Eye tracking and tourism research: A systematic literature review

Abstract

In recent years, the number of studies in tourism using the eye tracking technique has increased and started generating valuable information for both academics and the industry. However, there is a gap in the literature concerning systematic reviews focused on recent articles and their findings. Thus, the aim of this study is to close this gap by systematically analysing 70 research papers tackling the subject of eye tracking in tourism and published in highly ranked tourism journals. The study identifies the most popular topics and trends for eye tracking research, as well as the most used types of visual stimuli, such as exhibitions, restaurant menus, promotional pictures or websites. The study also details on measurements specific for the analysis of eye tracking data, including fixations, saccades and heat maps. Results are emphasized along with their theoretical and practical implications. In addition, we highlight the lack of the use of dynamic stimuli in the existing literature and suggest further research directions using the eye tracking technique.