Journals / Türk Coğrafya Dergisi / 2026 / Sayı: 89

Digitalization, Tourism and Sustainability Studies: A Bibliometric Analysis

Dijitalleşme, turizm ve sürdürülebilirlik çalışmaları: Bibliyometrik bir analiz

Erol Geçgin(VAN YÜZÜNCÜ YIL ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0001-8375-9343
Pages
205–217
Publication Date
2026-06-30
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The findings indicate that between 1997 and 2025, the themes of digitalization and sustainable tourism have attracted growing scholarly attention.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:The acceleration of digitalization on a global scale has profoundly transformed sustainability practices within the tourism sector, and the interaction between these two concepts has increasingly emerged as a multidisciplinary field of research.
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Key Findings & Data:In this study, 198 articles indexed in the Scopus database were analyzed using semi-systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis techniques supported by VOSviewer.
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Conclusion & Impact:The findings indicate that between 1997 and 2025, the themes of digitalization and sustainable tourism have attracted growing scholarly attention.
🔬Design:Review & Systematic Survey
📍Scope:2025 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Turizm · Sürdürülebilir Turizm · Dijital Çağ

Abstract

The acceleration of digitalization on a global scale has profoundly transformed sustainability practices within the tourism sector, and the interaction between these two concepts has increasingly emerged as a multidisciplinary field of research. The purpose of this study is to systematically examine the academic literature produced in the field of sustainable tourism within the context of the digital age through bibliometric analysis and to identify the conceptual clusters, research trends, and structural gaps within this domain. In this study, 198 articles indexed in the Scopus database were analyzed using semi-systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis techniques supported by VOSviewer. The findings indicate that between 1997 and 2025, the themes of digitalization and sustainable tourism have attracted growing scholarly attention. The frequent use of key concepts such as “smart tourism,” “big data,” “artificial intelligence,” and “social media” reveals how technological innovations have been integrated into sustainable tourism practices. Country-based analysis shows that China, the United Kingdom, and Indonesia have been the leading contributors to the literature, while countries with high tourism potential, such as Türkiye, exhibit relatively low levels of academic contribution. Moreover, while there is a strong tendency in the literature to focus on environmental sustainability, the dimensions of social inclusiveness and cultural continuity appear to be relatively neglected.

Özet

Küresel ölçekte dijitalleşmenin hız kazanması, turizm sektöründe sürdürülebilirlik uygulamalarını köklü biçimde dönüştürmüş, bu iki kavramın etkileşimi, çok disiplinli bir araştırma alanı olarak dikkat çekmeye başlamıştır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, dijital çağ bağlamında sürdürülebilir turizm alanında üretilen akademik literatürü bibliyometrik analiz yoluyla sistematik biçimde incelemek ve bu alandaki kavramsal kümelenmeleri, araştırma eğilimlerini ve yapısal boşlukları ortaya koymaktır. Çalışmada Scopus veri tabanında yer alan 198 makale, yarı-sistematik literatür taraması ve VOSviewer destekli bibliyometrik analiz teknikleriyle değerlendirilmiştir. Elde edilen bulgular, 1997–2025 döneminde dijitalleşme ile sürdürülebilir turizm temalarının giderek artan bir bilimsel ilgiye konu olduğunu göstermektedir. “akıllı turizm”, “büyük veri”, “yapay zekâ” ve “sosyal medya” gibi anahtar kavramların yüksek sıklıkta kullanılması, teknolojik inovasyonların sürdürülebilir turizmle nasıl bütünleştiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Ülke bazlı analizde Çin, Birleşik Krallık ve Endonezya’nın literatüre yön veren aktörler olduğu, Türkiye gibi turizm potansiyeli yüksek bir ülkenin ise düşük katkı düzeyine sahip olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Ayrıca literatürde çevresel sürdürülebilirliğe odaklanma eğilimi dikkat çekerken, sosyal kapsayıcılık ve kültürel süreklilik gibi boyutların görece ihmal edildiği gözlemlenmiştir.

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Cite This Article

Geçgin, E., *, E. G. (2026). Digitalization, Tourism and Sustainability Studies: A Bibliometric Analysis. Türk Coğrafya Dergisi, Sayı: 89, 205–217. https://doi.org/10.17211/tcd.1801313

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