Citation Structures in Thermal Tourism Research: A Bibliometric Analysis Using Vosviewer

Aim: This study analyzes academic trends in thermal tourism literature, evaluating key themes, author collaborations, and scientific contributions among countries. Methods: Bibliometric analysis was conducted using data from the Web of Science database, and the results were visualized with VOSviewer software. The themes and authors prominent in thermal tourism studies were identified, and the nature of scientific collaborations between countries and institutions was assessed. Results: The findings reveal that countries such as Turkey, Spain and Italy have made significant contributions to the thermal tourism literature. In recent years, there has been an increase in publications originating from Portugal. Keyword analysis shows that the strongest phrases in terms of total link strength are thermal tourism, health tourism and tourism. These keywords were found to have a strong relationship with concepts such as wellness, health tourist behavior, facilities, and environmental impacts. In recent years, the publications of research centers that will enable researchers to obtain more meaningful information on the subject have found more place in the literature. Conclusion: This study enhances the understanding of the individual, societal, economic, and cultural impacts of thermal tourism. By approaching thermal tourism as a multidisciplinary field, it provides a useful framework for future research and may serve as a helpful reference for researchers and industry stakeholders in exploring strategies related to thermal tourism.