Accessing metaverse in tourism research: a preliminary bibliometric insights

Resumo

Scholarly interest in the concept of the metaverse is growing, especially within the fields of technology and digital innovation, with potential applications in tourism research. This preliminary bibliometric study aims to provide an accurate representation of the evolving landscape of metaverse-related research in the context of tourism. We analyze key bibliometric characteristics, including authorship networks, thematic clusters, and publication trends, utilizing a substantial corpus of scholarly publications from 2017 to 2023, extracted from the Scopus database and analyzed using R programming software. Our findings reveal a notable increase in publications over recent years, indicating a growing interest in the interplay between the metaverse and tourism. We identify influential authors and affiliations, offering insights into the global distribution of research endeavors in this emerging field. Furthermore, through thematic clustering analysis, we highlight the predominant themes and areas of investigation within this research domain. This paper contributes valuable insights into the swiftly developing field of metaverse applications in tourism research and establishes a foundation for future research and collaboration in this dynamic, multidisciplinary domain.