ABSTRACT Using critical theory of technology (CTT) as an analytical framework, this paper conducts a systematic literature review on the sociopolitical effects of disruptive technologies in the tourism industry. It aims to transcend the functionalist limitations of extant research and reveal the underlying mechanisms through which technology reshapes power, exacerbates inequality, and gives rise to governance challenges. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we screened literature published between 2015 and 2026 in the Web of Science and Scopus databases, ultimately including 79 articles for a comprehensive thematic synthesis. The findings reveal that disruptive technologies are not neutral tools of efficiency; their “technical code” is embedded with a managerialist logic centered on efficiency, control, and value extraction. Platforms accumulate structural power through data monopolies and algorithmic management, exercising covert micro‐control over labor processes. This reconfiguration of power generates specific distributional consequences in both spatial and economic dimensions, such as short‐term rental platforms squeezing urban housing markets and platform labor becoming trapped in precarious conditions. Existing governance systems generally face the dilemma of regulatory lag and fragmentation, yet alternative governance pathways—such as data accountability and participatory design—are emerging. This study further theorizes the significant imbalance in the literature—where research on platform technologies dominates—as a meta‐finding, arguing that the social visibility of technology shapes the critical focus of scholarly inquiry. We argue that only institutional innovation can promote the “democratic rationalization” of tourism technologies, shifting toward more inclusive and public‐oriented sociopolitical processes, thereby addressing the power reconfigurations and governance challenges posed by disruptive technologies.
Ziming et al. (2026) studied this question.