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Reshaping the future of tourism & hospitality industry through blockchain technology: a systematic literature review

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Blockchain is an emerging technology, and despite the growing literature on the topic, research on the use of blockchain in the tourism and hospitality industry is still fragmented. Therefore, further research is needed to explore blockchain’s applications, benefits, and obstacles from the perspective of businesses and consumers. This article aims to systematically review the extant blockchain-related literature and understand how this technology can be applied to optimise tourism and hospitality products and enhance tourist experiences. Following PRISMA guidelines, 98 peer-reviewed articles were deemed relevant to this study through a search in Scopus and Web of Science platforms. As a result of mapping research on blockchain in tourism and hospitality industry using Bibliometrix, a framework focused on applications, benefits and obstacles was developed. Findings can be used as a guide by researchers to advance the topic, as well as by stakeholders and policymakers in the field. Managers in tourism and hospitality should understand how to incorporate blockchain in businesses better, and policymakers should endeavour to develop clear regulations, especially for cryptocurrency use, which can lead to an increase in the adoption of blockchain in tourism and hospitality companies.
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REVIEW
Information Technology & Tourism
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-024-00306-y
Abstract
Blockchain is an emerging technology, and despite the growing literature on the
topic, research on the use of blockchain in the tourism and hospitality industry is
still fragmented. Therefore, further research is needed to explore blockchain’s appli-
cations, benets, and obstacles from the perspective of businesses and consumers.
This article aims to systematically review the extant blockchain-related literature
and understand how this technology can be applied to optimise tourism and hos-
pitality products and enhance tourist experiences. Following PRISMA guidelines,
98 peer-reviewed articles were deemed relevant to this study through a search in
Scopus and Web of Science platforms. As a result of mapping research on block-
chain in tourism and hospitality industry using Bibliometrix, a framework focused
on applications, benets and obstacles was developed. Findings can be used as a
guide by researchers to advance the topic, as well as by stakeholders and policy-
makers in the eld. Managers in tourism and hospitality should understand how to
incorporate blockchain in businesses better, and policymakers should endeavour to
develop clear regulations, especially for cryptocurrency use, which can lead to an
increase in the adoption of blockchain in tourism and hospitality companies.
Keywords Blockchain technology · Smart tourism · Tourism · Hospitality ·
Systematic literature review
Received: 24 May 2024 / Revised: 25 November 2024 / Accepted: 16 December 2024
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024
Reshaping the future of tourism & hospitality industry
through blockchain technology: a systematic literature
review
YassineMountije1,2 · DoraAgapito1,2 · CeliaRamos1,3
Yassine Mountije
yassinemountije1@gmail.com
1 Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being (CinTurs), University of
Algarve, Faro, Portugal
2 Faculty of Economics, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
3 ESGHT, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
1 3
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
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