Word of mouth in tourism and hospitality: A bibliometric co-citation and co-word analysis

Word of mouth (WOM) is considered one of the most influential factors affecting consumer behavior in the tourism and hospitality industry, resulting in an overwhelming number of studies on WOM. This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview that complements previous reviews. In this study, bibliometric co-citation and co-word analyses are performed using HistCite and VOSviewer to review the existing WOM literature in the tourism and hospitality fields. The study follows the TCM-ADO framework. We analyze 1745 articles from high-quality journals to evaluate the most important papers, authors, journals, centers of expertise, and keywords. We also identify nine underlying research streams along with their theoretical foundations. Finally, we suggest new areas for future research. The findings can help practitioners leverage the opportunities that WOM provides, while scholars will gain an updated overview of WOM research and future research directions. • This bibliometric study investigates tourism and hospitality word of mouth (WOM). • 1745 articles in major journals are analyzed. • Important papers, authors, journals, centers of expertise, and keywords are revealed. • Nine research streams and their theoretical foundations are identified. • Several areas for future research are suggested.