A Bibliometric Analysis of Immersive Technologies (AR/VR) in Tourism Experience Management
Faezeh Esmaeelbeigi, Maysam Shafiee Roodposhti · International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration · 2026
This study employs a bibliometric analysis to explore research trends, collaborations, and key themes concerning AR and VR in tourism. Findings reveal a significant increase in research attention over the past decade, with a primary focus on destination marketing, virtual cultural and historical site visits, and the cognitive and emotional impacts of these technologies. Emerging trends include integrating AR/VR with AI and IoT. Despite advancements, research gaps remain, including the long-term effects on tourist behavior and destination sustainability, as well as economic assessments, cost-benefit analyses, and large-scale studies on user acceptance. This overview of current research offers recommendations for future directions, including the integration of the metaverse, personalized tourism experience models, and broader empirical studies. These results can inform policy development and the design of standard frameworks for applying AR/VR in tourism experience management.