The evolution of vulnerability research in hospitality and tourism

Abstract

This study explores the scientific evolution and the main aspects of vulnerability research in hospitality and tourism (HT) by employing bibliometric and content analysis. The findings reveal that climate change issues are the main driver of this multi-disciplinary area of research, followed by threats of disruptive events and issues related to the health and safety risks of marginal groups in HT. Vulnerabilities of tourism have been studied more extensively than vulnerabilities of hospitality. Although the threats analysed vary greatly, they are commonly narrowed to specific hazards and pressing issues. Notably, the vulnerability of HT in the context of COVID-19 has attracted considerable attention from scholars and may herald a new phase for this research area.