Gamification in tourism research: A systematic review, current insights, and future research avenues

Abstract

Gamification has now become an integral part of tourism research and practice. However, a structured review of this growing application of gamification still eludes tourism research. To this end, this research conducts a hybrid systematic review of the existing literature by combining a bibliometric and framework-based review. The purpose of the research is to identify key issues, offer insights into the potential of gamification in tourism, and suggest areas for future research. This study draws on an integrative framework of antecedents, decisions, and outcomes (ADO)—theory, context, and methods (TCM) to carry out this review. This review synthesizes the extant research on gamification in tourism since its evolution. This review is based on 64 relevant articles drawn from the Scopus database. The current hybrid systematic review identifies five clusters (i.e., customer gamification experience, gamification mechanics and design, gamification in tourism, gamification and tourist attraction, and gamification for sustainable tourism). This research suggests utilization of new, yet relevant theories for examining the underexplored areas of gamification in tourism. Furthermore, this study recommends the employment of machine learning techniques, EEG, eye-tracking method, and experimental research for gaining a nuanced understanding of this field. We conclude by offering key insights into future research avenues.