Tourism research in the new millennium: A bibliometric review of literature in Tourism and Hospitality Research

Abstract

This article presents a bibliometric review analyzing 15 years of research published between 2000 and 2014 in the journal Tourism and Hospitality Research. Raw citations metrics were gathered using “Publish or Perish,” a data-miner software from Harzing, using Google Scholar as a base. The analysis focuses on six key metrics of the journal’s publications: (a) the nature of authorship, (b) the most influential articles, (c) the most influential authors, (d) the most prolific authors, (e) the themes covered, and (f) the manuscript characteristics of the articles published during the period. Notes for contributors, book reviews, conference reports/proceedings, practice papers, and editorials were excluded from the scope of this research, and 292 research articles appearing in the journal during this time were included in the investigation. Data were analyzed using SPSS and Excel. The article provides an overview of the evolution of the journal and presents some key trends in ongoing research within the industry. The study finds a clear trend toward coauthorship with a substantial increase in triple-authored articles. The majority of the articles have gone from being single authored in 2000–2004 to being dual authored in 2010–2014. Articles on marketing and consumer behavior, HR management, and environmental aspects have experienced a steady increase while strategic implications, hospitality and tourism operations, impact assessment and mitigation, and education have received a decreased attention. There has been a significant drop in theory development articles, in favor of quantitative research designs, in particular survey studies. Qualitative research designs rest relatively constant; however, case studies and interviews have lost ground to content analysis manuscripts. Contributions further include insights that can aid editors in determining future directions of the journal, guidance for potential authors in their quest to get published, and identification of new opportunities in research areas for the journal and researchers alike.