INVESTIGATING THE EVOLUTION OF SMART TOURISM TECHNOLOGY AND TOURISM DESTINATION IMAGE: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS

This study investigates the development of smart tourism technology (STT) and tourism destination image (TDI), identifying trends and research gaps in relation to STT and TDI. The article employs a rigorous PRISMA Statement methodology to curate a dataset of 4,371 of the most reliable articles from two databases: Scopus and Web of Science, spanning from 1986 to 2024. This paper employs mixed methods, primarily quantitative bibliometric methods utilizing the Biblioshiny tool. Findings reveal that the annual scientific output on STT and TDI peaked at 666 articles in 2023, with a projected upward trend. The integration of emerging technologies such as metaverse, gamification, digital twin, smart media, augmented reality, and virtual reality with TDI gives rise to exciting research gaps. This study is unique and valuable since it divided the time period into four different slices, from 1986 to 2024, and used the Biblioshiny to create a longitudinal thematic analysis map. This research presents emerging topics, targeting key trends in STT and TDI.