How Metaverse advertising can influence consumers making travel decisions: a bibliometric analysis

The Metaverse is transforming advertising by creating immersive, interactive experiences that engage audiences. This study employs bibliometric techniques, including co-citation analysis using the Biblioshiny package in R, to analyse 784 journal articles on Metaverse Tourism and Hospitality. The analysis uncovers key intellectual structures and foundational themes of the field. Three main clusters are identified: Foundations of Immersive Environments, Immersive Marketing Infrastructure, and the Immersive Advertising Applications in Tourism and Hospitality. A thematic map organised into four quadrants outlines the major research themes driving the field. This study develops a conceptual framework illustrating the interconnectedness of consumers, industry components, and the Metaverse at both micro and macro levels. The study highlights key themes, including branding, advertising, the sharing economy, well-being, ethics, regulations, sustainability, and cultural impact. It concludes by proposing future research directions to guide continued development in the Metaverse tourism and hospitality domain.