Dynamics and Trends in Smart Tourism and Destination Marketing

The integration of smart technologies into tourism has significantly reshaped how destinations are managed, marketed and experienced. This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of scholarly output at the intersection of smart tourism and destination marketing, based on Scopus-indexed publications from 2013 to 2024. Through performance analysis and science mapping techniques, the study identifies key publication trends, influential sources, prolific authors, leading institutions and dominant thematic clusters. Results reveal a marked growth in academic interest since 2016, with a notable acceleration in 2024, highlighting central themes such as tourist behaviour, technology adoption and smart destination development. Co-word and thematic analyses further uncover both consolidated and emerging research areas, including artificial intelligence, immersive technologies and stakeholder engagement. The study offers theoretical contributions by clarifying the conceptual evolution of the field and practical insights for destination management organisations seeking to align innovation with competitiveness and sustainability. It concludes with a forward-looking research agenda that calls for greater theoretical integration, ethical scrutiny and interdisciplinary collaboration.