#10yearschallenge: How co-creation permeated tourism research. a bibliometric analysis

Abstract

This paper focuses on the conceptual ties between co-creation and tourism that can be found in the academic literature on tourism of the last 10 years with a two-fold purpose: to analyze the main conceptual themes that link co-creation and tourism, and to identify fruitful future research streams. A bibliometric analysis of the literature from 2008 to 2018 allowed for a systematic analysis of links between key constructs. Findings suggest that there are significant opportunities to further explore the connections between co-creation and tourism experience, considered as a multi-actor process based on engagement leading to innovation, and enabling new tourist experiences. Five perspectives on tourism experience emerged from the analysis: firm-inspired, technology-based, and cultural-based experience; customer satisfaction and participation, and innovation-based experience. These suggest several potential research streams as tourism experiences are recognized to be dynamically co-created through a participatory and engaging process by multiple actors using innovative and technology-based value propositions. Three conceptual pillars emerge from the theoretical analysis: co-creation, as the engine of the process; tourist experience, as the outcome of the co-creative process; and technology, as a key tool to co-create satisfactory tourist experiences.