Smart Destination Management Trends and Future Research Directions: A Systematic Literature Review
Keywords:
Smart destination management, Trend, Future research direction, SysSystematic Literature reviewAbstract
This study aims to systematically analyze the development, dominant themes, and future research directions of Smart Destination Management through a Systematic Literature Review (SLR). The research employs the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework to ensure a transparent and structured review process. Data were collected from peer-reviewed journal articles indexed in major academic databases and analyzed using descriptive and thematic analysis techniques. The findings indicate that research on Smart Destination Management has experienced substantial growth, particularly since 2015, reflecting increasing academic interest in the integration of digital technologies in tourism destinations. The thematic analysis reveals five dominant research areas, namely smart technology infrastructure, data-driven destination management, tourist experience enhancement, governance and stakeholder collaboration, and sustainability-oriented smart destinations. These themes demonstrate that SDM is not only a technology-driven concept but also a multidimensional framework involving governance systems, stakeholder interaction, and sustainability considerations. The study also identifies several critical research gaps, including limited integration between technological innovation and governance structures, insufficient empirical evidence from developing countries, and underexplored issues related to artificial intelligence ethics and digital inequality. Based on these findings, the study proposes future research directions focusing on AI-driven destination management, smart governance models, inclusive tourism development, sustainability transitions, and resilience-based tourism systems. Smart Destination Management is evolving from a technology-centric approach to a more integrated, sustainable, and governance-oriented framework. This study contributes to the literature by providing a comprehensive synthesis of existing research and offering a structured agenda for future investigations in smart tourism development.
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