Location-based concepts in tourism research: what do they mean?

Abstract

This paper is motivated by the lack of clarity in frequently used terms and definitions in tourism research complicating comparative studies of cases. This paper proposes an objective method that may help researchers gain awareness of different definitions of concepts in tourism research, avoiding misunderstandings. The paper focuses on four main concepts: destination, attraction, accommodation and point of interest. A bibliometric analysis is carried out to quantify how often researchers employ different definitions for each of these terms. This allowed for the most frequently used definition to be ascertained. The results show that bibliometrics can help identify the most frequent definitions given to a certain concept. This study may help future researchers to better define concepts in tourism studies, as it can be used to clarify meanings among researchers and practitioners when conducting research or making reports on tourism and hospitality