A look back and a leap forward: a review and synthesis of big data and artificial intelligence literature in hospitality and tourism

In reaction to the growing attention paid to big data and artificial intelligence in hospitality and tourism research, we systematically reviewed 270 relevant studies to identify topical themes and trends. We first briefly reviewed the emergence definition of big data. Next, we introduced the methodology of literature collection and presented results of bibliometric analysis. Then, we identified types of big data used and the application of artificial intelligence in big data usage in hospitality and tourism research, followed by unveiling major themes of big data and artificial intelligence research in extant literature such as forecasting, industry development, marketing, performance analysis, consumer behaviors, attitudes, and so on. In addition, implications and challenges of applying big data and artificial intelligence in hospitality and tourism research and new directions for future research are identified. Finally, we discuss limitations of our review, proposing future research directions for scholars.