J, Buhalis D (2008) Information needs in online social networks. Inf Technol Tour 10:267–281

Czernik T, Fuchs M, Höpken W (2008) Test market studies for email-marketing: an alpine hotel case study. In: 4 th International conference: an enterprise odyssey: tourism, governance, and entrepreneurship, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics, June, 2008 / [ed] Galetić, Lovorka & Čavlek, Nevenka, Zagreb: Faculty of Economics & Business, pp 1414–1425

Dietrich G (2014) Spin Sucks. Communication and reputation management in the digital age. Pearson

Duarte Santo J, Lima Silva Ó (2020) Digital marketing strategies for tourism, hospitality, and airline industries. In: Saura JR, Palos Sancheu PR, Reyes-Menendez A (eds) The digital tourism business: a systematic review of essential digital marketing strategies and trends, pp 1–22

Evans H (2017) “Content is King” – Essay by Bill Gates (1996) https://medium.com/@HeathEvans/content-is-king-essay-by-bill-gates-1996-df74552f80d9 . Accessed on 4 Feb 2020

Gelter H (2017) Digital tourism – An analysis of digital trends in tourism and customer digital mobile behaviour for the Visit Artic Europe project. http://www.lme.fi/media/vae-outcomes/rd-results/report-visit-arctic-europe-mission-3-summary-2.pdf . Accessed on 5 Apr 2021

George R (2021) Marketing tourism and hospitality. Concepts and cases

Goodall D (2009) Owned, bought and earned media. https://danielgoodall.wordpress.com/2009/03/02/owned-bought-and-earned-media/ . Accessed on 28 Feb 2020

Hays S, Page SJ, Buhalis D (2013) Social media as a destination marketing tool: its use by national tourism organisations. Curr Issues Tourism 16(3):211–239

Hootsuite (2020) Digital 2020. Global Digital Overview. https://wearesocial.com/digital-2020 . Accessed 25 Oct 2020

Hanlon A (2019) Digital marketing. Strategic planning and integration. Sage Publications

Hvass KA, Munar AM (2012) The takeoff of social media in tourism. J Vacat Market 18(2):93–103

Kannan PK, Li H (2017) Digital marketing: a framework, review and research agenda. Int J Res Market 34:22–45

Kingsnorth S (2016) Digital marketing strategy. An integrated approach to online marketing. Kogan Page

Labanauskaite D, Fiore M, Stašys R (2020) Use of E-marketing tools as communication management in the tourism industry. Tour Manage Perspect 34:1–8

Li H, Kannan PK (2014) Attributing conversions in a multichannel online marketing environment: an empirical model and a field experiment. J Market Res 51:40–54

Liedke L (2020) 100+  Internet statistics and facts for 2020. https://www.websitehostingrating.com/internet-statistics-facts/ . Accessed on 3 Feb 2020

Majeed S, Zhou Z, Lu C, Ramkissoon H (2020) Online tourism information and tourist behaviour: a structural equation modeling analysis based on a self-administered survey. Front Psychol 11:1–15

Mkwizu KH (2020) Digital marketing and tourism: opportunities for Africa. Int Hosp Rev 34(1): 5–12

Muñoz-Leiva F, Hernández-Méndez J, Liébana-Cabanillas F (2018) Etourism advertising effectiveness: banner type and engagement as moderators. J Services Market 32(4):462–475

Oliveira O, Panyik E (2015) Content, context, and co-creation: digital challenges in destination branding with reference to Portugal as a tourist destination. J Vacat Market 21(1):53–74

Pan B, Li X (2011) The long tail of destination image and online marketing. Ann Tour Res 38(1):132–152

Ryan D (2017) Understanding digital marketing. Marketing strategies for engaging the digital generation. Kogan Page

Salman M, Zhimin Z, Changbao L, Haywantee R (2020) Online Tourism Information and Tourist Behavior: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis Based on a Self-Administered Survey. Front Psycho 11:1–15

Schultz D, Schultz H (1998) Transitioning marketing communications into the twenty-first century. J Market Commun 4(1):9–26

Sutherland W, Jarrahi MH (2018) The sharing economy and digital platforms: a review and research agenda. Int J Inf Manage 43:328–341

Thakran K, Verma R (2013) The emergence of hybrid online distribution channels in travel, tourism and hospitality. Cornell Hosp Q 54(3):240–247

W3C (2020) Making the Web Accessible. Strategies, standards, and supporting resources to help you make the Web more accessible to people with disabilities. https://www.w3.org/WAI/ . Accessed on 1 Mar 2020

Xiang P, Gretzel U, Fesenmair D (2009) Semantic representation of tourism on the internet. J Trav Res 47(4):440–453

Yang K, Min JH, Garza-Baker K (2019) Post-stay email marketing implications for the hotel industry: role of email features, attitude, revisit attention and leisure involvement level. J Vacat Market 25(4):405–417

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

IMC University of Applied Science Krems, Krems an der Donau, Austria

Christian Maurer

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christian Maurer .

Editor information

Editors and affiliations.

Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA

Zheng Xiang

Department of Tourism Studies and Geography, Mid Sweden University, Östersund, Sweden

Matthias Fuchs

Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Ulrike Gretzel

Department of Business Informatics, University of Applied Sciences Ravensburg-Weingarten, Weingarten, Germany

Wolfram Höpken

Section Editor information

Department of Economics, Geography, Law and Tourism, The European Tourism Research Institute, Mid-Sweden University, Östersund, Jämtland, Sweden

The Howard Feiertag Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this entry

Cite this entry.

Maurer, C. (2021). Digital Marketing in Tourism. In: Xiang, Z., Fuchs, M., Gretzel, U., Höpken, W. (eds) Handbook of e-Tourism. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05324-6_82-1

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05324-6_82-1

Published : 04 December 2021

Publisher Name : Springer, Cham

Print ISBN : 978-3-030-05324-6

Online ISBN : 978-3-030-05324-6

eBook Packages : Springer Reference Business and Management Reference Module Humanities and Social Sciences Reference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

• View all journals
• My Account Login
• Explore content
• About the journal
• Publish with us
• Sign up for alerts
• Review Article
• Open access
• Published: 07 October 2023

A ten-year review analysis of the impact of digitization on tourism development (2012–2022)

• Chunyu Jiang   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-6072-8365 1 &
• Seuk Wai Phoong   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-9925-0901 1  

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications volume  10 , Article number:  665 ( 2023 ) Cite this article

• Development studies
• Science, technology and society

Many tourism-related activities have been suspended due to the nationally enforced lockdown to combat the Coronavirus pandemic. The tourism industry suffered immensely from the lockdown, and as a result of this, digital tourism began gaining traction and attracted public attention. This study analyses the impact of digitalization on the social and economic sustainability of the tourism industry via systematic literature network analysis. The findings indicated that digitalization impacts economic sustainability, encompassing economic benefits in tourism product development, tourism consumption, and industrial development. Moreover, digitalization fosters social development, cultural awareness, and tourism participation in digital technology and cultural heritage. This study identified publication trends and research hotspots using bibliometric analysis, and it was confirmed that Sustainability was the top journal in published digital and tourism sustainability-related articles, followed by the International Journal of Tourism Research, Tourism Management , and Current Issues in Tourism . This study resulted in two implications: identifying the knowledge gap and evidence-based decision-making based on the (previous) literature. Recommendation for future research is also discussed in this study, which is helpful to policymakers, tourism planners, and researchers to develop strategies grounded in research.

Similar content being viewed by others

The role of artificial intelligence in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals

A cross-verified database of notable people, 3500BC-2018AD

Determinants of behaviour and their efficacy as targets of behavioural change interventions

Introduction.

From 2019 through 2022, the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) wreaked havoc on the world’s tourism business (Navarro-Drazich and Lorenzo, 2021 ). Tourism contributes to many nations’ gross domestic product (GDP) as it is intertwined with various industries (Gössling et al., 2017 ). Examples of tourism products include lodging options such as hotels and Airbnb. Food and drink, theme parks, museum visits, and fashion items such as clothes and bags are additional examples of tourism products that boost the economic health of the individual and the nation.

Tourism is regarded as a complex service-driven industry, one of the characteristics of which is that if external influences disrupt the tourism sector, other industries linked to it will also be directly affected. Tourism development refers to creating and maintaining the tourism industry in a particular location and is closely linked to economic and social progress (Telfer and Sharpley, 2015 ). Over the past four decades, global tourism development has reported intense growth performance and research on tourism development (Capocchi et al., 2019 ). Kreishan ( 2010 ) posited that the impact of tourism development on destination development is a commonly discussed issue, particularly in terms of tourism development improving economic efficiency and local competitiveness. The growth of tourism currently is significant not only from an economic perspective but also from a social perspective, as evidenced by the optimization of the local social structure (Yang et al., 2021 ), increased community participation (W. Li, 2006 ), participation of women (Ferguson, 2011 ), and increased cultural awareness (Carbone, 2017 ). Also, the development of the tourism industry benefits the environment by increasing environmental protection awareness and providing greater funding for initiatives to conserve resources and the environment (Zhao and Li, 2018 ).

However, unmanaged over-tourism can cause serious harm, according to Berselli et al. ( 2022 ). From an economic standpoint, excessive tourism can result in higher prices and imbalanced industrial structure development, which lowers industries’ overall resilience. Social issues arising from over-tourism include the commercialization of culture (Wang et al., 2019 ), the shift in locals’ attitudes from friendliness to hostility towards tourists (Kim and Kang, 2020 ), and the emergence of on-stage authenticity (Taylor, 2001 ). In terms of the environment, issues such as excessive carbon emissions causing global warming (Liu et al., 2022 ), damage to water and soil resources, destruction to flora and fauna (Gössling and Hall, 2006 ), and even harm to cultural heritage (Zhang et al., 2015 ) are some of the effects of over-tourism. Since the development of the tourism industry combines economic, social, and cultural phenomena, as well as the past COVID-19 disruptions, the industry’s suspension for several years presents a significant opportunity for all stakeholders to reposition tourism for sustainable development.

Some studies suggest the tourism industry will recover after COVID-19 (Zhong et al., 2021 ). However, given the abovementioned problems caused by over-tourism, what needs to be considered is the sustainability of the tourism industry post-COVID-19. Researchers and tourism stakeholders are becoming more aware of the importance of the concept of sustainable development (Miceli et al., 2021 ), especially since COVID-19, as the tourism or hospitality industry remains one of the least developed sectors in terms of sustainable tourism practices (Kim and Park, 2017 ). Korstanje and George ( 2020 ) noted that over-tourism is a chronic disease that mere temporary changes cannot treat; it can be minimized via education and training to raise awareness. The tourism industry needs to rethink how to develop in a sustainable and healthy direction (Higgins-Desbiolles et al., 2019 ), not only in terms of ecotourism or green tourism but also in terms of putting the concept of sustainability into practice at a deeper level as it faces multiple pressures and challenges of an overarching environment, economy, and society.

Sustainability is often cited as one of the reasons for improved competitiveness among different tourism destinations (Han et al., 2019 ). The United Nations 2030 (UN, 2030 ) Agenda for Sustainable Development has developed a Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) plan, defined as a set of global goals for fair and sustainable health at every level, from the planetary biosphere to the local community. The aim is to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that everyone enjoys peace and prosperity now and in the future. The basic concept is that productivity can be preserved for future generations. Due to the general emphasis of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) on sustainable tourism and the industry’s economic importance, the SDGs and its associated millennium development goals (MDGs) have become critical elements for research into tourism’s contribution to sustainable development and overall sustainability (Saarinen et al., 2011 ; Saarinen and Rogerson, 2014 ). Winter et al. ( 2020 ) indicated that as sustainable tourism development needs to take complete account of the combined social, economic, and environmental impacts, stakeholders are expected to integrate scientific management and practice for future sustainability using updated and innovative technologies that can provide more tourism opportunities for groups unable to travel directly while enhancing environmentally-friendly behavior. Bramwell and Lane ( 2011 ) suggested that effective policy support is also crucial to implementing sustainable tourism development, as the path to sustainable development is guided and monitored by excellent and progressive policies. From a postmodernist perspective, social media and place brand authenticity in smart tourism are essential to place trust, place identity, and place brand image, while the development of this brand authenticity is one of the critical indicators of the visitor experience (Handayani and Korstanje, 2017 ). As a result, Korstanje et al. ( 2022 ) contended that new paradigms and strategies must be created to confront risks to tourism in the 21st century and satisfy the SDGs by 2030.

Several studies are underway to determine the impact of various programs and strategies on the environmental component of sustainability practices (Goralski and Tan, 2020 ). Yalina and Rozas ( 2020 ) suggested that a digital workplace can promote environmental sustainability. Although there have been studies on the digitalization of tourism and environmental sustainability, such as Loureiro and Nascimento ( 2021 ), who reviewed digital technology on the sustainability of tourism using bibliometric methods, there is a need for a thorough examination of the impact of digital transformation on sustainable tourism growth, particularly in terms of economic and social dimensions (Feroz et al., 2021 ). Therefore, the objective of this study is to review the impact of tourism digital technology development on the economic and social sustainability of tourism development to offer future research guidance.

With the growing literature and the emergence of cross-disciplinary research related to sustainability and digitalization in tourism development, it is critical to analyze the changes in its research, summarize the focus of previous research content, and predict future research prospects. As a result, this study will address the above research gaps by answering the following three questions.

RQ1: What are the prominent documents, authors, sources, organizations, and keywords in digitalization for the economic and social sustainability of tourism development?

RQ2: What are the linkages based on bibliographic coupling, co-authorship, co-occurrence, and citation in digitalization for the economic and social sustainability of tourism development?

RQ3: What is the future research agenda based on the results of this study?

Literature review

Several review papers on tourism research are now available and relevant to this study. Ülker et al. ( 2023 ) assumed that there are currently 136 bibliometric studies in the tourism and hospitality industry, of which the literature review studies on overall trends in the tourism and hospitality industry are continuously being updated (Chang and Katrichis, 2016 ; Wang et al., 2023 ). Also, economic development in the tourism industry (Comerio and Strozzi, 2019 ), tourism marketing (Mwinuka, 2017 ), tourism and education (Goh and King, 2020 ), hospitality (Manoharan and Singal, 2017 ), Airbnb (Andreu et al., 2020 ), and even COVID-19 review articles related to tourism development are available (Bhatia et al., 2022 ).

With the emergence of cross-disciplinary digital-related technologies, the link between tourism and digitalization has become one of the hot topics of research, and as a result, several literature review articles on digitalization and tourism have been published, such as on robotics (Buhalis and Cheng, 2020 ; Ivanov et al., 2019 ; Pizam et al., 2022 ), ICT (Buhalis and Law, 2008 ; Law et al., 2014 ), big data (Li et al., 2018 ; Stylos et al., 2021 ), smart tourism (Buhalis, 2020 ; Mehraliyev et al., 2020 ), social media (Buhalis and Inversini, 2014 ; Mirzaalian and Halpenny, 2019 ), eye-tracking (Muñoz-Leiva et al., 2019 ; Scott et al., 2019 ), AI (Buhalis and Moldavska, 2022 ; Doborjeh et al., 2022 ; Dwivedi et al., 2023 ), VR (Koohang et al., 2023 ; Wei, 2019 ), AR (Jingen Liang and Elliot, 2021 ; Tscheu and Buhalis, 2016 ; Yovcheva et al., 2012 ), MR (Buhalis and Karatay, 2022 ), and the Metaverse (Ahuja et al., 2023 ; Buhalis et al., 2022 , 2023 ; Go and Kang, 2023 ).

Due to the rise of sustainability research, the literature review on sustainability research in tourism has seen a stark increase (León-Gómez et al., 2021 ; Ruhanen et al., 2018 ; Streimikiene et al., 2021 ). The proliferation of studies related to digitalization and sustainable tourism development has led to a considerable number of review articles (Elkhwesky et al., 2022 ; Gössling, 2017 ; Loureiro and Nascimento, 2021 ; Nascimento and Loureiro, 2022 ; Rahmadian et al., 2022 ). Feroz et al. ( 2021 ) conducted a literature study on the environmental aspects of tourism sustainability and digitalization; however, there is a distinct lack of studies on the economic and social dimensions.

Therefore, the study’s unique value is that it presents the first literature review in the field of digitalization and social and tourism economic sustainability development using a novel method of systematic literature network analysis (SLNA), filling a gap in the literature review landscape and addressing the need for more comprehensive, detailed, and up-to-date research endeavor.

Methodology

Colicchia and Strozzi ( 2012 ) proposed a systematic literature review analysis (SLNA) to identify past research trends more sophisticatedly, integrated, and scientifically. This method is currently used in reviews of sustainable development research (Afeltra et al., 2021 ) but is rarely used in reviews of tourism sustainability; therefore, SLNA is used in this study.

Systematic literature review (SLR) and bibliographic network analysis (BNA) are the two phases of SLNA. These actions comprise the first phase of SLR, which includes choosing the study’s final selection, conducting a dialectical examination of the most pertinent articles, and evaluating the results. Next, citation analysis and bibliographic coupling of BNA are also included in this paper to investigate the relationship between the previous literature, assess the research trends, and aid in uncovering future research innovation opportunities. Bibliographic coupling is a scientific mapping technique regarding two articles with a common citation contentedly comparable. This technique permits the segmentation of publications into thematic clusters utilizing published references to understand the most recent developments in current research issues (Donthu et al., 2021 ). Citation analysis reveals which papers are influential and their authors and journals and aids in comprehending what past literature has contributed (Pilkington and Meredith, 2009 ).

First phase: systematic literature review (SLR)

Introduction of slr.

The most widely used and reputable databases are the Web of Science (WOS) and Scopus (Garrigos-Simon et al., 2018 ); thus, both were used in this study to eliminate data search omissions, broaden the search scope, and improve the accuracy of data outputs.

Figure 1 shows the flow diagram for systematic bibliometric analysis. Firstly, this paper takes “virtual reality or augmented reality or artificial intelligence or big data or mobile technology or internet of technology or social platform technology) and (sustainable tourism development or sustainability of tourism or green tourism or ecotourism” as keywords. The search process began by searching topics (including article titles, abstracts, and keywords). The language of the articles was set to English and had to be published between 2012 and 2022. The search process resulted in 91 articles. The data were extracted on February 15, 2022, per Fig. 2 .

This figure shows the overall process of this study from database selection until suggestions for future research. Source: Own elaboration.

The criteria and steps used to identify the selected target literature are explained in this diagram. Source: Own elaboration.

A review article with scholarly worth and contribution is required to describe the literature’s links and contents and examine and critique it precisely (Hart, 2018 ). As seen in Fig. 3 , the following research topics are divided into two categories: economic sustainability (which includes topics such as economic benefit, industry development, and tourist consumption) and social sustainability (which includes topics such as tourist behavior, social development, cultural awareness, and participation).

The research topics are divided into two categories: economic sustainability (which includes topics such as economic benefit, industry development, and tourist consumption) and social sustainability (which includes topics such as tourist behavior, social development, cultural awareness, and participation. Source: Own elaboration.

The SLRs are used to locate, appraise, and synthesize existing, completed, and documented work (Cocchia, 2014 ), facilitating classification and summarization, particularly for micro-profiling within macro-level fields of study.

Digitalization’s impact on economic sustainability

Digitalization’s impact on economic benefits.

Adequately improving the economic development of tourism is also one of the sustainable needs for developing tourism. At a time when tourism has been devastated by COVID-19, the tourism industry has almost ceased to exist. Therefore, one of the most popular research topics is maintaining substantial economic benefits while allowing the tourism industry to flourish sustainably.

Digital technology has piqued researchers’ interest due to its potential benefit to the tourism industry. Technologies that directly improve the economic situation are classed as economic benefits, and per many studies, digitization positively impacts local economic development and may bring objective revenue to tourism (Tables 1 – 7 ).

Digital technology promotes economic development. The growth of information communication technologies (ICT) positively impacts China’s tourism industry while promoting economic growth (Shehzad et al., 2019 ). As a rapidly evolving digital technology, mobile technology has significantly minimized asymmetric information, enhanced local GDP growth, and increased citizens’ financial capital through tourism (Kim and Kim, 2017 ; Phoong et al., 2022 ). Technologies such as 3D virtual, mixed reality (MR), virtual reality (VR), or augmented reality (AR) applied in heritage tourism can effectively increase local economic income and the added value of tourism (Manglis et al., 2021 ; Martinez-Grana et al., 2019 ). Furthermore, marketing tools such as small programs and network technologies confer several advantages to tourism stakeholders, such as the ability to help local communities contribute value and support the tourism economy (Caciora et al., 2021 ; Lin et al., 2020a , b ). Also, smart heritage city tourism technology tools can drive the tourism economy to inaccessible areas (Gomez-Oliva et al., 2019 ).

The increase in income is proportional to increased economic benefits. ICT is often used in the tourism industry, which has an essential impact on the tourism service industry, one of which is the improvement of tourism income (Gomez-Oliva et al., 2019 ; Koukopoulos and Koukopoulos, 2019 ). Virtual tourism technologies, such as AR and VR, are digital tools that can help overcome cultural heritage tourism challenges, such as reviving the tourism industry and resolving funding shortages (Lu et al., 2022 ). Mobile money, such as electronic traveler’s checks and credit cards, can assist low-income people in taking advantage of their marginal savings and encourage implementing a cashless economy for tourism sustainability (Singh, 2017 ).

Second, digital marketing technologies are frequently utilized by hotels to improve hotel performance, which increases profit (Theocharidis et al., 2020 ; Vitezic et al., 2015 ). Another example is Muslim-friendly apps promoting the international trade of products during the tourism process (Cuesta-Valiño et al., 2020 ),

Digitalization’s impact on tourism industrial development

Technological development has driven the tourism industry in local tourist cities, organizations, businesses, and governments. From the perspective of industrial market development, ICT, extensive data network marketing, and other virtual tourism technologies can create market development potential and improve market positioning for companies (Ammirato et al., 2021 ; Filipiak et al., 2020 ; Ma et al., 2021 ).

Adopting and applying information in the tourism industry are commonly regarded as a source of corporate innovation. The implementation of ICT can increase the profitability of tourism enterprises while also increasing organizational productivity (Croitoru and Manoliu, 2016 ; De Lucia et al., 2021 ; Duy et al., 2020 ; Obonyo et al., 2018 ). VR, AR, 3D digital technology, and mobile technology can all be used to improve a company’s performance and competitiveness in the tourism industry (Cranmer et al., 2021 ; Koukopoulos and Koukopoulos, 2018 ; Pavlidis et al., 2022 ; Yuce et al., 2020 ), and these technologies have made significant economic contribution to economic sustainability.

The application and implementation of ICT play an essential role in developing the tourism industry (Adeola and Evans, 2020 ; Tan et al., 2019 ; Zhou and Sotiriadis, 2021 ). Also, digital advanced technologies, such as MR technology adopted by museums, AR technology adopted by destinations, and smart tourism products and tourism ecological reservation systems have made significant contributions in the front-end development stage, providing opportunities to monitor the future development of tourism, as well as being beneficial to the formulation and implementation of tourism industry strategies at later stages (Graziano and Privitera, 2020 ; Tsai et al., 2018 ). The abovementioned electronic environment is an excellent lubricant for tourism’s active and healthy development (Maiorescu et al., 2016 ). Moreover, apps can help customers understand legacy cities more from the standpoint of heritage preservation and help cities promote tourist city development (Briciu et al., 2020 ).

From the perspective of products sold and variations in product types, online services in Muslim-friendly apps can be helpful for market segmentation and promotion of product positioning and sales (Cuesta-Valiño et al., 2020 ). Furthermore, virtual multi-sensory technologies can improve the company’s potential, increase public awareness, and sell products (Martins et al., 2017 ). Undeniably, the development of digitalization enriches the cultural service products of museums in developing heritage tourism (Palumbo, 2021 ), and AR technology also increases the diversification of products in water tourism (Kaźmierczak et al., 2021 ).

Digitalization’s impact on tourism consumption

Tourists’ spending power can reflect the overall economic development of the tourism industry as one of the contributing variables, and the number of tourists and the value of tourist flow are two measurement criteria of tourism consumer spending. Tourism apps, for example, can make traveling more convenient for tourists, increasing tourism consumption (Lin et al., 2020a , b ). Virtual tourism products or augmented reality technology allow tourists to spend more leisure time, increasing consumption (da Silva, 2021 ; Pehlivanides et al., 2020 ).

The application of virtual tourism technology is also helpful in improving the attractiveness of tourists (Cai et al., 2021 ; Manglis et al., 2021 ; Martins et al., 2017 ). Meanwhile, big data analytic tools, e-marketing (WOM), and mobile applications positively influence customers’ intention to travel and contribute to improving tourism sustainability (Gajdosik, 2019 ; Kim and Chang, 2020 ; Pica et al., 2018 ). With the application and construction of ICT, the demand for tourism has increased, and the number of tourists has also increased (Adeola and Evans, 2020 ; Kabassi, 2017 ; Kumar and Kumar, 2020 ). In addition to enhancing tourists’ imagination, virtual tourism technology and 3D digital technology can also be used as practical tools to further develop tourism and increase the number and flow of tourists (Bae et al., 2020 ; Graziano and Privitera, 2020 ; Pavlidis et al., 2022 ). Word-of-mouth marketing has increased the number of tourists (Fernandez-Lores et al., 2022 ; Wang et al., 2020 ).

Digitalization’s impact on social sustainability

Digitalization’s impact on tourist behavior.

Virtual tourism technology is gradually being implemented in the tourism industry, focusing on increasing the satisfaction of the elderly and disabled (Lu et al., 2022 ). Artificial intelligence and virtual reality are integrated into human-computer interaction system equipment, boosting service quality and increasing tourist satisfaction (Van et al., 2020 ). The mixed experience helps enrich tourists’ feelings about the surroundings, thereby boosting tourists’ contentment (Bae et al., 2020 ), and the succinct information and dependable system offered by VR can promote tourists’ satisfaction (Yuce et al., 2020 ). 3D digital technology to build innovative and appealing tourism items can help boost consumer satisfaction and positive feedback (Pavlidis et al., 2022 ).

Tourism stakeholders’ use of tourism apps is critical to increasing tourist satisfaction (Lin et al., 2020a , b ). For example, tourism management in Ho Chi Minh City’s use of Web 4.0 can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty in the long run (Duy et al., 2020 ). The mobile usability and ease of use of social media as a suitable medium directly impact satisfaction (Sharmin et al., 2021 ). It can also serve as a platform for tourists to communicate and contribute to increased satisfaction (Jamshidi et al., 2021 ). Simultaneously, tourism safety is an essential factor that influences tourist satisfaction, and the use of closed-circuit television (CCTV) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can help to improve tourism safety (Ko and Song, 2021 ). The use of mobile technologies and payment mechanisms in the tourism process is also a fascinating study. Through electronic technology, two-dimensional code payment techniques improve tourists’ pleasure (Lou et al., 2017 ). Furthermore, incorporating digital innovation into hotel management structures increases hotel performance and client satisfaction (Vitezic et al., 2015 ).

Tourism satisfaction is directly related to tourism experience, and tourism experience is one of the most important criteria to measure in the tourism process. The findings suggest that using virtual immersion technologies such as AR, VR, and MR in the tourism process can significantly improve the tourist experience (Bae et al., 2020 ; Fernandez-Lores et al., 2022 ; Franco and Mota, 2021 ; Lee and Kim, 2021 ; Yin et al., 2021 ).

Additionally, the intention and motivation of tourism drive tourism behavior from the psychological aspect. Digital innovative technology can boost tourists’ interest in tourism products and locations, enrich their understanding of tourism culture, attract more tourists, enhance tourists’ preferences, and strengthen their desire to visit (Caciora et al., 2021 ; Cranmer et al., 2021 ; Gajdosik, 2019 ; Kang, 2020 ; Kaźmierczak et al., 2021 ; Manglis et al., 2021 ; Monterroso-Checa et al., 2020 ;). Digital marketing tools can ramp up customers’ desires and habits (Theocharidis et al., 2020 ), and digital mobile programs can increase tourists’ attention, influencing their overall view of the tourism experience (Wang et al., 2020 ). Big data can also be utilized to foresee client wants and expectations, allowing for a better understanding of customer needs (Del Vecchio et al., 2018 ). For example, Internet of Things technology can scientifically guide and divert tourists to alleviate the problem of local saturation and overload in scenic sites, thus improving the tourist experience (Xie and Zhang, 2021 ). It can also provide various cultural tourism content to enhance and support the experience of active tourists (Ammirato et al., 2021 ).

Digitalization’s impact on social development

Tourism planners and governments can use the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and geographic information system-remote sensing (GIS-RS) technology to accurately select sites, develop eco-tourism activities, relieve the burden of tourism in the region, and thus help the locals create new employment opportunities (Chaudhary et al., n.d. ). Virtual tourism technology, such as AR, can also aid in analyzing tourist flow and conditions, improve safety, and expand job chances (Franco and Mota, 2021 ). Advances and innovations in tourism ICT can benefit enterprises enough to increase job prospects (De Lucia et al., 2021 ). Virtual tourism, ICT, mobile technology, smart heritage tourism technology, and innovative marketing methods improve stakeholders’ quality of life, increasing the tourism system and community awareness (Lemmi and Deri, 2020 ).

Digitalization’s impact on cultural awareness

Virtual technologies, such as AR, VR, and mobile augmented reality (MAR), are now widely used in cultural heritage tourism, with the potential to protect cultural heritages and enhance the potential of heritage management, thereby contributing to cultural communication (Bec et al., 2019 ; Caciora et al., 2021 ; Graziano and Privitera, 2020 ). Some studies indicate that online engagement platforms, mobile application technologies, and smart tourism models can all support the socially sustainable growth of culture (Bonacini et al., 2018 ; Pica et al., 2018 ; Zubiaga et al., 2019 ).

AR, VR, and other techniques can promote tourists’ behavior in underwater cultural tourism and raise public awareness of natural heritage protection among tourists (Manglis et al., 2021 ). Research on low-carbon travel modes is frequently concerned with tourism sustainability, and big data marketing technology can supply tourists with more low-carbon transport schemes, thus increasing tourists’ environmental consciousness (Ma et al., 2021 ). As a common medium for cultural communication, social media can raise tourists’ awareness of environmental protection (Haque et al., 2021 ).

Digitalization’s impact on participation

Tourists’ active participation in cultural heritage can be enhanced by digital technology, as can people’s feeling of belonging and responsibility to society (Koukopoulos and Koukopoulos, 2019 ; Permatasari et al., 2020 ). Virtual technology can also encourage public participation in preserving and promoting cultural heritages (Caciora et al., 2021 ), while digital media can help tourism businesses improve public relations and social participation (Camilleri, 2018 ; Haque et al., 2021 ). Increased smart tourism destinations optimize the potential for these communities to involve the destinations’ residents and impact their lives due to the improved urban tourism experience.

Stakeholders are closely linked to the sustainable development of tourism. Innovative applications of digital technology can better manage destination stakeholders, strengthening their linkages (Camilleri, 2018 ), help promote their participation in the development of tourist destinations (del Vecchio et al., n.d. ; Gajdosik, 2019 ), and create a democratic and sustainable system when promoting cultural heritage, which balances the opinions of different stakeholders.

The interactive network platform empowers local communities and encourages local inhabitants and tourists to communicate, which promotes the healthy growth of resident-tourism relationships (Dionisio et al., 2019 ). Also, ICT tourism apps influence the ultimate perception of older tourists’ travel experiences, stimulate tourists’ interest in world cultural heritage sites (WCHS), and increase contact and understanding between tourists and destinations (Ramos-Soler et al., 2019 ). Social media can help tourists increase their knowledge of environmental protection, which increases the participation of tourists and citizens and helps formulate sustainable goals (Haque et al., 2021 ).

Second phase: bibliographic network analysis (BNA)

The VOSviewer is the analysis tool used in this work to visualize the impact of digital technology on sustainable tourism development in economic and social aspects. VOSviewer employs the visualization of similarities (VOS) mapping approach to create a map (Moya‐Anegón et al., 2007 ).

Bibliographic coupling network of sources

Bibliographic coupling analysis mainly measures the similarity of documents by the number of identical references cited by documents. Although co-citation refers to the appearance of two documents in the same reference list, bibliographic coupling refers to the number of references that a group of papers share; for example, paper A and paper B are coupled if they both cite document C (Garrigos-Simon et al., 2018 ). In other words, bibliographic coupling happens when two documents quote the same document (Phoong et al., 2022 ; Mulet-Forteza et al., 2018 ), demonstrating the power of one publication in comparison to a group of others (Cavalcante et al., 2021 ). It should be pointed out that the size of the sphere represents the number of similar citations. This paper analyzes the bibliographic coupling network of sources, and the findings are summarized in Fig. 4 . Per Fig. 4 , there are 9 clusters, and the journal source with the highest number of similar citations is Sustainability . It can, therefore, be concluded that this journal has the most citations and published articles on this subject.

This figure refers to the number of references shared by a group of papers. Source: Own elaboration.

Citation network of documents

Citations are formed when two documents cite the same document and are used to illustrate the relation between documents and study fields. Figure 5 shows four clusters, each representing the degree of connection and the extent of influence in size. This study has the highest influence, according to the largest green group. It offers insight into the impact of reality and virtual reality on heritage tourism, stating that these technologies favorably impact tourists’ experiences (Bec et al., 2019 ).

Cluster size indicates the degree of connection and influence of the literature and research area. There are four groups, with the blue (Encalada et al., 2017 ) and green (Bec et al., 2019 ) groups representing the two articles that are relatively most influential. Source: Own elaboration.

This Blue Group study is also prominent, proposing that the widespread use of information and communication technologies, such as cloud computing, the Internet of Things, and data mining with high processing performance, are the key to tourism’s sustainability (Encalada et al., 2017 ).

The number of citations between documents is used in co-citation analysis to determine their relevance. Figure 6 shows which publications are cited most frequently, and it is clear that tourism management and sustainability are the two commanding the most attention. Generally, the closer two journals are located to each other, the stronger their relatedness. For example, according to an article published in Tourism Management , virtual reality has significantly increased tourism intention and consumption (Tussyadiah et al., 2018 ). Simultaneously, this article presents the finding, which illustrates that combining history with cutting-edge technology in immersive spaces can preserve and manage legacy and enrich the visitor experience and, as a result, engagement with history (Bec et al., 2019 ).

This figure represents the citation strength of publications. The circle distance represents relevance. Source: Own elaboration.

Co-occurrence network of Keywords and titles

The significance of keyword co-occurrence analysis in bibliometrics resides in an intuitive understanding of hot subjects in the study field through the frequency and relevance of terms (Phoong et al., 2022 ). Before that, the following considerations must be made.

To begin, each node in the network map indicates a keyword, and the size of the ball represents the number of keywords that appear. The larger the ball, for example, indicates the higher frequency of keywords occurring. Second, the larger the co-occurrence rate between terms, the thicker the curve between the second keywords. In the third, on the network map, different color groups reflect different theme collections, while the same color represents similar subjects (Loureiro and Nascimento, 2021 ).

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate overlay visualization (Fig. 8 ) and network visualization (Fig. 7 ). From Fig. 7 , the keywords of high frequency include tourism (37 occurrences), technology (35 occurrences), tourist (32 occurrences), experience (31 occurrences), information (25 occurrences), application (23 occurrences), data (22 occurrences), analysis (21 occurrences), impact (21 occurrences), sustainability (14 occurrences) and sustainable development (9 occurrences). Some of Red Network Group’s primary keywords are tourism, information, impact, communication technology, virtual reality, new technology, and cultural tourism. The study’s content focuses on the impact of the relationship between information technology and tourism. Yellow Network Group’s primary keywords are destination, tourism destination, environment, and AR, mainly concentrated on destination environment and AR application research. The green network group comprises tourists, analysis, process, big data, management, stakeholders, case studies, innovation, and other topics. This group has conducted more studies on the effect of digital technology on enterprise management from stakeholders’ perspectives. The Blue Network Group focuses on technology, experience, data, service, research, relationships, social media, sustainable development, tourist satisfaction, intention, and other related topics, and this group study is particularly interested in the influence of technology on tourist experience and satisfaction.

The same color indicates a close relationship between the keywords. The red network group focuses on tourism and information technology, the yellow network group concentrates on destinations and the environment, and the blue group emphasizes tourists and technology, the green group concerns tourists and analyses. Source: Own elaboration.

Darker colors indicate older keywords such as tourists, information, data, research, etc. and lighter colors show the recent hot keywords such as big data, AR, VR, sustainable development, etc. Source: Own elaboration.

After conducting a literature review on digital technology’s economic and social implications on sustainable tourism development over the last ten years and creating a density visualization network map, it can be concluded that tourist experience, information technology, augmented reality, and data are research hotspots. As a result, most studies on tourism sustainability in social and economic dimensions focus on the impact of digital technology on the tourist experience.

Even though they are all co-occurrence analyses of keywords in literature, the emphasis in each network map is different. Generally, overlay visualization and network visualization are comparable to a certain extent; however, the color differs in overlay visualization (Fig. 8 ). In the lower right corner, there is also a quantification table. Purple indicates that the keywords are older, while yellow indicates that they are more modern. For example, keywords such as big data, augmented reality, sustainable development, creation, and intention are yellow, indicating a recent research hotspot, but keywords such as communication technology, information, environment, and service are purple, indicating that these themes were formerly popular.

Results and discussion

The data were collected from 2012 until February 2022. Analysis of the published articles shows a significant increase in publications on digitalization and tourism sustainability development. In 2017, seven articles were published, 10 in 2018, 16 in 2019, and 23 in 2020 and 2021. Furthermore, there are 6 published in the first two months of 2022. These findings illustrate a rise in data availability for digitalization and sustainable tourism development research and suggest that researchers are considering this topic more seriously, demonstrating its value to academic research.

According to the findings, Sustainability was the top journal in published digital and tourism sustainability-related articles. This is followed by the International Journal of Tourism Research , Tourism Management , and Current Issues in Tourism . The number of publications on the relevant subject has increased steadily, particularly in recent years, indicating that this form of research is increasingly gaining attention. Research over the last decade has shown the existence of a certain number of empirical studies on the relationship between digitalization and tourism social and economic sustainability, and from the bibliometric analysis, it emerges that the current research direction on tourism social and economic sustainability has shifted from exploring ICT to AR and VR. Moreover, Tourism Management and Sustainability have the highest citation.

In summary, this study answers RQ1 using the bibliometric literature analysis, while a systematic literature review used to answer RQ2 and RQ3 is discussed in the conclusion and further recommendation sections.

The content of relevant articles published in WOS and Scopus in this research area over the last decade was visually analyzed through bibliometric and systematic literature analysis, and a total of 91 articles meeting the research criteria were selected to provide information on the status of the impact of digitalization on the social and economic aspects of sustainable tourism development, as well as to identify specific research fields and research topics. It can be concluded that the digitalization of the social dimension of tourism sustainability is more richly studied and explored from a more diverse perspective, considering not only the tourists’ but also the residents’ perspectives. There are two implications in the present study. The first is that this study pinpointed the knowledge gaps. Systematic literature review analysis is used in this study to identify the gaps in the existing body of research in tourism development. By reviewing the previous literature and synthesizing the findings, researchers can identify the areas receiving limited or much attention. This insight is valuable for policymakers, tourism planners, and researchers when dealing with specific areas where future research is warranted. Furthermore, the publication trend and popular research themes were also discussed in this study. This enables the policymaker and tourism planner to understand tourism development and the potential for improved policies and practices. The second implication is enabling evidence-based decision-making in tourism development. Researchers can identify patterns, trends, and best practices by synthesizing the findings from multiple studies. This evidence-based approach helps policymakers, destination managers, and tourism stakeholders make informed decisions and develop strategies grounded in research. However, there is a lack of a more comprehensive perspective to explore in an integrated manner. For example, social and economic sustainability development sometimes does not increase simultaneously, and perhaps there is a particular imbalance between the two when using certain digital technologies. Therefore, it can be observed from this study that there is a lack of research in the past ten years that has explored both the economic and social sustainability of tourism comprehensively and that future research could emphasize the integration of social and economic sustainability, even a synthesis study of three dimensions: environmental social, and economic.

Therefore, when considering future developments, several challenges were raised.

Lack of integration study of social and economic dimensions.

Lack of cooperative research among other disciplines.

Lack of suitable theory and conceptual model for sustainable development research in the tourism area.

Lack of universality in different regions based on proposed digital technology.

Lack of research from the perspective of subject education or particular population as the research object.

Based on this literature study, relatively few research topics about this research area are suggested, and the following research scope and questions can be referred to as a priority in the future research process so that research trends can be accurately grasped more quickly and efficiently.

What is the impact of digital technologies on the economic and social sustainability of destinations?

How do digital technologies used in cultural heritage tourism impact tourism sustainability?

What is the impact of digital technology on education?

How can tourism companies improve employee satisfaction, loyalty, and sustainable performance through digital technology?

How can we create a globally accessible and digital system for tourism destinations for sustainable development goals?

How does digitalization impact sustainable development from stakeholders’ perspectives?

The above suggestions and research direction recommendations can provide new research inspiration to researchers in the same field for future research, and this study is expected to help other researchers understand the current research trends related to the digitalization of sustainable tourism development.

Adeola O, Evans O (2020) ICT, infrastructure, and tourism development in Africa. Tour Econ 26(1):97–114

Google Scholar  

Afeltra G, Alerasoul SA, Strozzi F (2021) The evolution of sustainable innovation: from the past to the future. Eur J Innov Manag 26(2):386–421. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-02-2021-0113

Article   Google Scholar  

Ahuja AS, Polascik BW, Doddapaneni D, Byrnes ES, Sridhar J (2023) The digital metaverse: applications in artificial intelligence, medical education, and integrative health. Integr Med Res 12(1):100917

PubMed   Google Scholar  

Ammirato S, Felicetti AM, Linzalone R, Carlucci D (2021) Digital business models in cultural tourism. Int J Entrep Behav Res Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-01-2021-0070

Andreu L, Bigne E, Amaro S, Palomo J (2020) Airbnb research: an analysis in tourism and hospitality journals. Int J Cult Tour Hosp Res 14(1):2–20

Anser M, Adeleye B, Tabash M, Tiwari A (n.d.) Services trade–ICT–tourism nexus in selected Asian countries: new evidence from panel data techniques. Curr Issues Tour. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2021.1965554

Bae S, Jung T, Moorhouse N, Suh M, Kwon O (2020) The influence of mixed reality on satisfaction and brand loyalty in cultural heritage attractions: a brand equity perspective. Sustainability 12(7). https://doi.org/10.3390/su12072956

Balakrishnan J, Dwivedi Y, Malik F, Baabdullah A (n.d.) Role of smart tourism technology in heritage tourism development. J Sustain Tour. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2021.1995398

Bec A, Moyle B, Timms K, Schaffer V, Skavronskaya L, Little C (2019) Management of immersive heritage tourism experiences: a conceptual model. Tour Manag 72:117–120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2018.10.033

Berselli C, Pereira LA, Pereira T, Limberger PF (2022) Overtourism: residents’ perceived impacts of tourism saturation. Tour Anal 27(2):161–172

Bhatia A, Roy B, Kumar A (2022) A review of tourism sustainability in the era of Covid-19. J Stat Manag Syst 25(8):1871–1888

Boboc R, Duguleana M, Voinea G, Postelnicu C, Popovici D, Carrozzino M (2019) Mobile augmented reality for cultural heritage: following the footsteps of ovid among different locations in Europe. Sustainability 11(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/su11041167

Bonacini E, Tanasi D, Trapani P (2018) Digital heritage dissemination and the participatory storytelling project #iziTRAVELSicilia: the case of the Archaeological Museum of Syracuse (Italy). Acta IMEKO 7(3):31–41. https://doi.org/10.21014/acta_imeko.v7i3.584 . Scopus

Bramwell B, Lane B (2011) Critical research on the governance of tourism and sustainability. J Sustain Tour 19(4–5):411–421

Briciu A, Briciu V, Kavoura A (2020) Evaluating how “smart” Brasov, Romania can be virtually via a mobile application for cultural tourism. Sustainability 12(13). https://doi.org/10.3390/su12135324

Bruno F, Ricca M, Lagudi A, Kalamara P, Manglis A, Fourkiotou A, Papadopoulou D, Veneti A (2020) Digital technologies for the sustainable development of the accessible underwater cultural heritage sites. J Mar Sci Eng 8(11):955. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse8110955

Buhalis D (2020) Technology in tourism-from information communication technologies to eTourism and smart tourism towards ambient intelligence tourism: a perspective article. Tour Rev 75(1):267–272

Buhalis D, Cheng ESY (eds) (2020) Exploring the use of chatbots in hotels: technology providers’ perspective. In: Information and communication technologies in tourism 2020: proceedings of the international conference in Surrey, United Kingdom, January. Springer International Publishing, 8–10. pp. 231–242

Buhalis D, Inversini A (eds) (2014) Tourism branding, identity, reputation co-creation, and word-of-mouth in the age of social media. In: Tourism management, marketing, and development: vol I: the importance of networks and ICTs. pp. 15–40

Buhalis D, Karatay N (eds) (2022) Mixed reality (MR) for generation Z in cultural heritage tourism towards metaverse. In: Information and communication technologies in tourism 2022: Proceedings of the ENTER 2022 ETourism conference, Springer, Cham, January 11–14, 2022. pp. 16–27

Buhalis D, Law R (2008) Progress in information technology and tourism management: 20 years on and 10 years after the Internet—the state of eTourism research. Tour Manag 29(4):609–623

Buhalis D, Leung D, Lin M (2023) Metaverse as a disruptive technology revolutionising tourism management and marketing. Tour Manag 97:104724

Buhalis D, Lin MS, Leung D (2022) Metaverse as a driver for customer experience and value co-creation: implications for hospitality and tourism management and marketing. Int J Contemp Hosp Manag 35(2):701–716

Buhalis D, Moldavska I (2022) Voice assistants in hospitality: using artificial intelligence for customer service. J Hosp Tour Technol 13(3):386–403

Caciora T, Herman GV, Ilieș A, Baias, Ștefan, Ilieș DC, Josan I, Hodor N (2021) The use of virtual reality to promote sustainable tourism: a case study of wooden churches historical monuments from Romania. Remote Sens 13(9):1758. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13091758

Article   ADS   Google Scholar  

Cai Z, Fang C, Zhang Q, Chen F (2021) Joint development of cultural heritage protection and tourism: the case of Mount Lushan cultural landscape heritage site. Herit Sci 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-021-00558-5

Camilleri MA (2018) The promotion of responsible tourism management through digital media. Tour Plan Dev 15(6):653–671. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568316.2017.1393772

Capocchi A, Vallone C, Pierotti M, Amaduzzi A (2019) Overtourism: A literature review to assess implications and future perspectives. Sustainability 11(12):3303

Carbone F (2017) International tourism and cultural diplomacy: a new conceptual approach towards global mutual understanding and peace through tourism. Tourism 65(1):61–74

Cavalcante WQ, de F, Coelho A, Bairrada CM (2021) Sustainability and tourism marketing: a bibliometric analysis of publications between 1997 and 2020 using VOSviewer software. Sustainability 13(9):4987

Chang W-J, Katrichis JM (2016) A literature review of tourism management (1990–2013): a content analysis perspective. Current Issues Tour 19(8):791–823

Chaudhary S, Kumar A, Pramanik M, Negi M (n.d.) Land evaluation and sustainable development of ecotourism in the Garhwal Himalayan region using geospatial technology and analytical hierarchy process. Environ Dev Sustain https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-021-01528-4

Cocchia A (2014) Smart and digital city: a systematic literature review. Smart City p 13–43

Colicchia C, Strozzi F (2012) Supply chain risk management: a new methodology for a systematic literature review. Supply Chain Manag 17(4), 403–418

Comerio N, Strozzi F (2019) Tourism and its economic impact: a literature review using bibliometric tools. Tour Econ 25(1):109–131

Cranmer E, Urquhart C, Dieck M, Jung T (2021) Developing augmented reality business models for SMEs in tourism. Inf Manag 58(8). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2021.103551

Croitoru A, Manoliu A (2016) BIG DATA—a new tool shaping the future of the tourism industry. In: Pamfilie R, Dinu V, Tachiciu L, Plesea D, Vasiliu C (eds) Basiq international conference: new trends in sustainable business and consumption, pp. 69–74

Cuesta-Valiño P, Bolifa F, Núñez-Barriopedro E (2020) Sustainable, smart and muslim-friendly tourist destinations. Sustainability 12(5):1778. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12051778

da Silva A (2021) In quest of a new AR technology application to enhance the sustainability of cultural tourism: the Olive Heritage in Madeira through the looking glass of a “Sandbox” approach. Eur J Tour Hosp Recreation 11(1):66–76. https://doi.org/10.2478/ejthr-2021-0007

De Lucia C, Pazienza P, Balena P (2021) How does ICT influence residents’ attitudes towards tourism as a driver of development? A generalised ordered logistic regression analysis: ICT for tourism as driver of development in lagging behind regions. Int J Tour Res jtr.2473. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2473

del Vecchio P, Malandugno C, Passiante G, Sakka G (n.d.) Circular economy business model for smart tourism: the case of Ecobnb. Euromed J Bus. https://doi.org/10.1108/EMJB-09-2020-0098

Del Vecchio P, Mele G, Ndou V, Secundo G (2018) Open innovation and social big data for sustainability: evidence from the tourism industry. Sustainability 10(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/su10093215

Dionisio M, Silva C, Nisi V (2019) Fostering interaction between locals and visitors by designing a community-based tourism platform on a touristic island. In: Lamas D, Loizides F, Nacke L, Petrie H, Winckler M, Zaphiris P (eds) Human-Computer Interaction–INTERACT 2019: 17th IFIP TC 13 International Conference, Paphos, Cyprus, September 2–6, 2019, Proceedings, Part II 17, Springer International Publishing. vol 11747, pp. 768–787

Doborjeh Z, Hemmington N, Doborjeh M, Kasabov N (2022) Artificial intelligence: a systematic review of methods and applications in hospitality and tourism. Int J Contemp Hosp Manag 34(3):1154–1176

Donthu N, Kumar S, Mukherjee D, Pandey N, Lim WM (2021) How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: an overview and guidelines. J Bus Res 133:285–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070

Duy N, Mondal S, Van N, Dzung P, Minh D, Das S (2020) A study on the role of web 4.0 and 5.0 in the sustainable tourism ecosystem of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Sustainability 12(17). https://doi.org/10.3390/su12177140

Dwivedi YK, Kshetri N, Hughes L, Slade EL, Jeyaraj A, Kar AK, Baabdullah AM, Koohang A, Raghavan V, Ahuja M (2023) “So what if ChatGPT wrote it?” Multidisciplinary perspectives on opportunities, challenges and implications of generative conversational AI for research, practice and policy. Int J Inf Manag 71:102642

Elkhwesky Z, El Manzani Y, Elbayoumi Salem I (2022) Driving hospitality and tourism to foster sustainable innovation: a systematic review of COVID-19-related studies and practical implications in the digital era. Tour Hosp Res 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/14673584221126792

Encalada L, Boavida-Portugal I, Ferreira C, Rocha J (2017) Identifying tourist places of interest based on digital imprints: towards a sustainable smart city. Sustainability 9(12). https://doi.org/10.3390/su9122317

Ferguson L (2011) Promoting gender equality and empowering women? Tourism and the third Millennium Development Goal. Current Issues Tour 14(3):235–249

Fernandez-Lores S, Crespo-Tejero N, Fernández-Hernández R (2022) Driving traffic to the museum: the role of the digital communication tools. Technol Forecast Soc Change Scopus 174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121273

Feroz AK, Zo H, Chiravuri A (2021) Digital transformation and environmental sustainability: a review and research agenda. Sustainability 13(3):1530. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031530

Filipiak BZ, Dylewski M, Kalinowski M (2020) Economic development trends in the EU tourism industry. Towards the digitalization process and sustainability. Qual Quant Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-020-01056-9

Franco M, Mota L (2021) Reopening for business post-COVID-19: augmented reality as a strategy for attracting visitors to a tourist destination. Eur J Tour Hosp Recreation 11(1):54–65. https://doi.org/10.2478/ejthr-2021-0006

Gajdosik T (2019) Big data analytics in smart tourism destinations. a new tool for destination management organizations ? In: Katsoni V, SegarraOna M (eds) Smart Tourism as a Driver for Culture and Sustainability: Fifth International Conference IACuDiT, Athens 2018, Springer International Publishing, pp. 15–33

Garrigos-Simon FJ, Narangajavana-Kaosiri Y, Lengua-Lengua I (2018) Tourism and sustainability: a bibliometric and visualization analysis. Sustainability 10(6):1976

Garzon J, Acevedo J, Pavon J, Baldiris S (2018) ARtour: Augmented Reality-based game to promote agritourism. In: DePaolis L, Bourdot P (eds) Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and Computer Graphics: 5th International Conference, AVR 2018, Otranto, Italy, June 24–27, 2018, Proceedings, Part I 5, Springer International Publishing, vol 10850, pp. 413–422

Giaccone SC, Bonacini E (2019) New technologies in smart tourism development: The #iziTRAVELSicilia experience. Tour Anal 24(3):341–354. https://doi.org/10.3727/108354219X15511864843867

Go H, Kang M (2023) Metaverse tourism for sustainable tourism development: tourism agenda 2030. Tour Rev 78(2):381–394

Goh E, King B (2020) Four decades (1980–2020) of hospitality and tourism higher education in Australia: developments and future prospects. J Hosp Tour Educ 32(4):266–272

Gomez-Oliva A, Alvarado-Uribe J, Parra-Merono M, Jara A (2019) Transforming communication channels to the co-creation and diffusion of intangible heritage in smart tourism destination: creation and testing in Ceuti (Spain). Sustainability 11(14). https://doi.org/10.3390/su11143848

Goralski MA, Tan TK (2020) Artificial intelligence and sustainable development. Int J Manag Educ 18(1):100330. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2019.100330

Gössling S (2017) Tourism, information technologies and sustainability: an exploratory review. J Sustain Tour 25(7):1024–1041

Gössling S, Hall CM (eds) (2006) An introduction to tourism and global environmental change. In: Tourism and global environmental change. Routledge, pp. 1–33

Graziano T, Privitera D (2020) Cultural heritage, tourist attractiveness and augmented reality: Insights from Italy. J Herit Tour 15(6):666–679. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743873X.2020.1719116

Hammady R, Ma M, AL-Kalha Z, Strathearn C (2021) A framework for constructing and evaluating the role of MR as a holographic virtual guide in museums. Virtual Real 25(4):895–918. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-020-00497-9

Han H, Eom T, Al-Ansi A, Ryu HB, Kim W (2019) Community-based tourism as a sustainable direction in destination development: an empirical examination of visitor behaviors. Sustainability 11(10):10. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11102864

Handayani B, Korstanje ME (2017) Place brand authenticity in social media interaction: a postmodern perspective. Études Caribéennes 37–38, Article 37–38. https://doi.org/10.4000/etudescaribeennes.11182

Haque E, Sungsuwan T, Sanglimsuwan S (2021) Can social media be a tool for increasing tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior? Geoj Tour Geosites 38(4):1211–1222. https://doi.org/10.30892/gtg.38428-762

Hart C (2018) Doing a literature review: releasing the research imagination. Doing a Literature Review, p 1–352

Higgins-Desbiolles F, Carnicelli S, Krolikowski C, Wijesinghe G, Boluk K (2019) Degrowing tourism: rethinking tourism. J Sustain Tour 27(12):1926–1944. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2019.1601732

Huang T, Liu B (2021) Augmented reality is human-like: how the humanizing experience inspires destination brand love. Technol Forecast Soc Change 170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.120853

Ivanov S, Gretzel U, Berezina K, Sigala M, Webster C (2019) Progress on robotics in hospitality and tourism: a review of the literature. J Hosp Tour Technol 10(4):489–521

Jamshidi D, Rousta A, Shafei R (2021). Social media destination information features and destination loyalty: does perceived coolness and memorable tourism experiences matter? Curr Issues Tour Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2021.2019204

Jingen Liang L, Elliot S (2021) A systematic review of augmented reality tourism research: what is now and what is next? Tour Hosp Res 21(1):15–30

Kabassi K (2017) Evaluating websites of museums: state of the art. J Cult Herit 24:184–196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2016.10.016

Kang H (2020) Impact of VR on impulsive desire for a destination. J Hosp Tour Manag 42:244–255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2020.02.003

Kaźmierczak R, Szczepańska A, Kowalczyk C, Grunwald G, Janowski A (2021) Using AR technology in tourism based on the example of maritime educational trips—a conceptual model. Sustainability (Switzerland) Scopus 13(13). https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137172

Kim D, Kim S (2017) The role of mobile technology in tourism: patents, articles, news, and mobile tour app reviews. Sustainability 9(11):2082. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9112082

Kim H, Chang B (2020) A study on the effects of crowdfunding values on the intention to visit local festivals: focusing on mediating effects of perceived risk and e-WOM. Sustainability 12(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083264

Kim K-H, Park D-B (2017) Relationships among perceived value, satisfaction, and loyalty: community-based ecotourism in Korea. J Travel Tour Mark 34(2):171–191. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2016.1156609

Kim S, Kang Y (2020) Why do residents in an overtourism destination develop anti-tourist attitudes? An exploration of residents’ experience through the lens of the community-based tourism. Asia Pac J Tour Res 25(8):858–876

Ko Y, Song B (2021) Complementary cooperation of CCTV and UAV systems for tourism security and sustainability. Sustainability 13(19). https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910693

Koohang A, Nord JH, Ooi K-B, Tan GW-H, Al-Emran M, Aw EC-X, Baabdullah AM, Buhalis D, Cham T-H, Dennis C (2023) Shaping the metaverse into reality: a holistic multidisciplinary understanding of opportunities, challenges, and avenues for future investigation. J Comput Inf Syst 63(3):735–765

Korstanje ME, George BP (2020) Education as a strategy to tackle over tourism for overtourism and inclusive sustainability in the twenty-first century. In: Séraphin H, Gladkikh T, Thanh TV (eds) Overtourism: causes, implications and solutions. Springer International Publishing, pp. 341–359

Korstanje ME, Seraphin H, Maingi SW (eds) (2022) Tourism through troubled times: emerging issues and new pathways for the 21st century tourism. In: Tourism through troubled times. Emerald Publishing Limited, pp. 1–5

Kotsopoulos KI, Chourdaki P, Tsolis D, Antoniadis R, Pavlidis G, Assimakopoulos N (2019) An authoring platform for developing smart apps which elevate cultural heritage experiences: a system dynamics approach in gamification. J Ambient Intell Humaniz Comput Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12652-019-01505-w

Koukopoulos Z, Koukopoulos D (2018) Intelligent management of outdoor cultural events promoting exploitation in smart city environments. In: Katsoni V, Velander K (eds) Innovative Approaches to Tourism and Leisure: Fourth International Conference IACuDiT, Athens 2017, Springer International Publishing, pp. 303–319

Koukopoulos Z, Koukopoulos D (2019) Evaluating the usability and the personal and social acceptance of a participatory digital platform for cultural heritage. Heritage 2(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage2010001

Kreishan FM (2010) Tourism and economic growth: the case of Jordan. Eur J Soc Sci 15(2):63–68

Kumar N, Kumar RR (2020) Relationship between ICT and international tourism demand: a study of major tourist destinations. Tour Econ 26(6):908–925

Law R, Buhalis D, Cobanoglu C (2014) Progress on information and communication technologies in hospitality and tourism. Int J Contemp Hosp Manag 26(5):727–750

Lee W, Kim Y (2021) Does VR tourism enhance users’ experience? Sustainability 13(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/su13020806

Lemmi E, Deri M (2020) A new model for the “tourism renaissance”: the case study of the Tuscan Village of San Pellegrino in Alpe. Almatourism—J Tour Cult Territ Dev 11(22):19–43. https://doi.org/10.6092/issn.2036-5195/12345

León-Gómez A, Ruiz-Palomo D, Fernández-Gámez MA, García-Revilla MR (2021) Sustainable tourism development and economic growth: bibliometric review and analysis. Sustainability 13(4):2270

Li J, Xu L, Tang L, Wang S, Li L (2018) Big data in tourism research: a literature review. Tour Manag 68:301–323

Li W (2006) Community decisionmaking participation in development. Ann Tour Res 33(1):132–143

Lim C, Mostafa N, Park J (2017) Digital Omotenashi: toward a smart tourism design systems. Sustainability 9(12). https://doi.org/10.3390/su9122175

Lin M, Li F, Zhou H (2020a) A research on the combination of oblique photography and mobile applications based on the sustainable development of tourism. Sustainability 12(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/su12093501

Lin S, Juan P, Lin S (2020b) A TAM framework to evaluate the effect of smartphone application on tourism information search behavior of foreign independent travelers. Sustainability 12(22). https://doi.org/10.3390/su12229366

Liu Z, Lan J, Chien F, Sadiq M, Nawaz MA (2022) Role of tourism development in environmental degradation: a step towards emission reduction. J Environ Manag 303:114078

CAS   Google Scholar  

Lopes R, Malik O, Kumpoh A, Keasberry C, Hong O, Lee S, Liu Y & IEEE (2019) Exploring digital architectural heritage in Brunei Darussalam: towards heritage safeguarding, smart tourism, and interactive education. 2019 IEEE Fifth International Conference on Multimedia Big Data (BigMM) At: Singapore Proceedings. p 383–390. https://doi.org/10.1109/BigMM.2019.00067

Lou L, Tian Z, Koh J (2017) Tourist satisfaction enhancement using mobile QR code payment: an empirical investigation. Sustainability 9(7). https://doi.org/10.3390/su9071186

Loureiro SMC, Nascimento J (2021) Shaping a view on the influence of technologies on sustainable tourism. Sustainability 13(22):12691. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212691

Lu J, Xiao X, Xu Z, Wang C, Zhang M, Zhou Y (2022) The potential of virtual tourism in the recovery of tourism industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Current Issues Tour 25(3):441–457. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2021.1959526

Ma D, Hu J, Yao F (2021) Big data empowering low-carbon smart tourism study on low-carbon tourism O2O supply chain considering consumer behaviors and corporate altruistic preferences. Comput Ind Eng 153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cie.2020.107061

Maiorescu I, Negrea M, Popescu D, Sabou G (2016) Best practices regarding the use of electronic environment for Romanian tourism development. Amfiteatru Econ 18(42):474–486

Manglis A, Fourkiotou A, Papadopoulou D (2021) A roadmap for the sustainable valorization of accessible underwater cultural heritage sites. Heritage 4(4):4700–4715. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage4040259

Manoharan A, Singal M (2017) A systematic literature review of research on diversity and diversity management in the hospitality literature. Int J Hosp Manag 66:77–91

Martinez-Grana A, Goy J, Gonzalez-Delgado J, Cruz R, Sanz J, Cimarra C, de Bustamante I (2019) 3D Virtual itinerary in the geological heritage from natural areas in Salamanca-Avila-Caceres, Spain. Sustainability 11(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/su11010144

Martins J, Gonçalves R, Branco F, Barbosa L, Melo M, Bessa M (2017) A multisensory virtual experience model for thematic tourism: a Port wine tourism application proposal. J Destin Mark Manag 6(2):103–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2017.02.002 . Scopus

Mehraliyev F, Chan ICC, Choi Y, Koseoglu MA, Law R (2020) A state-of-the-art review of smart tourism research. J Travel Tour Mark 37(1):78–91

Miceli A, Hagen B, Riccardi M, Sotti F, Settembre-Blundo D (2021) Thriving, not just surviving in changing times: how sustainability, agility and digitalization intertwine with organizational resilience. Sustainability 13(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042052

Mirzaalian F, Halpenny E (2019) Social media analytics in hospitality and tourism: a systematic literature review and future trends. J Hosp Tour Technol 10(4):764–790

Mohd NS, Ismail HN, Jaafar SMRS, Isa N (2020) Experience co-creation of city visitors from the perspective of technological engagement. IOP Conf Ser Earth Environ Sci Scopus 447(1). https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/447/1/012002

Monterroso-Checa A, Redondo-Villa A, Gasparini M, Hornero A, Iraci B, Martin-Talaverano R, Moreno-Escribano J, Munoz-Cadiz J, Murillo-Fragero J, Obregon-Romero R, Vargas N, Young S, Yuste R, Zarco-Tejada P (2020) A heritage science workflow to preserve and narrate a rural archeological landscape using virtual reality: the Cerro del Castillo of Belmez and its surrounding environment (Cordoba, Spain). Appl Sci-Basel 10(23). https://doi.org/10.3390/app10238659

Moya‐Anegón SGFde, Vargas‐Quesada B, Chinchilla‐Rodríguez Z, Corera‐Álvarez E, Munoz‐Fernández FJ, Herrero‐Solana V (2007) Visualizing the marrow of science. J Am Soc Inf Sci Technol 58(14):2167–2179

Mulet-Forteza C, Martorell-Cunill O, Merigó JM, Genovart-Balaguer J, Mauleon-Mendez E (2018) Twenty five years of the Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing: a bibliometric ranking. J Travel Tour Mark 35(9):1201–1221

Muñoz-Leiva F, Hernández-Méndez J, Gómez-Carmona D (2019) Measuring advertising effectiveness in Travel 2.0 websites through eye-tracking technology. Physiol Behav 200:83–95

Muthuraman S, Al Haziazi M & IEEE (2019) Smart tourism destination—new exploration towards sustainable development in Sultanate of Oman. In 2019 5th International Conference on Information Management (ICIM). p 332–335

Mwinuka OH (2017) Reviewing the role of tourism marketing in successful sustainable tourist destinations. Afr J Hosp Tour Leis 6(2):1–11

Nascimento J, Loureiro SMC (2022) The impact of augmented and virtual reality for sustainable tourism. In: Jung T, Dieck MCT, Loureiro SMC (eds) International XR conference. Springer, pp. 148–156

Navarro-Drazich D, Lorenzo C (2021) Sensitivity and vulnerability of international tourism by covid crisis: South America in context. Res Glob 3:100042. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resglo.2021.100042

Obonyo G, Okeyo D, Kambona O (2018) Effect of management practices on actual ICT application in Kenyan hotels: a PLS-SEM approach. Int J Hosp Tour Adm 19(2):142–166. https://doi.org/10.1080/15256480.2017.1305311

Palumbo R (2021) Enhancing museums’ attractiveness through digitization: an investigation of Italian medium and large-sized museums and cultural institutions. Int J Tour Res Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2494

Pavlidis G, Solomou A, Stamouli S, Papavassiliou V, Kritsis K, Kiourt C, Sevetlidis V, Karetsos G, Trigas P, Kougioumoutzis K, Goula K, Proutsos N, Pistikos G, Theodoridis Y, Galanopoulos E, Paraskevas N, Foskolou U, Papadopoulos M (2022) Sustainable ecotourism through cutting-edge technologies. Sustainability 14(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/su14020800

Pehlivanides G, Monastiridis K, Tourtas A, Karyati E, Ioannidis G, Bejelou K, Antoniou V, Nomikou P (2020) The virtualdiver project. Making Greece’s underwater cultural heritage accessible to the public. Appl Sci (Switzerland) 10(22):1–22. https://doi.org/10.3390/app10228172

Article   CAS   Google Scholar  

Permatasari P, Qohar A, Rachman A (2020) From web 1.0 to web 4.0: the digital heritage platforms for UNESCO’s heritage properties in Indonesia. Virtual Archaeol Rev 11(23):75–93. https://doi.org/10.4995/var.2020.13121

Phoong SW, Phoong SY, Ho ST (2022) Technology, organisation and environment factor on mobile payment implementation: focus on SMEs in Malaysia. Int J Mob Commun 20(5):519–540. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJMC.2022.125420

Phoong SW, Phoong SY, Khek SL (2022). Systematic Literature Review With Bibliometric Analysis on Markov Switching Model: Methods and Applications, Sage Open 12(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221093062

Pica A, Reynard E, Grangier L, Kaiser C, Ghiraldi L, Perotti L, Del Monte M (2018) GeoGuides, urban geotourism offer powered by mobile application technology. Geoheritage 10(2):311–326. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-017-0237-0

Pilkington A, Meredith J (2009) The evolution of the intellectual structure of operations management—1980–2006: a citation/co-citation analysis. J Oper Manag 27(3):185–202

Pitoska E (2013) E-tourism: the use of internet and information and communication technologies in tourism: the case of hotel units in peripheral areas. In: Jankovic S, Jurdana D (eds) Tourism in Southern and Eastern Europe. vol 2. WOS:000323235000025, pp. 335–344

Pizam A, Ozturk AB, Balderas-Cejudo A, Buhalis D, Fuchs G, Hara T, Meira J, Revilla MRG, Sethi D, Shen Y (2022) Factors affecting hotel managers’ intentions to adopt robotic technologies: a global study. Int J Hosp Manag 102:103139

Rahmadian E, Feitosa D, Zwitter A (2022) A systematic literature review on the use of big data for sustainable tourism. Current Issues Tour 25(11):1711–1730

Ramos-Soler I, Martinez-Sala A, Campillo-Alhama C (2019) ICT and the sustainability of world heritage sites. Analysis of senior citizens’ use of tourism apps. Sustainability 11(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/su11113203

Ruhanen L, Moyle C, Moyle B (2018) New directions in sustainable tourism research. Tour Rev 74(2):138–149. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-12-2017-0196

Saarinen J, Rogerson CM (2014) Tourism and the millennium development goals: perspectives beyond 2015. Tour Geogr 16(1):23–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2013.851269

Saarinen J, Rogerson C, Manwa H (2011) Tourism and millennium development goals: tourism for global development? Current Issues Tour 14(3):201–203. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2011.555180

Scott N, Zhang R, Le D, Moyle B (2019) A review of eye-tracking research in tourism. Current Issues Tour 22(10):1244–1261

Shafiee M, Shafiee M, Shams H, Yahai M, Golchin H & IEEE (2013) ICT capacities in creating sustainable urban tourism and its effects on resident quality of life (WOS:000326046500028). In: Shafiee MM, Shafiee MM, Shams H, Yahai MR, Golchin H (eds) 2013 7th international conference on E-commerce in developing countries: with focus on E-Security (ECDC), IEEE

Sharmin F, Sultan M, Badulescu D, Badulescu A, Borma A, Li B (2021) Sustainable destination marketing ecosystem through smartphone-based social media: the consumers’ acceptance perspective. Sustainability 13(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042308

Shehzad K, Liu X, Rauf A, Arif M, Mazhar S, Sohail N, Amin W (2019) Revolutionising tourism development in China: an effective role of ICT and Western Silk Road project. Asia Pac J Tour Res 24(9):965–977

Singh S (2017) Mobile money for promoting conservation and community-based tourism and ecotourism in underdeveloped regions. Tour Recreation Res 42(1):108–112. https://doi.org/10.1080/02508281.2016.1251011

Streimikiene D, Svagzdiene B, Jasinskas E, Simanavicius A (2021) Sustainable tourism development and competitiveness: the systematic literature review. Sustain Dev 29(1):259–271

Stylos N, Zwiegelaar J, Buhalis D (2021) Big data empowered agility for dynamic, volatile, and time-sensitive service industries: the case of tourism sector. Int J Contemp Hosp Manag 33(3):1015–1036

Talafubieke M, Mai S, Xialifuhan N (2021) Evaluation of the virtual economic effect of tourism product emotional marketing based on virtual reality. Front Psychol 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.759268

Tan W, Shrestha D, Jeong S (2019) Digital tourism development and sustainability model for Nepal. In: Shen W, Paredes H, Luo J, Barthes J (eds) 2019 IEEE 23rd International Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work in Design (CSCWD). IEEE, pp. 182–187

Taylor JP (2001) Authenticity and sincerity in tourism. Ann Tour Res 28(1):7–26

ADS   Google Scholar  

Telfer DJ, Sharpley R (2015) Tourism and development in the developing world. Routledge

Theocharidis A, Argyropoulou M, Karavasilis G, Vrana V, Kehris E (2020) An approach towards investigating factors affecting intention to book a hotel room through social media. Sustainability 12(21). https://doi.org/10.3390/su12218973

tom Dieck MC, Jung T, Han D-I (2016) Mapping requirements for the wearable smart glasses augmented reality museum application. J Hosp Tour Technol 7(3):230–253. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTT-09-2015-0036 . Scopus

Tsai T-H, Chang H-T, Lin Y-W, Yu M-C, Lien P-J, Yan W-C, Ho W-L (2018) Emerging social media and social networks analysis transforms the tourism industry: living green smart tourism ecosystem. In: Antona M, Stephanidis C (eds) Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction. Virtual, Augmented, and Intelligent Environments, Springer International Publishing, vol. 10908, pp. 583–590

Tscheu F, Buhalis D (eds) (2016) Augmented reality at cultural heritage sites. In: Proceedings of the international conference on information and communication technologies in tourism, Bilbao, Spain, Springer, Cham, February 2–5. pp. 607–619

Tussyadiah IP, Wang D, Jung TH, Tom Dieck MC (2018) Virtual reality, presence, and attitude change: empirical evidence from tourism. Tour Manag 66:140–154

Ülker P, Ülker M, Karamustafa K (2023) Bibliometric analysis of bibliometric studies in the field of tourism and hospitality. J Hosp Tour Insights 6(2):797–818

Um T, Jia J, Xiaorui T, Chung N (2021) Technology readiness as moderator for satisfaction and destination loyalty in augmented reality environments. Asia Pac J Inf Syst 31(2):220–235. https://doi.org/10.14329/apjis.2021.31.2.220

United Nations Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda

Van NTT, Vrana V, Duy NT, Minh DXH, Dzung PT, Mondal SR, Das S (2020) The role of human–machine interactive devices for post-COVID-19 innovative sustainable tourism in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Sustainability 12(22):9523. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12229523

Vitezic V, Car T, Simunic M (2015) Managing innovative technology in the hotel industry—response to growing consumer preferences. In: Jankovic S, Jurdana D (eds) Tourism in Southern and Eastern Europe, vol 3, pp. 467–478

Wang F, Liu Z, Shang S, Qin Y, Wu B (2019) Vitality continuation or over-commercialization? Spatial structure characteristics of commercial services and population agglomeration in historic and cultural areas. Tour Econ 25(8):1302–1326

Wang G, Wang H, Wang L (2023) Research trends in tourism and hospitality from 1991 to 2020: an integrated approach of corpus linguistics and bibliometrics. J Hosp Tour Insights 6(2):509–529

Wang Y, Lin Y-J, Lin B-S (2020) The factors that affect usage intentions and travel intentions of travel-related WeChat official accounts. Sustainability (Switzerland) 12(15). https://doi.org/10.3390/su12156108

Wei W (2019) Research progress on virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in tourism and hospitality: a critical review of publications from 2000 to 2018. J Hosp Tour Technol 10(4):539–570

Winter PL, Selin S, Cerveny L, Bricker K (2020) Outdoor recreation, nature-based tourism, and sustainability. Sustainability 12(1):1. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12010081

Xie X, Zhang W (2021) Regulation mechanism of spatial capacity of tourist resources in scenic spots based on Internet of things technology. Complexity https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/3934894

Yalina N, Rozas IS (2020) Digital workplace: digital transformation for environmental sustainability. IOP Conf Ser: Earth Environ Sci 456(1):012022. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/456/1/012022

Yang J, Yang R, Chen M-H, Su C-HJ, Zhi Y, Xi J (2021) Effects of rural revitalization on rural tourism. J Hosp Tour Manag 47:35–45

Yin C, Jung T, Dieck M, Lee M (2021) Mobile augmented reality heritage applications: meeting the needs of heritage tourists. Sustainability 13(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052523

Yovcheva Z, Buhalis D, Gatzidis C (2012) Smartphone augmented reality applications for tourism. E-Rev Tour Res 10(2):63–66

Yuce A, Arasli H, Ozturen A, Daskin M (2020) Feeling the service product closer: triggering visit intention via virtual reality. Sustainability 12(16). https://doi.org/10.3390/su12166632

Zhang C, Fyall A, Zheng Y (2015) Heritage and tourism conflict within world heritage sites in China: a longitudinal study. Current Issues Tour 18(2):110–136

Zhao J, Li S-M (2018) The impact of tourism development on the environment in China. Acta Sci Malays 2(1):1–4

MathSciNet   ADS   Google Scholar  

Zhong L, Sun S, Law R, Li X (2021) Tourism crisis management: evidence from COVID-19. Current Issues Tour 24(19):2671–2682. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2021.1901866

Zhou C, Sotiriadis M (2021) Exploring and evaluating the Impact of ICTs on culture and tourism industries’ convergence: evidence from China. Sustainability 13(21). https://doi.org/10.3390/su132111769

Zubiaga M, Izkara J, Gandini A, Alonso I, Saralegui U (2019) Towards smarter management of overtourism in historic centres through visitor-flow monitoring. Sustainability 11(24). https://doi.org/10.3390/su11247254

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research is supported by the Universiti Malaya International Collaboration Grant, grant number ST013-2022.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Department of Decision Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Chunyu Jiang & Seuk Wai Phoong

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Seuk Wai Phoong .

Ethics declarations

Competing interests.

The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethical approval

This article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by any of the authors.

Informed consent

Additional information.

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ .

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Jiang, C., Phoong, S.W. A ten-year review analysis of the impact of digitization on tourism development (2012–2022). Humanit Soc Sci Commun 10 , 665 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-02150-7

Download citation

Received : 25 April 2023

Accepted : 11 September 2023

Published : 07 October 2023

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-02150-7

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

Quick links

• Explore articles by subject
• Guide to authors
• Editorial policies

Digital marketing and tourism: opportunities for Africa

International Hospitality Review

ISSN : 2516-8142

Article publication date: 30 December 2019

Issue publication date: 14 July 2020

The purpose of this paper is to explore digital marketing and tourism with a focus on opportunities with a case study of Africa, motivated by developments in tourism particularly the increase in tourist arrivals and the growth of digital statistics in the digital era.

Design/methodology/approach

Literature review as a research methodology was adopted in this study, and the integrative literature review was the method used as well as content analysis to review studies in digital marketing and tourism relating to Africa.

This paper reveals that digital media, content and mobile advertising are among the trends in digital marketing and, thus, affords Africa the opportunity to market its attractions to tourists in this digital era.

Research limitations/implications

Future studies can explore quantitative and qualitative methods to understand the phenomenon of digital marketing in relation to tourism.

Practical implications

Other countries within Africa to adopt similar digital marketing such as digital media and creative content in order to manage the digitization of marketing activities in the tourism sector.

Originality/value

This study explores digital marketing and tourism with a focus on opportunities for Africa as a case study by specifically examining social media marketing in relation to tourist arrivals using integrative literature review and content analysis methods.

• Opportunities

Digital marketing

Mkwizu, K.H. (2020), "Digital marketing and tourism: opportunities for Africa", International Hospitality Review , Vol. 34 No. 1, pp. 5-12. https://doi.org/10.1108/IHR-09-2019-0015

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2019, Kezia Herman Mkwizu

Published in International Hospitality Review . Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial & non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

Introduction

Digital marketing utilizes electronic media to promote products and services ( Yasmin et al. , 2015 ). Digital marketing in Africa has been documented in reference to digital statistics such as internet users and usage in platforms like Facebook ( Digital Statistics in South Africa, 2017 ; Internet World Stats, 2019 ). For example, digital statistics in South Africa show that 28.6m (52 percent) utilize the internet and 15m users make use of the social media platforms with a record of nearly 70 percent weekly activities on social media platforms and, therefore, this highlights how important social media marketing is ( Digital Statistics in South Africa, 2017 ).

Tourism in Africa is growing with records indicating an increase in international tourist arrivals from 62.7m in 2017 to 67m in 2018 ( UNWTO, 2018, 2019 ). In 2016, Africa’s international tourism receipts recorded $36.2bn ( African Development Bank, 2018 ). In addition, reports from the African Travel and Tourism Association (Atta) and World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) indicated that tourism in Africa contributed $194.2bn which is approximately 8.5 percent to gross domestic product (GDP) in 2018 ( Atta, 2019 ; WTTC, 2018). Furthermore, in 2017, South Africa had 10.2m international tourist arrivals and Morocco had 11.3m while Comoros had 28,000 ( UNWTO, 2018 ; Azeez, 2019 ). The WTTC (2019 ) indicated that African countries that led the world for travel and tourism GDP growth in 2018 were Ethiopia (+48.6 percent) and Egypt (+16.5 percent). The increasing numbers of international tourist arrivals provide opportunities for Africa to manage marketing strategies in the digital era including digital marketing.

Due to this development in tourism particularly tourist arrivals as highlighted by UNWTO (2018) , and WTTC (2018, 2019 ) as well as the growth of digital statistics in the digital era in Africa, this paper is motivated to expand knowledge on digital marketing by exploring digital marketing and tourism with a focus on opportunities for Africa as a case study by combining integrative literature review and content analysis as a research methodology approach.

Literature review

Digital marketing refers to the utilization of electronic media by the marketers to promote products or services into the market with the main objective of attracting customers and allow them to interact with the brand through digital media ( Yasmin et al. , 2015 ). One of the important techniques in digital marketing is social media marketing ( Chaffey, 2011 ). Digital marketing is also referred to as marketing online whether via websites, online adverts, opt-in emails, interactive kiosks, interactive TV or mobiles ( Chaffey and Smith, 2008 ). Mandal et al. (2016) defined digital marketing as promotion of brands using all available forms of digital advertising media to reach the target segment. For purposes of this study, digital marketing refers to promotion of products and services using digital advertising media such as social media like Facebook.

Tourism is defined as the social, cultural and economic phenomenon which entails the movement of people to countries or places outside their usual environment for personal or business/professional purposes ( UNWTO, 2008 ). This study adopts the definition of tourism by UNWTO (2008) .

Theoretical review

The competitive advantage theory is adopted as a guide in this study which explored digital marketing and tourism with a focus on opportunities for Africa. Competitive advantage theory was developed by Porter (1990) and assumes that a nation’s prosperity is created by nation’s firms that are successful in the world market and competitiveness depends on the capacity to innovate and upgrade ( Porter, 1990 ; Gupta, 2015 ). Previous scholars mentioned the strategic importance of new technology as an opportunity to gain competitive advantages ( Porter and Millar, 1985 ). Yasmin et al. (2015) stated that digital marketing refers to various promotional techniques deployed to reach customers via digital technologies and mainly use internet. In using internet platforms, businesses can create competitive advantages ( Mandal et al. , 2016 ).

Past tourism studies have also used competitive advantage theory ( Dirsehan, 2015 ; Elly and Boter, 2014 ; Jani and Minde, 2016 ). The study by Jani and Minde was conducted in Tanzania and Uganda to investigate East African tourism destination competitiveness. Guided by the competitive advantage theory, the study found that accommodation and visitor services were the competitive advantages for Uganda while for Tanzania it was transport system and travel motivation ( Jani and Minde, 2016 ).

The registered digital growth in terms of internet and smartphone users indicates that innovations like digital marketing such as social media marketing through digital media platforms like Facebook can create competitive advantage in relation to not only nations and firms but can extend to tourism in terms of tourist arrival numbers. This paper applies competitive advantage theory to guide the main objective of exploring digital marketing and tourism by specifically examining social media marketing in relation to tourist arrivals.

Digital marketing and tourism

Digital marketing has been investigated by previous studies such as Chaffey (2011) , Yasmin et al. (2015) , Waghmare (2012 ), Gangeshwer (2013) , Kumar and Jincy (2017) and Lies (2019) . Yasmin et al. (2015) conducted a research which was on the effectiveness of digital marketing in the challenging age. The study used correlation analysis and found that the elements of digital marketing such as online marketing and social media marketing are highly positively correlated to sales increase.

Yasmin et al. (2015) highlighted that there are many advantages that digital marketing can bring to customers which are: stay updated with products or services, greater engagement, clear information about products and services, easy comparison with others, 24/7 shopping, share content of the products or services, apparent pricing and enables instant purchase. According to Yasmin et al. (2015) , digital marketing has seven elements which are online advertising, e-mail marketing, social media marketing, text messaging, affiliate marketing, search engine optimization and pay per click.

Bang and Roos (2014) examined digital marketing by concentrating on digital marketing strategy with manufacturing industries using a qualitative approach and found that small- and medium-sized companies mostly use homepage as a digital channel. This study concentrates on digital marketing with tourism particularly the tourist arrivals. Table I shows tourists arrival growth in 2000, 2014, 2017 and 2018 for Africa.

In 2018, Bala and Verma did a critical review of digital marketing to identify current and future trends in marketing for India. The study found that there is a radical change toward digitalization whereby consumers are looking and searching more on internet to find best deals. Furthermore, Bala and Verma (2018) argued that knowing which social media sites a company’s target market utilizes is another key factor in guaranteeing that online marketing will be successful. Other scholars investigated social media marketing and found that in tourism particularly in winery, most owners recognize the social, economic and emotional benefits of social media but not using its full potential because of barriers like time-consuming nature of social media ( Canovi and Pucciarelli, 2019 ).

The internet penetration rate (% population) in Africa by June 30, 2019 indicated 39.8 percent which is 525,148,631 users compared to 4,514,400 users in 2000 with Facebook subscription of 204,304,118 in December 2018 ( Internet World Stats, 2019 ). In addition, 525,148,631 internet users in Africa represent 11.9 percent of the world’s internet users. On the one hand, the world total average penetration rate is 57.3 percent which is 4,422,494,622 users and 2,199,428,570 Facebook subscribers in December 2018 ( Internet World Stats, 2019 ).

Digital statistics by Digital Odyssey (2019) show that one of the top digital marketing trends in Nigeria for 2019 is 17m active mobile social users implying potential business opportunities to explore customers with mobile marketing using mobile advertising since 50 percent of Nigeria’s population use smartphones. Past studies have mentioned that mobile technology allows consumers to access hotel websites in a variety of ways and through a variety of devices ( Murphy et al. , 2016 ; Smith, 2017 ; Ukpabi and Karjaluoto, 2017 ). In addition, Stringam and Gerdes (2019) emphasized on the need to improve load times to capture potential customers who access hotel websites so that the time to load hotel websites is not long. In general, 80 percent of Africans use mobile phones ( The Global Digital Report, 2019 ). Tables II and III show the internet statistics in terms of penetration rate (% population) and Facebook subscription for selected countries in Africa.

In Africa, Adeleye (2015) did research on social media marketing with a case of Africa by examining challenges of social media marketing in Africa and proposed that marketers can utilize passive marketing tools as sources of marketing intelligence and as active marketing tools meaning as platforms of communication, promotion, brand awareness, consumer interaction and a feedback mechanism. Equally, Begho (2019) mentioned that five digital marketing predictions for African brands in 2019 is creative content, customer capital, integrated marketing and communications, user experience and block chain technology.

Similarly, further literature on digital marketing continues to be connected to the concept of SME in the study by Pradhan et al. (2018) which was done in India. Pradhan et al. (2018) advocated that there is a need to conduct research to investigate the opportunities created by digital marketing. Therefore, in view of the recommendations by Pradhan et al. (2018) , this study contributes to expanding literature on digital marketing by exploring digital marketing in relation to tourism with a focus on opportunities for Africa. In exploring digital marketing in relation to tourism, this study specifically examined social media marketing in relation to tourist arrivals.

Methodology

This paper is a case study of Africa. The methodology deployed by this study is the literature review and content analysis. The literature review technique used is the integrative literature review approach. Literature review as a research methodology has been documented by previous and current scholars ( Torraco, 2005, 2016 ; Snyder, 2019 ). The integrative literature reviewed in this study includes reports, conference papers, online publications and journals to explore digital marketing and tourism with a focus on opportunities for Africa. Torraco (2005) defined integrative literature review as a form of desktop research that reviews, critiques and synthesizes representative literature on a topic in an integrated way such that new frameworks and perspectives on the topic are generated. Furthermore, Torraco (2016) refers to integrative literature review as a distinctive form of research that uses existing literature to create new knowledge. Similarly, Snyder (2019) advocates on the use of literature review as a research methodology in business studies. Another scholar combined literature review approach and thematic content analysis to conduct research on role and place of content for massive open online courses ( Babori et al. , 2019 ). Therefore, this study uses integrative literature review methodology as well as content analysis to review studies in digital marketing and tourism relating to Africa with the main objective to explore digital marketing and tourism by focusing on opportunities for Africa, and specifically to examining social media marketing in relation to tourist arrivals.

The reviewed literature and the analyzed content in the literature including Tables I–III reveal that there is growth in both digital marketing and tourism in Africa. The records of international tourist arrivals by UNWTO (2015, 2018, 2019) for Africa from 26m in 2000 to 67m in 2018 implies that there has been a steady growth in the number of tourist arrivals to Africa. On the other hand, the increase in digital marketing in terms of internet and mobile users as per studies by ( Internet World Stats, 2019 ; The Global Digital Report, 2019 ) avail opportunities for African countries to engage in social media marketing as well as content and mobile advertising.

Tourism growth encompasses marketing in order to increase international tourist arrivals. The internet statistics by Internet World Stats (2019) imply that the top 5 African countries in terms of internet users are: Nigeria (119.5m), Egypt (49.2m), Tanzania (43.6m), Kenya (43.3m) and South Africa (32.6m). Equally, the top 5 African countries in terms of Facebook subscription are: Egypt (35m), Angola (27.6m), Algeria (19m), Nigeria (17m) and South Africa (16m). Furthermore, internet statistics by population of African countries suggest that the top 5 African countries in terms of population are: Nigeria (200.9m), Ethiopia (110.1m), Egypt (101.1m), Congo Dem. Republic (86.7m) and Tanzania (60.9m).

This study can conclude that in exploring digital marketing and tourism, there are opportunities for Africa as a case study. The opportunities in digital marketing exists in terms of social media marketing, content marketing and mobile marketing which are driven by population (e.g. 50 percent of Nigeria’s population use smartphones), internet and mobile users as well as social media capacity as Facebook subscribers which implies that digital marketing like social media marketing, creative content and mobile advertising can act as digital marketing trends, hence, assist to increase international tourist arrivals for Africa.

Implications

Practical implication from the outcome of this paper is that stakeholders in the tourism sector should consider digital marketing like social media marketing, creative content and mobile advertising as digital marketing trends in African tourism marketing.

The theoretical implication from the competitive advantage point of view, the literature shows that Nigeria has the competitive advantage of population, smartphone users and internet users over other African countries. Hence, Nigeria has the capacity to utilize digital marketing through text messaging and mobile advertising to encourage internet users to share tourism content within and outside Africa to enhance tourism growth. Egypt has the Facebook subscriber competitive advantage over other African countries, hence, it has a better opportunity in digital marketing in terms of the capacity to utilize social media marketing through social media to boost tourism. Although Ethiopia is the second largest country in Africa by population, the number of internet users is not in the top 5 list of Africa countries for internet users which means that this study recommends for countries like Ethiopia to encourage the use of internet to take advantage of opportunities such as social media marketing to boost tourism. On the other hand, Tanzania is 5th in the population list of countries in Africa and ranks 3rd in terms of internet users which leads this study to imply that Tanzania has a competitive advantage in terms of population and internet users to enjoy opportunities in digital marketing compared to countries like Kenya, South Africa and Uganda.

Limitations of the study

The limitation of this study was on the use of literature review and content analysis method as a research methodology.

Suggestions for further studies

This study suggests that future research may use mixed methods approach of qualitative and quantitative so as to have a deeper understanding of the digital marketing phenomenon in managing tourism businesses.

Tourism: tourist arrivals to Africa in 2000, 2014, 2017 and 2018

Source : Compiled from Internet World Stats (2019)

Adeleye , A. ( 2015 ), “ Social media marketing: the case of Africa ”, available at: www.researchgate.net/publication/309240542_Social_Media_Marketing_The_Case_of_Africa (accessed August 9, 2019 ).

African Development Bank ( 2018 ), “ African economic outlook 2018 ”, available at: www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Publications/African_Economic_Outlook_2018_-_EN.pdf (accessed August 6, 2019 ).

Atta ( 2019 ), “ Analysis of Africa’s tourism market for April 2019 ”, African Travel and Tourism Association, London, available at: www.atta.travel/news/2019/04/an-analysis-of-africas-tourism-market-for-april-2019/ (accessed August 6, 2019 ).

Azeez , R.O. ( 2019 ), “ Is tourism a sustainable haven for economic growth in North African countries? An evidence from panel analysis ”, available at: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/93449/1/MPRA_paper_93449.pdf (accessed August 9, 2019 ).

Babori , A. , Zaid , A. and Fihri , H.F. ( 2019 ), “ Research on MOOCs in major referred journals: the role and place of content ”, International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning , Vol. 20 No. 3 , pp. 222 - 247 .

Bala , M. and Verma , D. ( 2018 ), “ A critical review of digital marketing ”, International Journal of Management, IT and Engineering , Vol. 8 No. 10 , pp. 321 - 339 .

Bang , A. and Roos , C. ( 2014 ), “ Digital marketing strategy within manufacturing industry – a qualitative case study ”, available at: www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:726192/FULLTEXT02 (accessed August 9, 2019 ).

Begho , N.U. ( 2019 ), “ Digital marketing predictions for African brands in 2019 ”, available at: https://medium.com/inside-futuresoft/5-digital-marketing-predictions-for-african-brands-in-2019-3e7df5b7a0d0 (accessed August 9, 2019 ).

Canovi , M. and Pucciarelli , F. ( 2019 ), “ Social media marketing in wine tourism: winery owners’ perceptions ”, Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing , Vol. 36 No. 6 , pp. 653 - 664 .

Chaffey , D. ( 2011 ), E-Business and E-Commerce Management , Pearson Education , Harlow .

Chaffey , D. and Smith , P. ( 2008 ), Emarketing Excellence: Planning and Optimizing Your Digital Marketing , Routledge , London and New York, NY .

Digital Odyssey ( 2019 ), “ Top digital marketing trends in Nigeria for 2019 ”, available at: www.digitalodyssey.net/blog/top-digital-marketing-trends-nigeria-2019/ (accessed July 12, 2019 ).

Digital Statistics in South Africa ( 2017 ), “ The digital landscape in South Africa 2017 ”, available at: https://qwertydigital.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Digital-Statistics-in-South-Africa-2017-Report.pdf (accessed July 14, 2019 ).

Dirsehan , T. ( 2015 ), “ Gaining competitive advantage in tourism marketing: a text mining approach to hotel visitors’ comments in Durres ”, International Conference on Management, Business and Economics , November , pp. 40 - 45 .

Elly , T. and Boter , H. ( 2014 ), “ Increasing the competitive strength of Tanzanian tourism firms-the strategic role of information technology ”, Business Management Review , Vol. 14 , pp. 41 - 57 , available at: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/02ce/e82cc946d06db400868990fab00fda4a568c.pdf?_ga=2.194690797.1735689451.1574448504-1278020550.1559510179

Gangeshwer , D.K. ( 2013 ), “ E-commerce or internet marketing: a business review from Indian context ”, International Journal of u-and e-Service, Science and Technology , Vol. 6 No. 6 , pp. 187 - 194 .

Gupta , S.D. ( 2015 ), “ Comparative advantage and competitive advantage: an economics perspective and a synthesis ”, Athens Journal of Business and Economics , Vol. 1 No. 1 , pp. 9 - 22 .

Internet World Stats ( 2019 ), “ Usage and population ”, available at: www.internetworldstats.com/stats1.htm (accessed August 9, 2019 ).

Jani , D. and Minde , M. ( 2016 ), “ East African tourism destination competitiveness: a comparison of Uganda and Tanzania ”, ORSEA Journal , Vol. 6 No. 1 , pp. 49 - 70 .

Kumar , M.M. and Jincy , K.B. ( 2017 ), “ Digital marketing: challenges and opportunities ”, Paripex-Indian Journal of Research , Vol. 6 No. 11 , pp. 117 - 119 .

Lies , H.J. ( 2019 ), “ Marketing intelligence and big data: digital marketing techniques on their way to becoming social engineering techniques in marketing ”, International Journal of Interactive Multimedia and Artificial Intelligence , Vol. 5 No. 5 , pp. 134 - 144 .

Mandal , P. , Joshi , N. and Sheela. , K. ( 2016 ), “ Understanding digital marketing-theories and strategies ”, International Research Journal of Management Science and Technology , Vol. 7 No. 9 , pp. 50 - 60 .

Murphy , H.C. , Chen , M.M. and Cossutta , M. ( 2016 ), “ An investigation of multiple devices and information sources used in the hotel booking process ”, Tourism Management , Vol. 52 , pp. 44 - 51 , available at: www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0261517715001284

Porter , M.E. ( 1990 ), The Competitive Advantage of Nations , The Free Press , New York, NY .

Porter , M. and Millar , V. ( 1985 ), “ How information gives you competitive advantage ”, Harvard Business Review , Vol. 63 No. 4 , pp. 149 - 160 .

Pradhan , P. , Nigam , D. and CK , T. ( 2018 ), “ Digital marketing and SMES: an identification of research gap via archives of past research ”, Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce , Vol. 23 No. 1 , pp. 1 - 14 .

Smith , A. ( 2017 ), “ Record shares of Americans now own smartphones, have home broadband ”, available at: www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/01/12/evolution-of-technology/ (accessed September 4, 2019 ).

Snyder , H. ( 2019 ), “ Literature review as a research methodology: an overview and guidelines ”, Journal of Business Research , Vol. 104 No. 2019 , pp. 333 - 339 .

Stringam , B. and Gerdes , J. ( 2019 ), “ Service gap in hotel website load performance ”, International Hospitality Review , Vol. 33 No. 1 , pp. 16 - 29 .

The Global Digital Report ( 2019 ), “ Africa digital report 2019 ”, available at: www.africanvibes.com/global-digital-report-2019/ (accessed July 12, 2019 ).

Torraco , R.J. ( 2005 ), “ Writing integrative literature reviews: guidelines and examples ”, Human Resource Development Review , Vol. 4 No. 3 , pp. 356 - 367 .

Torraco , R.J. ( 2016 ), “ Writing integrative literature reviews: using the past and present to explore the future ”, Human Resource Development Review , Vol. 15 No. 4 , pp. 404 - 428 .

Ukpabi , D.C. and Karjaluoto , H. ( 2017 ), “ Consumers’ acceptance of information and communications technology in tourism: a review ”, Telematics and Informatics , Vol. 34 No. 5 , pp. 618 - 644 .

UNWTO ( 2008 ), “ Understanding tourism: basic glossary ”, available at: http://cf.cdn.unwto.org/sites/all/files/docpdf/glossaryenrev.pdf (accessed August 8, 2019 ).

UNWTO ( 2015 ), “ Affiliate members regional reports, volume four –tourism in Africa: A Tool for Development, UNWTO, Madrid ”, available at: http://cf.cdn.unwto.org/sites/all/files/pdf/tourism_africa_tool_development1.compressed.pdf (accessed July 14, 2019 ).

UNWTO ( 2018 ), “ Tourism highlights ”, available at: www.e-unwto.org/doi/pdf/10.18111/9789284419876 (accessed July 14, 2019 ).

UNWTO ( 2019 ), “ International tourism results 2018 and outlook 2019 ”, available at: http://cf.cdn.unwto.org/sites/all/files/pdf/unwto_barometer_jan19_presentation_en.pdf (accessed July 14, 2019 ).

Waghmare , G.T. ( 2012 ), “ E-commerce: A business review and future prospects in Indian business internet marketing in India ”, Indian Stream Research Journal , Vol. 2 No. IV , pp. 1 - 4 , available at: www.scirp.org/(S(i43dyn45teexjx455qlt3d2q))/reference/ReferencesPapers.aspx?ReferenceID=1787356 (accessed August 10, 2019 ).

WTTC ( 2019 ), “ Travel and tourism global economic impact and trends 2019 ”, World Travel and Tourism Council, London, available at: http://ambassade-ethiopie.fr/onewebmedia/Tourism-WTTC-Global-Economic-Impact-Trends-2019.pdf (accessed August 6, 2019 ).

Yasmin , A. , Tasneem , S. and Fatem , K. ( 2015 ), “ Effectiveness of digital marketing in the challenging age: an empirical study ”, International Journal of Management Science and Business Administration , Vol. 1 No. 5 , pp. 69 - 80 .

Further reading

Gartner ( 2014 ), “ Gartner says worldwide traditional PC, tablet, ultramobile and Mobile Phone shipments are on pace to grow 6.9 percent in 2014 ”, available at: www.gartner.com (accessed September 4, 2019 ).

United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) ( 2017 ), “ Key statistics ”, available at: https://unctad.org/en/Pages/ALDC/Africa/Edar2017KeyStatistics.aspx (accessed August 9, 2019 ).

Corresponding author

Related articles, all feedback is valuable.

Please share your general feedback

Report an issue or find answers to frequently asked questions

Contact Customer Support

Digital Platforms and the Future of Tourism

Successful woman backpacker use digital tablet taking photo on mountain peak cliff. © lzf/Shutterstock

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• The tourism industry is vital to the growth of the majority of developing economies, with the potential to create millions of jobs and promote entrepreneurship and innovation.
• Digital technologies have the potential to give small tourism businesses in emerging destinations direct access to a global market of travel consumers for the first time, vastly expanding their prospects.
• To celebrate World Tourism Day, the World Bank Group, together with partners, are exploring how digital advances can be used to benefit sustainable tourism for development.

Tourism is one of the fastest growing and most important economic sectors in the world providing benefits to both host communities and destination areas. In 2017, international tourist arrivals reached a new record high at over 1.3 billion according to the latest UNWTO Tourism Highlights . The sector has now seen uninterrupted growth in arrivals for eight straight years. It also represents 10.4% of GDP and in 2017 the tourism industry supported 313 million jobs or 1 in 10 jobs globally.

Tourism also provides better opportunities for women’s participation in the workforce, women’s entrepreneurship, and women’s leadership than other sectors of the economy.

That is why the World Bank Group continues to be committed to invest funds, knowledge and expertise to support tourism for development.

• As a part of the World Bank Growth & Competitiveness Project in the Gambia, a hospitality training center trained 1,235 students and helped increase arrivals by tourists from non-traditional markets by 71% between 2011 and 2015.
• In Peru, an IFC Advisory project financed by SECO (Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs – Economic Cooperation and Development) helped streamline procedures for obtaining licenses and permits to start and operate tourism businesses in Cusco. The reforms eliminated 150 unnecessary processes and shaved three years off the business registration process, making it easier for both local and foreign investors to operate in Cusco.
• A World Bank Group report on the 20 Reasons Sustainable Tourism Counts for Development explains how sustainable tourism counts not just for travelers, but for tourism destinations and local residents.
• The World Bank Group developed the Abraham Path project to bring together fragmented communities along the path in the West Bank through many interventions like training and capacity, which were aimed at generating tourism revenue and jobs, and improving economic opportunities for women. The project has generated 137 jobs, 57% going to women.

Digital technologies and platforms are disrupting the way the tourism sector operates from end to end.   Many low-income economies can potentially benefit from this digital transformation and others are at risk of being left behind if they fail to embrace this moment.

The World Bank Group recently published two reports on the significance of this disruption on tourism and how countries can harness it for the benefit of all. According to the report, Tourism and the Sharing Economy , the annual growth rate for the global P2P accommodation is estimated at 31 percent between 2013 and 2025, six times the growth rate of traditional bed and breakfasts and hostels.

In addition, the second report, The Voice of Travelers , produced in collaboration with TripAdvisor explains how peer reviews and other forms of user-generated content (UGC), facilitated by digital platforms, have become the most important sources of travel information globally—more important than tourism boards and traditional outlets. This joint report is part of an MoU that was signed by the World Bank Group and TripAdvisor to promote the development of the tourism sector that highlights some of the key digital trends impacting the sector to countries and private sector partners.

This year, World Tourism Day is shining a light on “Tourism and the Digital Transformation” — as its theme. The UNWTO is calling on governments and the global community, to “support digital technologies that can transform the way we travel, reduce the ecological burden of tourism and bring the benefits of tourism to all.”  

They also can provide new opportunities for women and rural entrepreneurs to improve their market access and financial inclusion. However, many developing destinations have limited knowledge on how to take advantage of digital platforms and mitigate risks. Either constrained by the lack of understanding or knowhow and resources, these economies are not able to leverage digital tools to grow their tourism.

Responding to the global call to promote innovations in tourism through technology, the World Bank Group, will host a day-long event just prior to WTD2018 focusing on Digital Platforms and the Future of Tourism .

• Watch the Event Live on September 26th at 9:00 am
• Tourism and the Sharing Economy
• The Voice of Travelers

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

• We're Hiring!
• Help Center

DIGITAL MARKETING IN TOURISM: The More Global, The More Personal

2016, International Tourism Conference: Promoting Cultural and Heritage Tourism

Costumer behavior has drastically changed in tourism, associated mainly with the advance of Internet. Data show that around 4 billions of the worlds population are active users of Internet in its various forms and uses (such as search engine, email, social media, booking portal, payment portal, etc.). The rate of use of Internet is much higher among the millennial/Gen-Y, compared to the Gen-X and baby boomers. Using the classic theory of AIDA in tourism marketing, apparently in all stages the tourists have used digital (or internet) technologies, although of different dominance. In the stages of Awareness and Interest, around 77% seek information from Internet; in the stage of Desire it is around 65%; while in the stage of Action (booking and paying), it reaches 34%. Even though it seems low, only 34%, but the growth of Internet booking is amazing: it increases 244% in the last 3 years (2012-2015). Considering the trend and the future of digital marketing, countries, tourism destinations, and travel agencies are now using digital marketing; nevertheless offline marketing is still subscribed. The growth of OTA (online Travel Agents) is incredibly high, both in terms of number and volume. There are a number of significant benefits in using digital marketing, notably for its very characteristics that cannot be found in offline marketing, i.e. the more global, yet at the same time the more personal. Meaning, by using digital marketing, the marketers can reach the global audience without barrier, and at the same time the communication can be very personal, specifically intended for certain targets, even up to individual level. This paper will discuss these trends, enriched with a number of empirical case studies.

Related Papers

Razón y Palabra

Elena Bellido-Pérez

The use of Internet has changed considerably the marketing practice. In this article the authors carry on a literature review to analyse the factors involved in the process and also the advantages, challenges and opportunities of this technology from a marketing perspective.

manojdixit.info

Manoj Dixit

Professor Dimitrios Buhalis

Viglia, G., Werthner, H. & Buhalis, D. 2016 Disruptive innovations, Information Technologies for Tourism, doi:10.1007/s40558-016-0072-1 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs40558-016-0072-1 The diffusion of disrupting innovations has generated significant market changes, modifying the dominant logic and affecting the strategic positioning of companies. This structural change is affecting market structure, the networks and the services that tourism players are supposed to use (Gretzel et al. 2015). One can also refer to the notion of digital infrastructure, which provides a nice framework that connects the different stakeholders, their relations as well as internal dynamics. At the end it is about increasing customer experience, improving market performance, reducing inefficiency and—equally important—providing open access to the electronic market. Remember: this was one of biggest hopes at the beginning of the Web, which already seems centuries ago. Innovations are an essential component of tourism and hospitality industries (Sipe 2016). In this domain, disruptive changes affect several aspects as well as relationships between players change, as their respective roles change. All this is possible thanks to technological smart e-platforms. For instance, hotels can now use algorithms to set yield and revenue management strategies, monitor competition in real time (Abrate and Viglia 2016) and allow consumers to use mobile devices to access several services (Buhalis and Foerste 2015). Many innovations have been initiated from companies in the information technology sector. One can even state, that innovation is coming from outside, where information technology is revolutionizing products and services. Take as a latest example the growth of peer-to-peer platforms like in the case of the sharing economy (Guttentag 2015; Wang et al. 2016). The aim of this special issue is (a) to provide a platform for the dissemination of findings from studies that combine elements of IT-based innovation and tourism, and (b) to take up one of the major challenges of the JITT research manifesto, i.e., understanding and reflecting on structural market changes (Werthner et al. 2015). The papers in this issue provide new theoretical and empirical research on how and why the changes happened (theory building), as well as providing empirical observations to study the phenomenon. In the first paper, Gregorash discusses how to maximise the revenues per available seat hour (RevPASH) in restaurants. The study empirically assesses the premium revenue level that can be achieved through reservation systems that take advantage of seating plans with respect to walk-in strategies. The theme of smart revenue management continues with Digiorgio, who focuses on accommodation facilities. Her paper, with an empirical analysis with more than 1000 establishments, shows which digital tools can help to decrease the dependence from Online Travel Agencies (OTAs). Rebalancing the exposure to OTAs is relevant for hotels, given the high commissions that hospitality operators have to pay to OTAs. Further evidence by Cetin, Cifci, Dincer and Fuchs confirms the intricate and unbalanced power between OTAs and small and medium sized independent hotels. Drawing from the theoretical frameworks of disruptive innovation and smart tourism ecosystems, the sharing economy realm is central in Tham’s contribution. The author discusses the adoption of Airbnb and Uber across different countries, underlying the need for a unified legislation. In the fifth paper, Yang-chan Hsu, King, Wang and Buhalis explore the role of new emerging competitors that have embraced technology-enabled innovations. These new players have challenged established inbound tour operators, interacting directly with customers through e-platforms. The authors adopt a multiple case study approach and assemble evidence from 17 examples of tourism start-ups in Taiwan. In the final paper, Gon, Pechlaner and Marangon investigate how Digital Natives (Dns) engage with destination management organization through social media. The findings from the paper suggest the importance of focusing on the informal expertise of DNs in the planning and development of digital strategies for destination management organizations. Guest Editors Dr. Giampaolo Viglia Prof. Hannes Werthner Prof. Dimitrios Buhalis

Prabu Dayanithi

Luiz Mendes Filho

European Journal of Tourism Research

Alexis - Patapios Kontis

Many unexpected challenges not only for tourism businesses but also for travellers emerged when current shifts in economic, technological, social, and political factors led to a sudden and quick growth of e-intermediaries. Although it was anticipated that the Internet would open new opportunities in the tourism industry, especially as regards more choices and a closer cooperation between consumers and suppliers, this, in fact, is not the case. The appearance of e-intermediaries, but mainly their consolidation and strengthening have led to a series of major rearrangements in the tourist sector. Online distribution channels have changed the existing traditional marketing structures of tourism (e.g. travel agencies and tour operators) but have also had a catalytic effect on the composition of the hospitality sector (e.g. hotels and Airbnb rentals). It is essential for tourism professionals to be aware of new opportunities and threats within tourism distribution channels so that they wi...

DIEM: Dubrovnik International Economic Meeting

Iris Mihajlovic

This paper seek to understand the role of new technologies on transformation processes of special areas of business of travel intermediaries even emerging new entities that collaborate with both poles of tourism demand. Special attention is payed to results of modification of distribution channels to be competitive in online travel market. Softwer as channel manager is more than a tool, it is emerging as core intelligence that manage time, impacting on benefits from converegence. New technologies allowed new digital platforms (Booking, Airbnb, Expedia) making travel easier. The preferences of the postmodern tourist extend beyond the streamlined and impersonal experiences, services and products. Driven by the ambition of deviating from the beaten track, new generations of travellers are converging on digital platforms to retrieve recommendations and information from fellow travellers and local residents,i.e. sources other than traditional travel intermediaries. The COVID crisis has t...

Entrepreneurship in the Hospitality Industry 2014 – International Conference

Maria Cojocea

The not so long ago traditional way of organizing a holiday by choosing a destination seen in an album or in various brochures at a travel agency, together with the use of a travel guide and a folding map has been steadily taken over in the last years by the tourists who conduct by themselves online complex researches regarding destinations, hotels and means of transportation in order to find the best combination of solutions and rates. Nowadays, these researches are done using smartphones, tablets and other devices. At the same time, much trust is granted to peer reviews and social media. The question that arises is: Are the Romanian hoteliers spectators to these changes or are they also taking action? The present paper will try to identify the main issues Romanian hotels face currently in what concerns digital media. A special focus regards international trends and how Romanian hotels are responding to them.

Tourism Economics

Davide Provenzano

Craig Standing

RELATED PAPERS

Ethiopia at the Crossroads (ed. Christine Sciacca)

Mikael Muehlbauer

Patricio Herrera González

The Aquinas Review

John Francis Nieto

Josimaber Rezende

Journal of Endocrinology

Monique Saleh

Violeta Sun

Emergency Medicine Journal

Trevor Sheldon

AIP Conference Proceedings

Fengchuan Liu

Samira Shahbazi

怎么办理usyd学位证书 悉尼大学毕业证学位证书案例GRE证书原版一模一样

Journal of the Earth and Space Physics

Journal of Earth and Space Physics

原版复制英国斯旺西大学 swansea毕业证硕士学历托业成绩单原版一模一样

Journal of Failure Analysis and Prevention

S. B. Kivade

RELATED TOPICS

•   We're Hiring!
•   Help Center
• Find new research papers in:
• Health Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Academia ©2024

UN Tourism | Bringing the world closer

Share this content.

• Share this article on facebook
• Share this article on twitter
• Share this article on linkedin

Digital Transformation

Technologies are emerging, disrupting and affecting our lives in ways that indicate we are at the beginning of a Fourth Industrial Revolution, a new era in which digitalization builds and impacts societies in new and often unanticipated ways. It is worthwhile considering exactly what kind of shifts we are experiencing and how we can ensure, collectively and individually, that this revolution creates benefits for all.

Tourism was one of the first sectors to digitalize business processes on a global scale, bringing flight and hotel booking online to become a digital pioneer. As information and communications technology (ICT) became a global phenomenon, tourism was a consistent early adopter of new technologies and platforms.

A digitalized tourism sector must innovate and generate new business opportunities to ensure the continued competitiveness, growth and sustainable development of the sector. The ultimate goal is to make a solid contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations and the global development community.

With the aim of realizing UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili’s new Visions and Priorities, specifically the priorities of “Innovation & digital transformation” and “Investment & entrepreneurship”, the Strategy on Innovation, Investment and Digital Transformation has been developed.

Digital Transformation & SDGs

Digitalization is expected to continue propelling the travel experience on its trajectory towards becoming more seamless, frictionless, and high quality and in a way that contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations..

The use of technologies including the ‘Internet of Things’, location-based services, artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, and blockchain technology (see definitions below) has resulted in a tourism offer that is more attractive, efficient, inclusive, and economically, socially and environmentally sustainable than its predecessor. It has also facilitated innovation and rethinking of processes, with a view to tackling challenges such as seasonality and overcrowding and developing smarter destinations.

Digitalization has a positive environmental impact and can yet have a greater one, with innovations in manufacturing, smart assets and efficient use of resources contributing to a more sustainable industry footprint.

Some major impacts on the sector as a whole are the development of smart travel facilitation , smart destinations , and a new wave of job profiles .

Smart travel facilitation

In the same way the smartphone has transformed telecommunications and media, a comprehensive smart travel model – one that includes smart visas, borders, security processes and infrastructure – will revolutionize tourism. With consolidation of these tools, passengers can book their flights and check in online, have their boarding passes on their smartphones, go through automated clearance gates and even validate their boarding passes electronically to board planes. These measures improve both travel facilitation and security.

Smart destinations

A smart destination is one with a strategy for technology, innovation, sustainability, accessibility and inclusivity along the entire tourism cycle: before, during and after the trip. A smart destination is also one with residents as well as tourists in mind, factoring multilingualism, cultural idiosyncrasies and seasonality into tourism planning.

This is why smart destinations are key to the transformation of the tourism sector. By continuously and accurately measuring, integrating and analyzing data for efficient decision-making, prioritization and anticipation of challenges, they create a seamless and exciting experience for tourists while managing local resources efficiently.

Smart destinations can make tourism governance more inclusive through inclusive entities, such as boards, trusts or foundations, which represent all public/private stakeholders in the destination. They can help ensure maximum accessibility in sites, products and services, eliminating barriers to mobility. And they allow us to analyse sustainable tourism management through different lenses.

Consider, for example, the challenge of seasonality, where population change from variation in tourist flows makes tourism’s impact difficult to measure. Technology-based data tools, such as remote sensors and big data management systems, can help destination managers capture and process large volumes of data for a greater understanding of the impact of seasonality on tourism and on sustainability. It can therefore help them to predict and manage tourist flows in order to more efficiently and effectively manage destinations.

Job creation

The future of travel is technology-based, so tourism jobs will require both technical and advanced soft skills used to effectively implement and manage smart initiatives. The greatest societal impact of digital transformation in tourism may be the effect on the sector’s workforce, which directly and indirectly represents 1 in every 10 jobs worldwide. Like in other economic sectors, intelligent automation will change the nature of some travel jobs and eradicate others altogether. However, digitally-enabled growth will also generate new employment opportunities that could outpace the automation of existing roles, especially as strong growth is forecast for the sector.

Startups and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) – drivers of technology-based innovation and entrepreneurship in tourism – will take on an increasingly important role in developing the skills needed for the jobs of the future. The sector should therefore prioritize strengthening startups and MSMEs so they can become integral parts of the tourism value chain, and boosting technology- and skills-based education, training and policies that stimulate innovation and decent employment.

• Open access
• Published: 25 November 2023

Systematic review and research agenda for the tourism and hospitality sector: co-creation of customer value in the digital age

• T. D. Dang   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0930-381X 1 , 2 &
• M. T. Nguyen 1  

Future Business Journal volume  9 , Article number:  94 ( 2023 ) Cite this article

4208 Accesses

1 Citations

Metrics details

A Correction to this article was published on 07 February 2024

This article has been updated

The tourism and hospitality industries are experiencing transformative shifts driven by the proliferation of digital technologies facilitating real-time customer communication and data collection. This evolution towards customer value co-creation demands a paradigm shift in management attitudes and the adoption of cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and the Metaverse. A systematic literature review using the PRISMA method investigated the impact of customer value co-creation through the digital age on the tourism and hospitality sector. The primary objective of this review was to examine 27 relevant studies published between 2012 and 2022. Findings reveal that digital technologies, especially AI, Metaverse, and related innovations, significantly enhance value co-creation by allowing for more personalized, immersive, and efficient tourist experiences. Academic insights show the exploration of technology’s role in enhancing travel experiences and ethical concerns, while from a managerial perspective, AI and digital tools can drive industry success through improved customer interactions. As a groundwork for progressive research, the study pinpoints three pivotal focal areas for upcoming inquiries: technological, academic, and managerial. These avenues offer exciting prospects for advancing knowledge and practices, paving the way for transformative changes in the tourism and hospitality sectors.

Introduction

The tourism and hospitality industry is constantly evolving, and the digital age has brought about numerous changes in how businesses operate and interact with their customers [ 1 ]. One such change is the concept of value co-creation, which refers to the collaborative process by which value is created and shared between a business and its customers [ 2 , 3 ]. In order to facilitate the value co-creation process in tourism and hospitality, it is necessary to have adequate technologies in place to enable the participation of all stakeholders, including businesses, consumers, and others [ 4 , 5 ]. Thus, technology serves as a crucial enabler for value co-creation. In the tourism and hospitality industry, leading-edge technology can be crucial in co-creation value processes because it can facilitate the creation and exchange of value among customers and businesses [ 6 , 7 ]. For example, the development of cloud computing and virtual reality technologies has enabled new forms of collaboration and co-creation that were not possible before [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. Recent technologies like AI, Metaverse, and robots have revolutionized tourism and hospitality [ 11 , 12 , 13 ]. These technologies are used in various ways to enhance the customer experience and drive business success. AI can personalize the customer experience using customer data and personalized recommendations [ 14 ]. It can also optimize operations by automating tasks and improving decision-making. The metaverse, or virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies, are being used to offer immersive and interactive experiences to customers [ 10 , 11 ]. For example, VR and AR can create virtual tours of hotels and destinations or offer interactive experiences such as virtual cooking classes or wine tastings [ 15 ]. Robots are being used to aid and interact with customers in various settings, including hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions. For example, robots can provide information, answer questions, and even deliver room services [ 12 , 16 ]. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the crucial interplay between public health, sustainable development, and digital innovations [ 17 ]. Globally, the surge in blockchain applications, particularly in the business, marketing and finance sectors, signifies the technological advancements reshaping various industries [ 18 ]. These developments, coupled with integrating digital solutions during the pandemic, highlight the pervasive role of technology across diverse sectors [ 19 , 20 , 21 ]. These insights provide a broader context for our study of the digital transformation in the tourism and hospitality sectors. Adopting new technologies such as AI, the Metaverse, blockchain and robots is helping the tourism and hospitality industry deliver customers a more personalized, convenient, and immersive experience [ 22 ]. As these technologies continue to evolve and become more prevalent, businesses in the industry need to stay up-to-date and consider how they can leverage these technologies to drive success [ 23 , 24 ].

Despite the growing body of literature on customer value co-creation in the tourism and hospitality sector, it remains scattered and fragmented [ 2 , 25 , 26 ]. To consolidate this research and provide a comprehensive summary of the current understanding of the subject, we conducted a systematic literature review using the PRISMA 2020 (“ Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses ”) approach [ 27 , 28 ]. This systematic review aims to explore three primary areas of inquiry related to the utilization of AI and new technologies in the tourism and hospitality industry: (i) From a technology perspective, what are the main types of AI and latest technologies that have been used to enhance co-creation values in tourism and hospitality?; (ii) From an academic viewpoint—What are the future research directions in this sector?; (iii) From a managerial standpoint—How can these technologies be leveraged to enhance customer experiences and drive business success?. In essence, this study contributes valuable insights into the dynamic realm of customer value co-creation in the digital age within the tourism and hospitality sector. By addressing the research questions and identifying gaps in the literature, our systematic literature review seeks to provide novel perspectives on leveraging technology to foster industry advancements and enhance customer experiences.

The remaining parts of this article are structured in the following sections: “ Study background ” section outlines pertinent background details for our systematic literature review. In “ Methodology ” section details our research objectives, queries, and the systematic literature review protocol we used in our study design. In “ Results ” section offers the findings based on the analyzed primary research studies. Lastly, we conclude the article, discuss the outstanding work, and examine the limitations to the validity of our study in “ Discussion and implications ” section.

Study background

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism sector is experiencing significant transformations. Despite the substantial impact on the tourism industry, the demand for academic publications about tourism remains unabated. In this recovery phase, AI and novel technologies hold immense potential to assist the tourism and hospitality industry by tackling diverse challenges and enhancing overall efficiency. In this section, the study provides some study background for the review processes.

The relationship between tourism and hospitality

Tourism and hospitality are closely related industries, as the hospitality industry plays a crucial role in the tourism industry [ 29 ]. Academics and practitioners often examine tourism and hospitality because they are related industries [ 2 , 30 ]. Hospitality refers to providing travelers and tourists accommodation, food, and other services [ 31 ]. These can include hotels, resorts, restaurants, and other types of establishments that cater to the needs of travelers [ 32 ]. On the other hand, the tourism industry encompasses all the activities and services related to planning, promoting, and facilitating travel [ 31 ]; transportation, tour operators, travel agencies, and other businesses that help facilitate tourist travel experiences [ 33 ]. Both industries rely on each other to thrive, as travelers need places to stay and eat while on vacation, and hospitality businesses rely on tourists for their income [ 32 , 33 , 34 ].

In recent years, the tourism industry has undergone significant changes due to the increasing use of digital technologies, enabling the development of new forms of tourism, such as “smart tourism” [ 8 , 10 ]. Smart tourism refers to using digital technologies to enhance the customer experience and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the industry [ 1 ]. These technologies, including AI and Metaverse, can be used in various aspects of the tourism industry, such as booking and reservation processes, customer service, and the management of tourist attractions [ 4 , 11 ]. The hospitality industry, which includes hotels and restaurants, is closely linked to the tourism industry and is also adopting intelligent technologies to improve the customer experience and increase efficiency [ 1 , 22 ]. Recent studies have explored the impact of these technologies on the tourism and hospitality sectors and have identified both benefits and challenges for stakeholders [ 10 , 35 , 36 ].

Customer value co-creation in tourism and hospitality

Customer value co-creation in tourism and hospitality refers to the process by which customers and businesses collaborate to create value by exchanging services, information, and experiences [ 2 , 33 ]. This process involves the customer and the business actively creating value rather than simply providing a product or service to the customer [ 37 ]. Studies have found that customer value co-creation in tourism and hospitality can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty [ 2 ]. When customers feel that they can contribute to the value of their experience, they are more likely to feel a sense of ownership and involvement, which can lead to a more positive overall evaluation of the experience [ 5 , 38 ]. In the tourism industry, customer value co-creation can increase satisfaction with the destination, trips, accommodation, services, and overall experiences [ 4 ]. These can be achieved by allowing customers to choose their room amenities or providing opportunities to interact with staff and other guests [ 5 , 39 ]. Customer value co-creation in tourism and hospitality can be a powerful solution for businesses to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. By actively involving customers in creating value, businesses can create a more personalized and engaging experience for their customers.

AI, Metaverse, and new technologies in tourism and hospitality

The impact of AI, the Metaverse, and new technologies on the tourism and hospitality industries is an area of active research and debate [ 2 , 4 , 29 , 40 ]. First, using AI and new technology in tourism and hospitality can improve the customer experience, increase efficiency, and reduce costs [ 13 , 41 , 42 , 43 ]. For instance, chatbots and virtual assistants facilitate tasks like room bookings or restaurant reservations for customers. Concurrently, machine learning (ML) algorithms offer optimized pricing and marketing strategies and insights into customer perceptions within the tourism and hospitality sectors [ 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 ]. However, there are also concerns about the potential negative impact of AI on employment in the industry [ 48 ]. Second, The emergence of the Metaverse, a virtual shared space where people can interact in real time, can potentially revolutionize the tourism and hospitality industries [ 10 ]. For example, VR and AR experiences could allow travelers to visit and explore destinations without leaving their homes [ 15 , 49 ], while online events and social gatherings could provide new business opportunities to connect with customers [ 11 ]. However, it is unclear how the Metaverse will evolve and its long-term impact on the tourism and hospitality industries [ 4 , 10 , 11 ]. Last, other emerging technologies, such as blockchain, AI-Robotics, and the Internet of Things (IoT), can potentially transform the tourism and hospitality industries [ 18 , 45 , 48 ]. For example, blockchain could be used to secure and track the movement of travel documents [ 18 ], while IoT-enabled devices could improve the efficiency and personalization of the customer experience [ 50 ]. As with AI and the Metaverse, it is difficult to predict the exact impact of these technologies on the industry, but they are likely to play a significant role in shaping its future [ 18 , 40 ]. In the aftermath of the pandemic, the healthcare landscape within the tourism and hospitality sector is undergoing significant transformations driven by the integration of cutting-edge AI and advanced technologies [ 38 , 51 , 52 ]. These technological advancements have paved the way for personalized and seamless experiences for travelers, with AI-powered chatbots playing a pivotal role in addressing medical inquiries and innovative telemedicine solutions ensuring the well-being of tourists [ 52 , 53 ].

This study background provides essential context for the subsequent systematic literature review, as it contextualizes the field’s key concepts, frameworks, and emerging technologies. By examining these aspects, the study aims to contribute valuable insights into the post-pandemic recovery of the tourism and hospitality industry, paving the way for future research opportunities and advancements in the field.

Methodology

This study meticulously adopted a systematic literature review process grounded in a pre-defined review protocol to provide a thorough and objective appraisal [ 54 ]. This approach was geared to eliminate potential bias and uphold the integrity of study findings. The formulation of the review protocol was a collaborative effort facilitated by two researchers. This foundational document encompasses (i) Clear delineation of the study objectives, ensuring alignment with the research aim; (ii) A thorough description of the methods used for data collection and assessment, which underscores the replicability of our process; (iii) A systematic approach for synthesizing and analyzing the selected studies, promoting consistency and transparency.

Guiding the current review process was the PRISMA methodology, a renowned and universally esteemed framework that has set a gold standard for conducting systematic reviews in various scientific disciplines [ 27 , 28 ]. The commendable efficacy of PRISMA in service research substantiates its methodological robustness and reliability [ 55 ]. It is not only the rigorous nature of PRISMA but also its widespread acceptance in service research that accentuates its fittingness for this research. Given tourism and hospitality studies’ intricate and evolving nature, PRISMA is a robust compass to guide our SLR, ensuring methodological transparency and thoroughness [ 56 , 57 ]. In essence, the PRISMA approach does not merely dictate the procedural intricacies of the review but emphasizes clarity, precision, and transparency at every phase. The PRISMA methodology presents the research journey holistically, from its inception to its conclusions, providing readers with a clear and comprehensive understanding of the approach and findings [ 58 ].

Utilizing the goal-question-metrics approach [ 59 ], our study aims to analyze current scientific literature from the perspectives of technicians, researchers, and practitioners to comprehend customer value co-creation through the digital age within the Tourism and Hospitality sector. In order to accomplish this goal, we formulated the following research questions:

What are the main types of AI and new technologies used to enhance value co-creation in the tourism and hospitality industries?

What are the future research directions in customer value co-creation through AI and new technologies in the tourism and hospitality sector?

How do managers in the tourism and hospitality sector apply AI and new technologies to enhance customer co-creation value and drive business success?

The subsequent subsections will provide further details regarding our search and analysis strategies.

Search strategy and selection criteria

We collected our data by searching for papers in the Scopus and Web of Science databases, adhering to rigorous scientific standards. We included only international peer-reviewed academic journal articles, excluding publications like books, book chapters, and conference proceedings [ 60 , 61 , 62 ]. The research process covered the period from 2009 to 2022, as this timeframe aligns with the publication of the first studies on value co-creation in the tourism industry in 2009 and the first two studies on value co-creation in general in 2004 [ 63 , 64 ]. The selection of sources was based on criteria such as timelines, availability, quality, and versatility, as discussed by Dieste et al. [ 2 ]. We employed relevant keywords, synonyms, and truncations for three main concepts: tourism and hospitality, customer value co-creation, and AI and new technologies in smart tourism and hospitality. To ensure transparency and comprehensiveness, we followed the PRISMA inclusion criteria, detailed in Table 1 , and utilized topic and Boolean/phrase search modes to retrieve papers published from 2009 to 2022. The final search string underwent validation by experts to ensure accuracy and comprehensiveness:

A PRISMA diagram was produced to understand better this study’s search strategy and record selection.

Study selection and analysis procedure

The current study utilized the PRISMA framework to document our review process. One hundred two papers were retrieved during the initial search across the databases. Table 1 outlines the criteria for selecting the studies based on scope and quality. The study adhered to the PRISMA procedure (as shown in Fig.  1 ) and applied the following filters:

We identified and removed 17 duplicate records during the ‘identification’ step.

We excluded 27 publications in the ‘Screening’ step based on the title and abstract.

We excluded 31 publications based on the entire text in the eligibility step.

PRISMA flow diagram

As a result, we were left with a final collection of 27 journal articles for downloading and analysis. Two trained research assistants conducted title and abstract screenings separately, and any disagreements about inclusion were resolved by discussing them with the research coordinator until an agreement was reached. Papers not in English, papers from meetings, books, editorials, news, reports, and patents were excluded, as well as unrelated or incomplete papers and studies that did not focus on the tourism and hospitality domain. A manual search of the reference lists of each paper was conducted to identify relevant papers that were not found in the database searches. After this process, 27 papers were left for a full-text review.

This study used the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) to evaluate the quality of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research studies included [ 65 , 66 ]. According to the findings, the quality of the study met the standards of a systematic review. Additional information can be obtained from Additional file 1 : Appendix 1.

In this section, we will report the results of our data analysis for each research question. We will begin by describing the characteristics of the studies included in the systematic literature review, such as (1) publication authors, titles, years and journals, topics, methods, and tools used in existing studies. Then each facet was elaborated by the following questions: (i) What are the main types of AI and new technologies used to enhance value co-creation in the tourism and hospitality industries? (ii) What are the future research directions in customer value co-creation through AI and new technologies in the tourism and hospitality sector? (iii) How do managers in the tourism and hospitality sector apply AI and new technologies to enhance customer co-creation value and drive business success?

Studies demographics

Figure  2 shows the yearly publication of articles on customer co-creation of value in tourism and hospitality through AI and new technologies. The chart’s data suggests two main findings. Firstly, the research on customer value co-creation in tourism and hospitality through AI and new technologies is still in its early stages (1 paper in 2012). However, the annual number of published articles from 2017 to the present appears to be generally increasing. This trend implies that the application of value co-creation in this field is gaining academic attention and is becoming an emerging research area. Based on this trend, we anticipate seeing more studies on this topic published in the following years.

Publication Years with research methods

Regarding research type, 14 papers (52%) conducted quantitative research, employing statistical analysis, structural equation modeling, and data mining methods. Meanwhile, 11 papers (41%) conducted qualitative research using interviews, thematic analysis, and descriptive analysis. Only two papers (7%) used mixed research (combining quantitative and qualitative methods). The survey and interview methods (both individual and group) were found to be more common than other research methods. This suggests that interviews provide greater insight into participant attitudes and motivations, enhancing accuracy in quantitative and qualitative studies. Additionally, certain studies employed content analysis, big data analysis using UGC, and data from online platforms, social media, and big data.

Regarding the publishing journals, we found that 27 papers were published in 22 journals (refer to Table 2 ), where three journals had more than one paper on co-creation value through AI and new technologies in tourism and hospitality, indicating their keen interest in this topic. Most publications were in the Journal of Business Research, with four studies on co-creation value through AI and new technologies in tourism and hospitality. Two related studies were published in the Tourism Management Perspectives and Journal of Destination Marketing & Management. This distribution indicates that most current research on co-creation value through AI and new technologies in tourism and hospitality was published in journals in the tourism and hospitality management field. However, some journals in the computer and AI field have also published papers on co-creation value through AI and new technologies in tourism and hospitality, including Computers in Industry, Computers in Human Behavior, Computational Intelligence, and Neuroscience.

Regarding data analytics tools, SmartPLS, AMOS, NVivo and PROCESS tools are the 5 most popular software graphic tools used in studies, while Python and R are the two main types of programming languages used. In total, 27 studies, 14 refer to using AI applications and data analytics in this research flow. Metaverse and relative technologies such as AR and VR were included in 8 studies. Three studies used service robots to discover the value co-creation process. There are include two studies that have used chatbots and virtual assistants.

Publication years and journals

In recent systematic literature reviews focusing on general services, tourism, and hospitality, there has been a notable emphasis on traditional factors shaping customer experience [ 26 , 67 , 68 ]. However, this study uniquely positions itself by emphasizing the digital age’s profound impact on value co-creation within this sector. The subsequent part digs more into the specifics of this study, building on these parallels. The detailed findings offer nuanced insights into how value co-creation in tourism and hospitality has evolved, providing a more extensive understanding than previous works.

Result 1—technology viewpoints: What are the main types of AI and new technologies used to enhance value co-creation in the tourism and hospitality industries?

Several types of AI and new technologies have been used to enhance co-creation values in the tourism and hospitality industry. Nowadays, AI, ML, and deep learning can all be used to enhance customer value co-creation in the tourism and hospitality industry [ 42 , 69 , 70 ]. There are some AI applications identified through the review process:

First, personalization and customized recommendations: AI and ML can be used to analyze customer data, such as their past bookings, preferences, and reviews, to personalize recommendations and experiences for them [ 7 , 69 , 71 , 72 ]. Cuomo et al. examine how data analytics techniques, including AI and ML, can improve traveler experience in transportation services. Applying AI and ML can help customers discover new experiences and activities they may not have considered otherwise [ 13 ]. Relating to data mining applications, Ngamsirijit examines how data mining can be used to create value in creative tourism. Moreover, the study also discusses the need for co-creation to create a successful customer experience in creative tourism and ways data mining can enhance the customer experience [ 73 ].

Second, user-generated content and sentiment analysis: ML and Natural Language Processing (NLP) can be used to analyze user-generated content such as reviews and social media posts to understand customer needs and preferences [ 12 , 37 ]. This can help businesses identify opportunities to create customer value [ 74 ]. NLP can analyze customer reviews and feedback to understand the overall sentiment toward a hotel or destination [ 75 ]. This can help businesses identify areas for improvement and create a better customer experience [ 70 ]. In the study using NLP to analyze data from Twitter, Liu et al. examine the impact of luxury brands’ social media marketing on customer engagement. The authors discuss how big data analytics and NLP can be used to analyze customer conversations and extract valuable insights about customer preferences and behaviors [ 74 ].

Third, recent deep learning has developed novel models that create business value by forecasting some parameters and promoting better offerings to tourists [ 71 ]. Deep learning can analyze large amounts of data and make more accurate predictions or decisions [ 39 , 41 ]. For example, a deep learning model could predict the likelihood of a customer returning to a hotel based on their past bookings and interactions with the hotel [ 72 ].

Some applications of the latest technologies that have been used to enhance co-creation values in tourism and hospitality include

Firstly, Chatbots and virtual assistants can enhance customer value co-creation in the tourism and hospitality industry in several ways: (i) Improved customer service: Chatbots and virtual assistants can be used to answer customer questions, provide information, and assist with tasks such as booking a room or making a reservation [ 45 ]. These tools can save customers and staff time and improve customer experience [ 76 ]; (ii) Increased convenience: Chatbots and virtual assistants can be accessed 24/7, meaning customers can get help or assistance anytime [ 50 ]. These tools can be handy for traveling customers with questions or who need assistance outside regular business hours [ 44 ]; (iii) Personalization: Chatbots and virtual assistants can use natural language processing (NLP) to understand and respond to customer inquiries in a more personalized way [ 45 , 70 ]. This can help improve the customer experience and create a more favorable impression of the business. Moreover, this can save costs and improve customers [ 16 ].

Secondly, metaverse technologies can enhance customer value co-creation in the tourism and hospitality industry in several ways: (i) Virtual tours and experiences: Metaverse technologies can offer virtual tours and experiences to customers, allowing them to visit and explore destinations remotely [ 77 ]. This technology can be beneficial for customers who are unable to travel due to pandemics or who want to preview a destination before deciding to visit in person [ 49 ]; (ii) Virtual events: Metaverse technologies can be used to host virtual events, such as conferences, workshops, or trade shows, which can be attended by customers from anywhere in the world [ 9 ]. This can save time and money for businesses and customers and increase the reach and impact of events; (iii) Virtual customer service: Metaverse technologies can offer virtual customer service, allowing customers to interact with businesses in a virtual setting [ 25 ]. This can be especially useful for customers who prefer to communicate online or in remote areas; (iv) Virtual training and education : Metaverse technologies can offer virtual training and education to employees and customers [ 41 ]. Metaverse can be an effective and convenient way to deliver training and can save time and money for both businesses and customers [ 7 ]; (v) Virtual reality (VR) experiences: Metaverse technologies can be used to offer VR experiences to customers, allowing them to immerse themselves in virtual environments and participate in activities that would be difficult or impossible to do in the real world [ 77 ]. This can enhance the customer experience and create new business opportunities to offer unique and memorable experiences [ 71 ].

Thirdly, IoT and robots can enhance customer value co-creation in the tourism and hospitality sector in several ways: (i) One way is by providing personalized and convenient customer experiences [ 12 ]. For example, hotels can use IoT-enabled devices to allow guests to control the temperature and lighting in their rooms, as well as access hotel amenities such as room service and concierge services [ 50 ]; (ii) In addition, robots can be used to provide assistance and enhance the customer experience in various ways [ 16 , 40 ]. For example, robots can be used to deliver items to guest rooms, assist with check-in and check-out processes, and provide information and directions to guests [ 12 ]; (iii) Both IoT and robots can be used to gather customer feedback and data in real-time, which can help to improve the quality and effectiveness of tourism and hospitality services [ 76 ]. For example, hotels can use IoT-enabled devices to gather data on guest preferences and needs, which can be used to tailor services and experiences to individual customers. This can help to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty [ 76 ]. Overall, using IoT and robots in the tourism and hospitality sector can help improve the industry’s efficiency and effectiveness and enhance the customer experience.

Result 2—academic viewpoints: What are the future research directions in customer value co-creation through AI and new technologies in the tourism and hospitality sector?

From an academic perspective, there are several potential future research directions in customer value co-creation through the digital age in the tourism and hospitality sector. Some possibilities include: (1) Understanding how different technologies and platforms facilitate co-creation: Researchers could investigate how different technologies and platforms, such as social media, mobile apps, or virtual reality, enable or inhibit co-creation in the tourism and hospitality industry; (2) Investigating the impact of co-creation on business performance: Researchers could examine the relationship between co-creation and business performance in the tourism and hospitality sector and identify the factors that drive success in co-creation initiatives; (3) Investigating the impact of AI and automation on co-creation: As AI and automation technologies become more prevalent in the industry, research could focus on the impact these technologies have on co-creation and value creation, including the potential for AI to facilitate or hinder co-creation; (4) Investigating the impact of the Metaverse on customer behaviour: Research could focus on understanding how the Metaverse affects customer behaviour and decision-making, and how companies can use this information to facilitate co-creation and value creation [ 9 ]; (5) Analysing the use of social media and other digital platforms for co-creation: Researchers could study how companies in the tourism and hospitality sector use social media and other digital platforms to facilitate co-creation with customers, and the impact that these platforms have on value creation [ 7 , 45 , 78 ]. Researchers could investigate how social interactions and communities in the Metaverse enable or inhibit co-creation in the tourism and hospitality industry and the impact on customer satisfaction and loyalty; (6) Examining the ethical implications of the Metaverse and AI: Researchers could explore the ethical considerations surrounding the use of the Metaverse and AI in the tourism and hospitality sector, such as issues related to privacy and data security, and the potential for these technologies to perpetuate or exacerbate societal inequalities [ 48 , 75 , 77 ].

Result 3—Management viewpoints: How do managers in the tourism and hospitality sector apply AI and new technologies to enhance customer co-creation value and drive business success?

There are several ways managers in the tourism and hospitality industry can apply AI and new technologies to enhance customer experiences and drive business success. We suggest four main possibilities: (1) Implementing chatbots or virtual assistants to encourage customer co-creation: Managers can use chatbots or virtual assistants to provide quick and convenient customer service, helping businesses respond to customer inquiries and resolve issues more efficiently [ 76 ]. Then, encourage customer co-creation by inviting customers to participate in the creation of new experiences and products by gathering feedback and ideas through online forums and focus groups [ 45 ]. This can help build a sense of community and engagement and can also lead to the development of new, innovative products and experiences that will attract more customers [ 50 , 79 ]; (2) Leveraging personalization technologies and using predictive analytics: Managers can use AI-powered personalization technologies to analyze customer data and preferences and offer personalized recommendations and experiences [ 42 , 72 , 80 ]. This can help businesses better understand and anticipate customer needs and create more tailored and satisfying experiences that drive co-creation value. Managers can leverage AI-powered predictive analytics technologies to analyze data and predict future customer behavior or trends [ 75 ]. This can help businesses anticipate customer needs and make informed decisions about resource allocation and planning, enhancing co-creation value. Managers can use personalization technologies and predictive analytics to analyze customer feedback and identify areas for improvement [ 37 ]. These can help businesses better understand customer needs and preferences and create more satisfying and valuable experiences that drive co-creation value [ 7 , 36 , 41 ]; (3) Using the Metaverse to facilitate co-creation: Managers can leverage the Metaverse to allow customers to design and customize their own experiences, which can help create value in collaboration with customers [ 25 , 71 , 77 ]. Managers can use VR and AR technologies to create immersive and interactive customer experiences in the Metaverse [ 81 ]. This can help businesses differentiate themselves and stand out in a competitive market. Managers can use data analysis tools to understand how customers behave in the Metaverse and use this information to create more personalized and satisfying experiences [ 9 ]. Managers can leverage the Metaverse to facilitate co-creation with customers, for example, by enabling customers to design and customize their own experiences [ 49 , 81 ]. This can help businesses create value in collaboration with customers; (4) Integrating AI-robotics into operations to support value co-creation: Analyse your business processes to identify tasks that can be automated using AI-powered robotics, such as check-in and check-out, room service, or concierge services [ 12 , 82 ]. Managers can consider using AI-powered robots for tasks such as check-in and check-out or for delivering amenities to guests. Use AI and the latest technologies to streamline the booking and check-in process, making it faster and more convenient for customers [ 16 ]. This can include using virtual assistants to handle booking inquiries or facial recognition technology to allow customers to check in at their hotel simply by showing their faces. These can help businesses reduce labor costs and improve efficiency, enhancing co-creation value [ 16 ]. We summarize three viewpoints in Fig.  3 below.

Summary of value co-creation through the Digital Age in Tourism and Hospitality

Combining these three viewpoints as a research agenda for tourism and hospitality in the AI and digital age holds immense potential. It addresses critical aspects such as customer experience enhancement, leveraging customer-generated content, and exploring cutting-edge technologies to create value co-creation opportunities. Researching these areas allows the industry to stay at the forefront of the digital revolution and deliver exceptional customer experiences that drive business success in the next few years.

Discussion and implications

This study aimed to develop a systematic literature review of customer value co-creation in the hospitality and tourism industry using the PRISMA protocol [ 27 ]. The study findings highlighted that tourism and hospitality should take advantage of AI and new technologies, as it brings significant advantages. Value co-creation in the tourism and hospitality sector refers to creating value through the collaboration and participation of multiple stakeholders, including tourists, employees, and the industry [ 2 ]. AI, Metaverse, and other new technologies can significantly enhance value co-creation in this sector by enabling more personalized, immersive, and efficient tourist experiences [ 40 , 80 , 81 ].

From a technology viewpoint, the study reveals that manifestations of customer value co-creation through the digital age are related to AI and the latest technologies such as Metaverse, robots, IoT, chatbots, intelligence systems, and others that shape co-creation [ 42 ]. AI applications and new technologies can help shape customer value co-creation in this sector. AI can follow the rules, think like an expert, learn from data, and even create virtual and augmented reality experiences [ 4 , 10 ]. Chatbots, personalization, predictive analytics, and robotics are examples of how AI and technology can create unique and fun travel experiences [ 16 , 40 , 74 , 83 ].

From an academic viewpoint, researchers look at ways technology can help people enjoy their travels and stay in hotels by boosting the value co-creation process [ 2 ]. They are looking at how different technologies, like social media, can help people create value for themselves and others [ 45 , 84 ]. They are also looking at how AI and the virtual world can change people’s decisions and how companies can use this information to help people [ 77 , 80 ]. Finally, researchers are looking into the ethical issues of using technology in tourism and hospitality [ 48 , 75 , 77 ].

From the manager’s viewpoint, managers in the tourism and hospitality industry can use AI and new technologies to create better customer experiences and drive success [ 70 , 80 ]. These can include using chatbots or virtual assistants to help customers and get their feedback [ 50 , 76 ], using personalization technologies to understand customer needs [ 69 ], using the Metaverse to have customers design their own experiences [ 10 ], and using AI-robotics to automate tasks [ 16 , 82 ].

In light of the findings from this systematic literature review, policymakers in the tourism and hospitality sectors must revisit and revitalize current strategies. Embracing digital age technologies, especially AI and metaverse tools, can significantly enhance customer value co-creation. This necessitates targeted investments in technology upgradation, capacity-building, and skilling initiatives. While the initial resource allocation may appear substantial, the long-term returns regarding elevated customer satisfaction, increased tourism inflow, and industry-wide growth are undeniable. Policymakers must ensure a collaborative approach, engaging stakeholders across the value chain for streamlined adoption and implementation of these advancements.

Overall, the use of AI, Metaverse, and other new technologies can significantly enhance co-creation value in the tourism and hospitality sector by enabling more personalized, immersive, and efficient experiences for tourists and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the industry as a whole [ 15 ].

Theoretical implications

The systematic literature review using the PRISMA method on customer value co-creation through the digital age in the tourism and hospitality sector has several theoretical implications.

First, this research paper addresses earlier suggestions that emphasize the significance of further exploring investigations on customer value co-creation in the hospitality and tourism sector [ 2 , 85 ].

Second, the review highlights the importance of adopting a customer-centric approach in the tourism and hospitality industry, in which customers’ needs and preferences are central to the design and delivery of services [ 35 , 86 ]. This shift towards customer value co-creation is driven by the increasing use of digital technologies, such as the IoT, AI, and ML, which enable real-time communication and data gathering from customers [ 1 , 40 ].

Third, the review highlights the role of digital technologies in enabling personalized and convenient customer experiences, which can help improve satisfaction and loyalty [ 87 ]. Using AI-powered chatbots and personalized recommendations based on customer data can enhance the customer experience, while using IoT-enabled devices can allow guests to control and access hotel amenities conveniently [ 12 ].

Fourth, the review suggests that adopting digital technologies in the tourism and hospitality sector can increase the industry’s efficiency and effectiveness [ 88 ]. Businesses use ML algorithms to automate tasks and analyze customer data, which can help streamline processes and identify areas for improvement [ 39 , 80 ].

Overall, the systematic literature review using the PRISMA method sheds light on adopting a customer-centric approach and leveraging digital technologies for customer value co-creation in tourism and hospitality. Over the next five years, researchers should focus on exploring the potential of emerging technologies, developing conceptual frameworks, and conducting applied research to drive meaningful transformations in the industry. By aligning strategies with these implications, organizations can thrive in the dynamic digital landscape and deliver exceptional customer experiences, ultimately contributing to their success and competitiveness in the market [ 2 , 4 , 15 , 29 , 33 , 89 ].

Practical implications

The systematic literature review using the PRISMA method on customer value co-creation through the digital age in the tourism and hospitality sector has several management implications for organizations in this industry.

First, the review suggests that adopting a customer-centric approach, in which customers’ needs and preferences are central to the design and delivery of services, is crucial for success in the digital age [ 40 , 86 ]. Therefore, managers should focus on understanding and meeting the needs and preferences of their customers and consider how digital technologies can be leveraged to enable real-time communication and data gathering from customers [ 15 , 80 ].

Second, the review highlights the importance of using digital technologies like the IoT, AI, and ML to enable personalized and convenient customer experiences [ 40 , 50 ]. Managers should consider how these technologies can enhance the customer experience and improve satisfaction and loyalty [ 36 , 39 ].

Third, the review suggests that adopting digital technologies in the tourism and hospitality sector can lead to increased efficiency and effectiveness in the industry [ 7 , 16 ]. Therefore, managers should consider how these technologies can streamline processes and identify areas for improvement [ 42 ]. Further, regarding privacy concerns, managers must spend enough resources to secure their customers’ data to help boost the customer value co-creation process [ 48 , 77 ].

Fourth, policymakers can foster an environment conducive to value co-creation by incorporating customer-centric strategies and leveraging digital technologies. Effective policies can enhance customer experiences, promote sustainable growth, and drive economic development, ensuring a thriving and competitive industry in the digital age.

The practical implications of applying AI and new technology for managerial decision-making in the tourism and hospitality industry are vast and promising [ 90 ]. Managers can navigate the dynamic digital landscape and drive meaningful co-creation with customers by embracing a customer-centric approach, leveraging personalized technologies, addressing efficiency and data security considerations, and strategically adopting AI-powered tools. By staying abreast of technological advancements and harnessing their potential, businesses can thrive in the next five years and beyond, delivering exceptional customer experiences and enhancing value co-creation in the industry.

Limitations and future research

The research, anchored in the PRISMA methodology, significantly enhances the comprehension of customer value co-creation within the digital ambit of the tourism and hospitality sectors. However, it is essential to underscore certain inherent limitations. Firstly, there might be publication and language biases, given that the criteria could inadvertently favor studies in specific languages, potentially sidelining seminal insights from non-English or lesser-known publications [ 91 ]. Secondly, the adopted search strategy, governed by the choice of keywords, databases, and inclusion/exclusion guidelines, might have omitted pertinent literature, impacting the review’s comprehensiveness [ 57 ]. Furthermore, the heterogeneous nature of the studies can challenge the synthesized results’ generalizability. Finally, the swiftly evolving domain of this research underscores the ephemeral nature of the findings.

In light of these limitations, several recommendations can guide subsequent research endeavors. Scholars are encouraged to employ a more expansive and diverse sampling of studies to curtail potential biases. With the digital technology landscape in constant flux, it becomes imperative to delve into a broader spectrum of innovations to discern their prospective roles in customer value co-creation [ 18 ]. Additionally, varied search strategies encompassing multiple databases can lend a more holistic and inclusive character to systematic reviews [ 27 ]. Moreover, future research could investigate the interplay between political dynamics and the integration of novel technologies, enriching the understanding of value co-creation in a broader socio-political context. Lastly, integrating sensitivity analyses can ascertain the findings’ robustness, ensuring the conclusions remain consistent across diverse search paradigms, thereby refining the review’s overall rigor.

In conclusion, this review highlights the pivotal role of digital technologies in customer value co-creation within the tourism and hospitality sectors. New AI, blockchain and IoT technology applications enable real-time communication and personalized experiences, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. Metaverse technologies offer exciting opportunities for immersive interactions and virtual events. However, privacy and data security challenges must be addressed. This study proposed a comprehensive research agenda addressing theoretical, practical, and technological implications. Future studies should aim to bridge research gaps, investigate the impact of co-creation on various stakeholders, and explore a more comprehensive array of digital technologies in the tourism and hospitality sectors. This study’s findings provide valuable insights for fostering innovation and sustainable growth in the industry’s digital age. Despite the valuable insights gained, we acknowledge certain limitations, including potential biases in the search strategy, which underscore the need for more inclusive and diverse samples in future research.

Availability of data and materials

The review included a total of 27 studies published between 2012 and 2022.

Change history

07 february 2024.

A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1186/s43093-023-00293-2

Abbreviations

• Artificial intelligence

Augmented reality

Internet of Things

Machine learning

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

Virtual reality

Pencarelli T (2020) The digital revolution in the travel and tourism industry. J Hosp Tour Insights 22(3):455–476

Google Scholar  

Carvalho P, Alves H (2022) Customer value co-creation in the hospitality and tourism industry: a systematic literature review. Int J Contemp Hosp Manag 35(1):250–273

Aman J, Abbas J, Mahmood S, Nurunnabi M, Bano S (2019) The influence of Islamic religiosity on the perceived socio-cultural impact of sustainable tourism development in Pakistan: a structural equation modeling approach. Sustainability 11(11):3039

Buhalis D, Lin MS, Leung D (2022) Metaverse as a driver for customer experience and value co-creation: implications for hospitality and tourism management and marketing. Int J Contemp Hosp Manag 35(2):701–716

Grissemann US, Stokburger-Sauer NE (2012) Customer co-creation of travel services: the role of company support and customer satisfaction with the co-creation performance. Tour Manag 33(6):1483–1492

Pham LH, Woyo E, Pham TH, Dao TXT (2022) Value co-creation and destination brand equity: understanding the role of social commerce information sharing. J Hosp Tour Insights

Troisi O, Grimaldi M, Monda A (2019) Managing smart service ecosystems through technology: how ICTs enable value cocreation. Tour Anal 24(3):377–393

Buonincontri P, Micera R (2016) The experience co-creation in smart tourism destinations: a multiple case analysis of European destinations. J Hosp Tour Insights 16(3):285–315

Jung TH, tom Dieck MC (2017) Augmented reality, virtual reality and 3D printing for the co-creation of value for the visitor experience at cultural heritage places. J Place Manag Dev 10:140–151

Koo C, Kwon J, Chung N, Kim J (2022) Metaverse tourism: conceptual framework and research propositions. Curr Issues Tour 1–7

Dwivedi YK et al (2022) Metaverse beyond the hype: Multidisciplinary perspectives on emerging challenges, opportunities, and agenda for research, practice and policy. Int J Inf Manag 66:102542

Zhang X, Balaji M, Jiang Y (2022) Robots at your service: value facilitation and value co-creation in restaurants. Int J Contemp Hosp Manag 34(5):2004–2025

Neuhofer B, Magnus B, Celuch K (2021) The impact of artificial intelligence on event experiences: a scenario technique approach. Electron Mark 31(3):601–617

Balsalobre-Lorente D, Abbas J, He C, Pilař L, Shah SAR (2023) Tourism, urbanization and natural resources rents matter for environmental sustainability: the leading role of AI and ICT on sustainable development goals in the digital era. Resour Pol 82:103445

Zhu J, Cheng M (2022) The rise of a new form of virtual tour: Airbnb peer-to-peer online experience. Curr Issues Tour 25(22):3565–3570

Xie L, Liu C, Li D (2022) Proactivity or passivity? An investigation of the effect of service robots’ proactive behaviour on customer co-creation intention. Int J Hosp Manag 106:103271

Wang Q, Huang R (2021) The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on sustainable development goals—a survey. Environ Res 202:111637

CAS   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Önder I, Gunter U (2022) Blockchain: Is it the future for the tourism and hospitality industry? Tourism Econ 28(2):291–299

Wang Q, Su M (2020) Integrating blockchain technology into the energy sector—from theory of blockchain to research and application of energy blockchain. Comput Sci Rev 37:100275

Wang Q, Li R, Zhan L (2021) Blockchain technology in the energy sector: from basic research to real world applications. Comput Sci Rev 39:100362

CAS   Google Scholar  

Wang Q, Su M, Zhang M, Li R (2021) Integrating digital technologies and public health to fight Covid-19 pandemic: key technologies, applications, challenges and outlook of digital healthcare. Int J Environ Res Public Health 18(11):6053

Abbas J, Mubeen R, Iorember PT, Raza S, Mamirkulova G (2021) Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on tourism: transformational potential and implications for a sustainable recovery of the travel and leisure industry. Curr Res Behav Sci 2:100033

PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Elkhwesky Z, El Manzani Y, Elbayoumi Salem I (2022) Driving hospitality and tourism to foster sustainable innovation: a systematic review of COVID-19-related studies and practical implications in the digital era. Tour Hosp Res 14673584221126792

Shah SAR, Zhang Q, Abbas J, Balsalobre-Lorente D, Pilař L (2023) Technology, urbanization and natural gas supply matter for carbon neutrality: a new evidence of environmental sustainability under the prism of COP26. Resour Pol 82:103465

Ahmed KE-S, Ambika A, Belk R (2022) Augmented reality magic mirror in the service sector: experiential consumption and the self. J Serv Manag

Doran A, Pomfret G, Adu-Ampong EA (2022) Mind the gap: a systematic review of the knowledge contribution claims in adventure tourism research. J Hosp Tour Manag 51:238–251

Page MJ et al (2021) The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. Syst Rev 10(1):1–11

Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG, P. Group* (2009) Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. Ann Intern Med 151(4):264–269

So KKF, Li X, Kim H (2020) A decade of customer engagement research in hospitality and tourism: a systematic review and research agenda. J Hosp Tour 44(2):178–200

Han H (2021) Consumer behavior and environmental sustainability in tourism and hospitality: a review of theories, concepts, and latest research. J Sustain Tour 29(7):1021–1042

Medlik S (2012) Dictionary of travel, tourism and hospitality. Routledge

Reisinger Y, Kandampully J, Mok C (2001) Concepts of tourism, hospitality, and leisure services. Service quality management in hospitality, tourism, and leisure, pp 1–14

Binkhorst E, Den Dekker T (2013) Agenda for co-creation tourism experience research. In: Marketing of tourism experiences, Routledge, 219–235

Abbas J, Al-Sulaiti K, Lorente DB, Shah SAR, Shahzad U (2022) Reset the industry redux through corporate social responsibility: the COVID-19 tourism impact on hospitality firms through business model innovation. In: Economic growth and environmental quality in a post-pandemic world, Routledge, pp 177–201

Buhalis D, Harwood T, Bogicevic V, Viglia G, Beldona S, Hofacker C (2019) Technological disruptions in services: lessons from tourism and hospitality. J Serv Manag 30:484–506

Sengupta P, Biswas B, Kumar A, Shankar R, Gupta S (2021) Examining the predictors of successful Airbnb bookings with Hurdle models: evidence from Europe, Australia, USA and Asia-Pacific cities. J Bus Res 137:538–554

Gonzalez-Rodriguez MR, Díaz-Fernández MC, Bilgihan A, Shi F, Okumus F (2021) UGC involvement, motivation and personality: comparison between China and Spain. J Dest Mark Manag 19:100543

Abbas J (2020) The impact of coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) epidemic on individuals mental health: the protective measures of Pakistan in managing and sustaining transmissible disease. Psychiatr Danub 32(3–4):472–477

CAS   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Neuhofer B, Buhalis D, Ladkin A (2014) A typology of technology-enhanced tourism experiences. Int J Tour Res 16(4):340–350

Samala N, Katkam BS, Bellamkonda RS, Rodriguez RV (2020) Impact of AI and robotics in the tourism sector: a critical insight. J Tour Futures 8(1):73–87

De Carlo M, Ferilli G, d’Angella F, Buscema M (2021) Artificial intelligence to design collaborative strategy: An application to urban destinations. J Bus Res 129:936–948

Grundner L, Neuhofer B (2021) The bright and dark sides of artificial intelligence: a futures perspective on tourist destination experiences. J Dest Mark Manag 19:100511

Al-Sulaiti I (2022) Mega shopping malls technology-enabled facilities, destination image, tourists’ behavior and revisit intentions: implications of the SOR theory. Front Environ Sci 1295

Alimamy S, Gnoth J (2022) I want it my way! The effect of perceptions of personalization through augmented reality and online shopping on customer intentions to co-create value. Comput Hum Behav 128:107105

Lee M, Hong JH, Chung S, Back K-J (2021) Exploring the roles of DMO’s social media efforts and information richness on customer engagement: empirical analysis on Facebook event pages. J Travel Res 60(3):670–686

Abaalzamat KH, Al-Sulaiti KI, Alzboun NM, Khawaldah HA (2021) The role of Katara cultural village in enhancing and marketing the image of Qatar: evidence from TripAdvisor. SAGE Open 11(2):21582440211022736

Al-Sulaiti KI, Abaalzamat KH, Khawaldah H, Alzboun N (2021) Evaluation of Katara cultural village events and services: a visitors’ perspective. Event Manag 25(6):653–664

Khaliq A, Waqas A, Nisar QA, Haider S, Asghar Z (2022) Application of AI and robotics in hospitality sector: a resource gain and resource loss perspective. Technol Soc 68:101807

Yin CZY, Jung T, Tom Dieck MC, Lee MY (2021) Mobile augmented reality heritage applications: meeting the needs of heritage tourists. Sustainability 13(5):1–18

Buhalis D, Moldavska I (2021) Voice assistants in hospitality: using artificial intelligence for customer service. J Hosp Tour Technol 13(3):386–403

Abbas J (2021) Gestión de crisis, desafíos y oportunidades sanitarios transnacionales: la intersección de la pandemia de COVID-19 y la salud mental global. Investigación en globalización, 3 (2021), 1–7

Micah AE et al (2023) Global investments in pandemic preparedness and COVID-19: development assistance and domestic spending on health between 1990 and 2026. Lancet Glob Health 11(3):e385–e413

Hau LN, Thuy PN (2022) Enabling customer co-creation behavior at a distance: the case of patients using self-monitoring handheld devices in healthcare. Serv Bus 16(1):99–123

Brereton P, Kitchenham BA, Budgen D, Turner M, Khalil M (2007) Lessons from applying the systematic literature review process within the software engineering domain. J Syst Softw 80(4):571–583

Tranfield D, Denyer D, Smart P (2003) Towards a methodology for developing evidence-informed management knowledge by means of systematic review. Br J Manag 14(3):207–222

Lin Z, Rasoolimanesh SM (2022) Sharing tourism experiences in social media: a systematic review. Anatolia 1–15

Page MJ, Moher D, McKenzie JE (2022) Introduction to PRISMA 2020 and implications for research synthesis methodologists. Res Synth Methods 13(2):156–163

PubMed   Google Scholar  

Snyder H (2019) Literature review as a research methodology: an overview and guidelines. J Bus Res 104:333–339

Caldiera VRBG, Rombach HD (1994) The goal question metric approach. Encycl Softw Eng 528–532

Hopfenbeck TN, Lenkeit J, El Masri Y, Cantrell K, Ryan J, Baird J-A (2018) Lessons learned from PISA: a systematic review of peer-reviewed articles on the programme for international student assessment. Scand J Educ Res 62(3):333–353

Kitchenham B, Brereton OP, Budgen D, Turner M, Bailey J, Linkman S (2009) Systematic literature reviews in software engineering–a systematic literature review. Inf Softw Technol 51(1):7–15

Dieste O, Grimán A, Juristo N (2009) Developing search strategies for detecting relevant experiments. Empir Softw Eng 14(5):513–539

Prahalad CK, Ramaswamy V (2004) Co-creation experiences: the next practice in value creation. J Interact Mark 18(3):5–14

Vargo SL, Lusch RF (2014) Evolving to a new dominant logic for marketing. In: The service-dominant logic of marketing, Routledge, pp 21–46

Hong et al QN (2018) Mixed methods appraisal tool (MMAT), version 2018. Registration of copyright vol 1148552, no 10

Pace R et al (2012) Testing the reliability and efficiency of the pilot mixed methods appraisal tool (MMAT) for systematic mixed studies review. Int J Nurs Stud 49(1):47–53

Beck J, Rainoldi M, Egger R (2019) Virtual reality in tourism: a state-of-the-art review. Tour Rev 74(3):586–612

Pahlevan-Sharif S, Mura P, Wijesinghe SN (2019) A systematic review of systematic reviews in tourism. J Hosp Tour Manag 39:158–165

Cuomo MT, Colosimo I, Celsi LR, Ferulano R, Festa G, La Rocca M (2022) Enhancing traveller experience in integrated mobility services via big social data analytics. Technol Forecast Soc Change 176:121460

Chiu M-C, Huang J-H, Gupta S, Akman G (2021) Developing a personalized recommendation system in a smart product service system based on unsupervised learning model. Comput Ind 128:103421

Cranmer EE, tom Dieck MC, Fountoulaki P (2020) Exploring the value of augmented reality for tourism. Tour Manag Perspect 35:100672

Lin S (2022) Implementation of personalized scenic spot recommendation algorithm based on generalized regression neural network for 5G smart tourism system. Comput Intell Neurosci 2022

Ngamsirijit W (2014) Value creation in creative tourism: co-creation through data mining. Int J Intell 2(2–3):255–276

Liu X, Shin H, Burns AC (2021) Examining the impact of luxury brand’s social media marketing on customer engagement: Using big data analytics and natural language processing. J Bus Res 125:815–826

Hew J-J, Tan GW-H, Lin B, Ooi K-B (2017) Generating travel-related contents through mobile social tourism: Does privacy paradox persist? Telemat Inform 34(7):914–935

Lalicic L, Weismayer C (2021) Consumers’ reasons and perceived value co-creation of using artificial intelligence-enabled travel service agents. J Bus Res 129:891–901

Hilken T et al (2022) Disrupting marketing realities: a research agenda for investigating the psychological mechanisms of next-generation experiences with reality-enhancing technologies. Psychol Mark 39(8):1660–1671

Brejla P, Gilbert D (2014) An exploratory use of web content analysis to understand cruise tourism services. Int J Tour Res 16(2):157–168

Li Z, Wang D, Abbas J, Hassan S, Mubeen R (2022) Tourists’ health risk threats amid COVID-19 era: role of technology innovation, transformation, and recovery implications for sustainable tourism. Front Psychol 12:769175

PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Liburd J, Duedahl E, Heape C (2022) Co-designing tourism for sustainable development. J Sustain Tour 30(10):2298–2317

Serravalle F, Ferraris A, Vrontis D, Thrassou A, Christofi M (2019) Augmented reality in the tourism industry: a multi-stakeholder analysis of museums. Tour Manag Perspect 32:100549

Xie L, Liu X, Li D (2022) The mechanism of value cocreation in robotic services: customer inspiration from robotic service novelty. J Hosp Mark Manag 31(8):962–983

Huang M-H, Rust RT (2021) Engaged to a robot? The role of AI in service. J Serv Res 24(1):30–41

Mamirkulova G, Mi J, Abbas J, Mahmood S, Mubeen R, Ziapour A (2020) New silk road infrastructure opportunities in developing tourism environment for residents better quality of life. Glob Ecol Conser 24:e01194

Rihova I, Buhalis D, Gouthro MB, Moital MJTM (2018) Customer-to-customer co-creation practices in tourism: lessons from customer-dominant logic. Tour Manag 67:362–375

Rahimian S, ShamiZanjani M, Manian A, Esfidani MR (2021) A framework of customer experience management for hotel industry. Int J Contemp Hosp Manag 33(5):1413–1436

Ameen N, Tarhini A, Reppel A, Anand A (2021) Customer experiences in the age of artificial intelligence. Comput Hum Behav 114:106548

Iranmanesh M, Ghobakhloo M, Nilashi M, Tseng M-L, Yadegaridehkordi E, Leung N (2022) Applications of disruptive digital technologies in hotel industry: a systematic review. Int J Hosp Manag 107:103304

Wang S, Abbas J, Al-Sulati KI, Shah SAR (2023) The impact of economic corridor and tourism on local community’s quality of life under one belt one road context. Evaluat Rev 0193841X231182749

Akhmedova A, Manresa A, Escobar Rivera D, Bikfalvi A (2021) Service quality in the sharing economy: a review and research agenda. Int J Consum Stud 45(4):889–910

Henry BM, Tomaszewski KA, Walocha JA (2016) Methods of evidence-based anatomy: a guide to conducting systematic reviews and meta-analysis of anatomical studies. Ann Anat Anatomischer Anz 205:16–21

Download references

Acknowledgements

Not applicable.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City (VNUHCM), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

T. D. Dang & M. T. Nguyen

Eastern International University, Thu Dau Mot, Binh Duong Province, Vietnam

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Contributions

DTD, conceived the research idea and designed the study in collaboration with NMT. DTD took the lead in writing the manuscript, with significant contributions from NMT. All authors reviewed and edited the manuscript to ensure accuracy and clarity. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to T. D. Dang .

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate.

This material is the authors’ original work, which has not been previously published elsewhere. The paper is not currently being considered for publication elsewhere.

Consent for publication

Competing interests.

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher's note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

The original online version of this article has been revised: the affiliation is corrected for the co-author “M. T. Nguyen”.

Supplementary Information

Additional file 1..

Quality assessment of included studies.

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ .

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Dang, T.D., Nguyen, M.T. Systematic review and research agenda for the tourism and hospitality sector: co-creation of customer value in the digital age. Futur Bus J 9 , 94 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s43093-023-00274-5

Download citation

Received : 31 May 2023

Accepted : 06 November 2023

Published : 25 November 2023

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s43093-023-00274-5

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Customer value co-creation
• Tourism and hospitality

• Travel, Tourism & Hospitality ›

Leisure Travel

Digitalization of the travel industry - statistics & facts

What are the most visited travel websites, the impact of social media on travel, key insights.

Detailed statistics

Online travel market size worldwide 2017-2028

Distribution of sales channels in the travel and tourism market worldwide 2018-2028

Travel & leisure industry digital advertising share in selected global countries 2023

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Online Travel Market

Most popular travel and tourism websites worldwide 2024

Further recommended statistics

Digital marketing in the travel industry.

• Premium Statistic Distribution of sales channels in the travel and tourism market worldwide 2018-2028
• Premium Statistic Travel & leisure industry digital advertising share in selected global countries 2023
• Premium Statistic In-app advertising spending worldwide 2023, by industry
• Premium Statistic Spending on Google of leading online travel agencies (OTAs) worldwide 2019-2024
• Premium Statistic Google spending as a share of marketing expenses of leading OTAs worldwide 2019-2024
• Premium Statistic GoogleAds average monthly CPC for travel worldwide 2023, by country
• Premium Statistic Industries with highest share of digital ad spend in the U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic Most influential aspects of trip advertising among global travelers 2023

Revenue share of sales channels of the travel and tourism market worldwide from 2018 to 2028

Travel & leisure industry digital advertising share in selected global countries 2023

Travel and leisure industry share of digital advertising spending in selected countries worldwide in 2023

In-app advertising spending worldwide 2023, by industry

In-app advertising spending worldwide in 2023, by industry (in billion U.S. dollars)

Spending on Google of leading online travel agencies (OTAs) worldwide 2019-2024

Estimated expenditure on Google advertising of leading online travel agencies (OTAs) worldwide from 2019 to 2023, with a forecast for 2024 (in million U.S. dollars)

Google spending as a share of marketing expenses of leading OTAs worldwide 2019-2024

Estimated Google advertising spending as a share of marketing expenses of leading online travel agencies (OTAs) worldwide from 2019 to 2023, with a forecast for 2024

GoogleAds average monthly CPC for travel worldwide 2023, by country

Average cost-per-click (CPC) in Google Ads search advertising for travel in selected countries worldwide in May 2023 (in U.S. dollars)

Industries with highest share of digital ad spend in the U.S. 2023

Industries with highest share of digital advertising spending in the United States in 2023

Most influential aspects of trip advertising among global travelers 2023

Most influential aspects of trip advertising among travelers worldwide as of April 2023

Travel websites

• Premium Statistic Most popular travel and tourism websites worldwide 2024
• Premium Statistic Total visits to travel and tourism website booking.com worldwide 2021-2024
• Premium Statistic Share of visits to the travel website booking.com worldwide 2024, by country
• Premium Statistic Total visits to travel and tourism website tripadvisor.com worldwide 2020-2024
• Premium Statistic Share of visits to the travel website tripadvisor.com worldwide 2024, by country
• Premium Statistic Number of user reviews and ratings on Tripadvisor worldwide 2014-2023
• Premium Statistic ACSI - U.S. customer satisfaction with online travel websites as of 2024

Most visited travel and tourism websites worldwide as of April 2024 (in million visits)

Total visits to travel and tourism website booking.com worldwide 2021-2024

Estimated total number of visits to the travel and tourism website booking.com worldwide from December 2021 to March 2024 (in millions)

Share of visits to the travel website booking.com worldwide 2024, by country

Share of visits to the travel and tourism website booking.com worldwide as of March 2024, by country

Total visits to travel and tourism website tripadvisor.com worldwide 2020-2024

Estimated total number of visits to the travel and tourism website tripadvisor.com worldwide from August 2020 to March 2024 (in millions)

Share of visits to the travel website tripadvisor.com worldwide 2024, by country

Share of visits to the travel and tourism website tripadvisor.com worldwide as of March 2024, by country

Number of user reviews and ratings on Tripadvisor worldwide 2014-2023

Total number of user reviews and ratings on Tripadvisor worldwide from 2014 to 2023 (in millions)

ACSI - U.S. customer satisfaction with online travel websites as of 2024

U.S. customer satisfaction with online travel websites from 2000 to 2024 (index score)

Online travel planning and booking

• Premium Statistic Main resources for trip inspiration used by global travelers 2023
• Premium Statistic Main resources for trip inspiration used by travelers worldwide 2023, by country
• Premium Statistic Main resources used before purchasing trips by travelers worldwide 2023
• Premium Statistic Importance to book a trip fully online among travelers worldwide 2023, by generation
• Premium Statistic Travel product online bookings in the U.S. 2024
• Premium Statistic Travel product online bookings in Canada 2024
• Premium Statistic Travel product online bookings in the UK 2024
• Premium Statistic Most searched travel terms on Google in the UK 2022-2023
• Premium Statistic Leading holiday travel provider websites in the UK Q1 2024, by share of voice

Main resources for trip inspiration used by global travelers 2023

Main resources used for trip inspiration by travelers worldwide as of April 2023

Main resources for trip inspiration used by travelers worldwide 2023, by country

Main resources used for trip inspiration by travelers worldwide as of October 2023, by country

Main resources used before purchasing trips by travelers worldwide 2023

Main resources used before purchasing a trip by travelers worldwide as of April 2023

Importance to book a trip fully online among travelers worldwide 2023, by generation

Share of travelers who think it is important to be able to book their trip entirely online worldwide as of July 2023, by generation

Travel product online bookings in the U.S. 2024

Travel product online bookings in the U.S. as of March 2024

Travel product online bookings in Canada 2024

Travel product online bookings in Canada as of March 2024

Travel product online bookings in the UK 2024

Travel product online bookings in the UK as of March 2024

Most searched travel terms on Google in the UK 2022-2023

Volume of Google search for travel-related terms in the United Kingdom (UK) from November 2022 to April 2023

Leading holiday travel provider websites in the UK Q1 2024, by share of voice

Leading websites for holiday searches in the United Kingdom in 1st quarter of 2024, by share of voice

Social media

• Premium Statistic Travel and tourism comments on social media worldwide 2019-2023, by product type
• Premium Statistic Digital media importance among DMOs worldwide September 2023
• Premium Statistic Important digital transformation topics among accommodation businesses in Europe 2023
• Premium Statistic Facebook brand post engagement 2023, by vertical
• Premium Statistic Instagram brand post engagement 2023, by vertical
• Premium Statistic X/Twitter brand post engagement 2023, by vertical
• Premium Statistic Key data on leading TikTok travel influencers worldwide 2024
• Premium Statistic Most popular travel destinations on TikTok worldwide 2024, by number of posts
• Premium Statistic Most talked about products/topics online in the U.S. 2024
• Premium Statistic Most talked about products/topics online in the UK 2024

Travel and tourism comments on social media worldwide 2019-2023, by product type

Share of travel and tourism comments on social media worldwide in 2019 and 2023, by type of product

Digital media importance among DMOs worldwide September 2023

Perceived importance of digital media among destination marketing organizations (DMOs) worldwide as of September 2023

Important digital transformation topics among accommodation businesses in Europe 2023

Most important digital transformation topics among accommodation businesses in Europe as of May 2023

Facebook brand post engagement 2023, by vertical

Average engagement rate with brand posts on Facebook in 2023, by vertical

Instagram brand post engagement 2023, by vertical

Average engagement rate with brand posts on Instagram in 2023, by vertical

X/Twitter brand post engagement 2023, by vertical

Average engagement rate with brand posts on X (formerly Twitter) in 2023, by vertical

Key data on leading TikTok travel influencers worldwide 2024

Key figures on leading TikTok travel influencers worldwide as of May 2024

Most popular travel destinations on TikTok worldwide 2024, by number of posts

Most popular travel destinations on TikTok worldwide as of May 2024, by number of posts (in millions)

Most talked about products/topics online in the U.S. 2024

Most talked about products/topics online in the U.S. as of March 2024

Most talked about products/topics online in the UK 2024

Most talked about products/topics online in the UK as of March 2024

How to Create an International Tourism Marketing Strategy

The tourism industry is continuously changing: it grows, evolves, faces new challenges to tackle, and presents new market trends that see marketers having to update to technological changes that transform the way they can reach their target customers. Not only that, every market and audience has unique traits that make it even more imperative to think locally while crafting adapted international marketing strategies . 

The bet on one-of-a-kind experiences that a traveler will never be able to repeat is the underlying trend. Still, we can’t stop focusing on new ways of selling that respond to new online consumption habits and have transformed the way users decide between one destination or another. 

As we noted in our tourism trends report , an extensive analysis McKinsey and Google study of the European travel industry found that 87% of all travel bookings included the Internet at some point in the customer journey . Travelers are increasingly preferring to plan their vacations online instead of visiting traditional travel agencies. 

With the help of technology, brands have a tremendous opportunity to impact their target audience throughout the decision-making process by showing them exactly what they have to offer, using the right message, at the right time. 

360º Marketing in the travel industry 

In this context, with the number of touchpoints multiplying and a purchasing process that does not follow a linear pattern, we need to consider communicating about a brand from a comprehensive perspective. That’s where 360° Marketing comes in. It’s an approach to marketing that brings together all tactics under coherent, unified messaging across all touchpoints a consumer has with a brand. Therefore, it’s all about having a 360° view over all the resources we have available and that all the separate actions work together. 

The idea is to craft a complete experience for users and connect them to every stage of the traveler’s journey. It starts from when they’re searching for inspiration for their next adventure, beginning to plan it, reserving hotels and excursions, living it in real life, and ending when they’re sharing it afterward with their friends and loved ones. 

1. Inspiration

The possibilities start from the moment the user begins to explore options or ideas. Understanding what their motivations are will help you find the moment to activate your storytelling to amplify your value proposition. It would be best if you told them who you are, why you’re what they’re looking for you, your unique value proposition, etc. You can express it using SEO, Paid Media, Branded Content, social media, and more. The goal is to achieve brand awareness. 

2. Planning

This phase is where the user’s choosing destinations, dates, flights, hotels, etc. They need detailed information that will help them opt for one option over another. They’ll surely be running Google searches, looking at forums on TripAdvisor, reading blogs, and more. You’ll be able to deliver information that meets their needs using the right segmentation. Multichannel workflows are your best ally for this stage. 

3. Booking 

The traveler’s already researched, and they’re ready to book flights, hotels, excursions, and everything else. In this stage, we need to offer them safety, make things easy, and a wide variety of options. While they may be using tour operators, you shouldn’t lose track of the metrics that will offer you valuable information for the future like average spend, loyalty, and more. 

4. Experience

We’ve finally reached the most critical stage for the consumer: enjoying the trip and enjoying the experience. We need to meet their high expectations and even surpass them. This stage gives brands the chance to build a bond with the traveler offering them recommendations, proposals, and content that helps them enjoy their destination. It’s fundamental in this stage, and it provides us with a pivotal opportunity.  

In one way or another, we always share our travel experiences with those around us. It used to be that we shared a photo album and now it’s on social media. You can invite users to share their experiences with the brand using brand advocacy programs or actions. This phase nurtures others’ inspiration, so you should always keep an eye on it. You can also run loyalty campaigns so guests come back on a future occasion. 

Salesforce: technology at marketing’s service 

It would be just about impossible to deploy an international marketing strategy with a 360° vision without having tools that help us segment, automate, and create workflows adapted to every market and audience. 

One of our tools of choice is Salesforce Marketing Cloud since it lets you create 360° marketing campaigns using different channels and personalized messaging to guide your target customers towards the moment of purchase gradually. We can also interact with our audience bidirectionally, listen to conversations, and measure and optimize every interaction. 

Marketing Cloud also has sub-clouds such as Journey Builder, Email Studio, Datorama, Social Studio, etc. that let us launch campaigns on different channels to reach users during the five stages mentioned above. 

Keys to carrying out an optimal international tourism marketing strategy 

Companies in the travel industry need to adapt to an increasingly globalized market with direct, fierce competition. Growing and moving beyond borders is an inherent practice in the industry, but regardless, we need to map out an international marketing strategy that maintains the brand essence, prioritizes the user experience, and preserves a 360° vision. 

How can we get there? We’ve seen the theory but now we’ll take a step-by-step look at the points we need to include in your international marketing strategy : 

1. Perform a situational analysis for your company 

While performing a SWOT analysis is fundamental for any business, it’s never a bad idea to do it to see what are your enterprise’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as looking at the opportunities and threats to it. It’s a pivotal step to draw out this map that shows the market we’re in, what resources we have, what’s our target’s attitude towards our product or service, and more. 

2. Set SMART goals

If you successfully define business goals , you’ll be closer to creating the right actions for your travel company and measure their performance. Follow the SMART method to create specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-based goals for the timeframe you’re looking at, whether it be for the month, quarter, or year.

3. Analyze the markets 

When a brand has a presence in multiple markets, it should look at each market separately and treat them as such; The consumption habits, preferences, and interests can vary significantly from one country to another, making it imperative that we know them so we can offer our product or service offering accordingly. 

4. Study the different buyer personas

Carefully examine the type of people interested in your company and create your buyer personas . You’ll increase your chances of success in the market and be able to position yourself as a brand of reference if you know who you’re targeting. The Buyer Persona Institute defines 11 Buyer Persona profiles for the travel industry. 

A global strategy has to take cultural nuances into considerations, the national or regional deviances, customs, linguistic factors, etc. to ensure the content they’re transmitting in the local language successfully empathizes with their target.

5. A content strategy adapted to the market and buyer persona 

Have presence and share one-of-a-kind, compelling content on the platforms that are the most accessible or those where your audience already is. These pieces of content need to provide added value that will attract your customers, and you need to disseminate them in many formats: blog posts, social media posts, photos, videos, newsletters, interviews, and more. 

6. Transcreation

When working on content for your global strategy, you need to adapt your content to every market. That means mere translation doesn’t cut it. We have to transcreate to ensure our content contains the necessary sociocultural and sociolinguistic nuances to connect to our target authentically. We’ll need to count on native speaking content writers. 

An SEO strategy will give you the keys to boost your positioning on the internet, have g reater visibility , and turn yourself into a formidable industry player. Yet, we need to adapt our keyword research to every market and buyer persona to reap the benefits. 

8. Measuring and analyzing the performance

Measuring and analyzing performance results is fundamental for us to find out if our strategy is working, what we need to improve, and what actions we should suspend. You should set your KPIs and track metrics that help you gain a realistic vision of the status of your business .

Every market is different, with its specific needs and preferences, meaning we need to develop an adaptable strategy for every local market (without losing the corporate essence) to position ourselves better. If every traveler’s different, why wouldn’t we do the same with every market, which is the sum of many tourists?  

Subscribe to our newsletter and stay up to date with the latest digital trends.

Apr 06, 2022

The Scrum Framework and What it Does

Apr 30, 2021

Virtual Teams & the Agile Methodology and Scrum: The Partnership of the Future

Feb 11, 2021

Strategies to generate effective leads in your company