Smart tourism destinations, arising from the integration of tourism and information technology, have become a key focus in international academic discourse. This study applies bibliometric methods via CiteSpace to perform co-authorship network analysis, co-citation analysis, keyword co-occurrence, and burst detection, aiming to reveal the knowledge structure and research evolution in the field. Based on 232 articles from the Web of Science Core Collection (2013–2025), the findings reveal a shift from technology-centered approaches to themes of visitor experience, collaborative governance, and sustainable development. The Universitat d'Alacant (Spain) and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (China) have emerged as leading research centers, with Ivars-Baidal and colleagues as primary contributors. Foundational work by scholars such as Buhalis and Gretzel shapes the domain. Keyword trends highlight growing attention to technological efficiency and sustainable ethics. This study outlines the field’s developmental trajectory, builds a systematic knowledge framework, and suggests future paths for theoretical integration and methodological advancement. The results offer valuable insights for the academic understanding of smart tourism and provide strategic references for policymaking in destination governance.
Yan et al. (Wed,) studied this question.
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