FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGIES IN TOURISM: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of academic research conducted at the intersection of financial technologies (FinTech) and the tourism sector. As digital transformation accelerates globally, FinTech applications such as digital payments, blockchain-based reservations, and artificial intelligence-driven pricing models are increasingly influencing tourism service delivery and customer experience. Despite this growing relevance, a systematic mapping of scientific output in this field has been lacking. This study addresses that gap by analyzing 118 academic publications indexed in Web of Science and Scopus databases between 2015 and 2025, using the Bibliometrix R package. The research explores publication trends, the most productive authors and countries, collaboration networks, frequently used keywords, and the most influential articles based on citations. The findings indicate that scholarly interest in this area has grown rapidly in the last five years, with significant contributions from countries such as China, the United States, and India. Co-authorship and co-occurrence network analyses reveal emerging thematic clusters centered on blockchain, smart tourism, and financial innovation. This study contributes to the literature by offering a structured overview of how FinTech is being conceptualized and integrated into tourism research. It also identifies key knowledge gaps, such as limited empirical studies focusing on service quality and customer behavior. The results are expected to guide future research agendas and inform practitioners and policymakers aiming to leverage FinTech for more efficient and customer-centric tourism services.