The intellectual structure of digital nomadism in tourism research: a bibliometric analysis

Purpose This study aims to analyze the intellectual structure, thematic evolution, and collaboration patterns of tourism research on digital nomadism. Design/methodology/approach This study examines works published between 2014 and 2025 that address digital nomadism in the context of tourism using bibliometric analysis methods. Data were obtained from the Web of Science and Scopus databases and analyzed using the Bibliometrix package in R 4.5.2 software. Descriptive and performance analyses were applied to examine scientific production, citation structures, and author impact indicators. In addition, science mapping techniques were used, including keyword co-occurrence, co-citation, bibliographic matching, thematic mapping, and collaboration network analysis. Network visualizations were created using VOSviewer software. Findings According to the analysis results, the most frequently used keywords in tourism research on digital nomadism are “digital nomads,” “digital nomadism,” and “tourism.” The most productive journal was Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, while the most productive institution was identified as Anadolu University. Publication production at the country level was found to be concentrated mainly in the United Kingdom and Spain. Collaboration analyses between countries and institutions reveal that academic collaborations are limited and fragmented. According to the thematic map results, “tourism development” and “lifestyle” were identified as driving themes, while “tourism,” “case studies,” and “environmental sustainability” were among the core themes. “Work” and “digital technologies” were positioned as emerging themes, while “mobility” was identified as a niche theme. Originality/value This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric mapping of tourism research on digital nomadism. By integrating performance analysis with science mapping techniques, it enables a systematic examination of the intellectual foundations, thematic development, and collaborative structures of this research field.