Knowledge mapping in travel website studies: a scientometric review

In view of the gradual integration of information technology into modern life, travel websites have substantially affected the decision-making behaviors of tourists. The academia worldwide has investigated travel websites from divergent perspectives to aid the tourism industry in improving its efficiency in online marketing and engaging with many clients. This study utilizes the increasingly popular approach in scientometrics to analyze website research in tourism, thereby systematically and comprehensively presenting these studies as a whole. A total of 657 articles between 2001 and 2017 were collected. Subsequently, three current and two potential research hotspots were identified using co-occurrence network and burst detection with collaboration among institutions and authors worldwide based on institution-author networks. Findings can guide future studies on travel websites and direct the industry in employing websites to achieve a stable development.