Competitiveness of the tourism sector in the age of industry 4.0: A systematic literature review

Competitiveness remains a central focus of academic research in the tourism industry, reflecting both the sector’s inherent complexity and the ongoing technological advances driven by Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies. Despite the growing importance of I4.0 in the tourism sector, literature highlights the need to deepen understanding of its relationship to competitiveness, as the scope of this technological revolution and its practical implications still require further investigation. This study therefore aims to analyse the state of the art on the subject through a systematic literature review. The results led to the identification of four main thematic groups: digital technologies, digital data, innovation, and digital infrastructure. The study proposes an integrative framework to understand the competitiveness of the tourism sector in the I4.0 era and outlines an agenda for future research.