Systematic review of literature on innovation in tourism, an agenda for future research

Abstract

Innovation in tourism is a multidimensional construct that has been gaining ground in scientific research on tourism. This work highlights the still limited growth in the number and variety of articles published in high-impact journals on this topic. It also aims to design an agenda for future research on innovation in tourism. Specifically, 184 articles published in the SCOPUS database between 2008 and 2023 were reviewed. Through bibliometric analysis, co-citation data were analyzed and grouped into six clusters that highlight aspects such as the development of smart tourism destinations; the relevant role of public management in promoting tourism innovation; the networking of different stakeholder groups; and the design of new tourism products and services based on the interaction between businesses and tourists through technological innovations in marketing. Infrastructure requirements and barriers to technology adoption in underdeveloped tourist destinations, governance models aligned with public policies for tourism innovation, among other findings, are proposed for future research.