Robots in Tourism: A Bibliometric Review of Current Patterns and Emerging Research Trends

This study investigates the evolution, intellectual structure, and dominant research themes of tourism and robotics literature through a comprehensive bibliometric analysis. Using 469 publications indexed in the Web of Science database between 2005 and 2024, the study applied descriptive bibliometric techniques and keyword co-occurrence analysis using Biblioshiny and VOSviewer. The findings indicate steady growth in robot-oriented tourism research, with a marked acceleration after 2016 and further expansion following 2020. The literature is primarily organised around interconnected themes related to artificial intelligence and robots, service robots and human-robot interaction (HRI), and technology acceptance. Over time, research has shifted from technically oriented discussions towards more user-centred perspectives that emphasise interaction processes, acceptance mechanisms, and experiential outcomes in service settings. Despite the growing volume of research, the field remains conceptually fragmented, particularly in integrating HRI-related concepts with technology acceptance frameworks. By systematically mapping thematic structures and research trends, this study provides an overarching view of tourism and robotics research and identifies gaps that warrant further investigation. The findings offer a structured foundation for future theoretical and empirical research on service robots in tourism contexts.