A Systematic Literature Review of Virtual Technology in Hospitality and Tourism (2013–2022)

Abstract

Since 2019, the number of journal articles on virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) has increased dramatically, but existing virtual technology literature reviews have mainly been based on earlier articles. A comprehensive literature review is thus necessary to gain an accurate understanding of the progress and trends in research in this field. Based on the Scopus database, this study systematically reviewed the research on virtual technology in the field of hospitality and tourism in the past 10 years; a total of 274 journal papers were reviewed. The results of bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer identified the research progress and influential literature. Four research clusters were identified based on the bibliometric map: VR research, AR research, VR experiences and virtual technology applications. Thirteen research themes under different clusters were discussed based on content analysis, and research agendas in seven areas were proposed to guide future research. This study contributes to the research on virtual technology in hospitality and tourism by identifying existing research themes and proposing further research directions. It also provides implications for hospitality and tourism marketers to develop marketing strategies using virtual technology.