Mapping innovation hubs and smart cities in tourism: A bibliometric analysis

Abstract

Innovation Hubs (IH) have become fundamental for the development of Smart Cities (SC). These environments, both physical and virtual, promote collaboration between various agents and foster innovation and the creation of technological solutions to improve the quality of life of the population. This research seeks to provide a solid base of knowledge through a bibliometric and content analysis on IH and SC in the tourism field, thus identifying opportunities for theoretical and empirical development. To achieve this, a rigorous protocol based on the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology, version 2020, was followed. It comprises four phases: identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion. The search was carried out in the Scopus database without period restriction and 227 documents were obtained. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 55 articles were analyzed. The results show a clear advance in research on IH and SC in tourism, with significant growth since 2017 and constant production in recent years. The countries and authors with the greatest academic contribution were also identified; Spain, Italy, and China stand out as leaders in the field. In addition, through keyword co-occurrence analysis, thematic clusters linked to innovation, sustainability, and digitization in smart tourism were determined. Despite these advances, the joint study of IH and SC in the tourism context remains limited, so it is necessary to deepen this field to continue enriching theoretical and empirical knowledge.