Family business in tourism: an international systematic review of literature with an emphasis on Latin America

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to analyze the current state of knowledge of family businesses in tourism through a systematic review of international academic literature with an emphasis on Latin America.Design/methodology/approachThe paper opted for a systematic review involving analyzing international academic documents, articles, dissertations and papers that presented both theoretical and empirical research results. The search was conducted from January to April 2019 on online databases and search engines.FindingsStudies are concentrated in strategic planning and competitiveness. Most of them are published since 2014 by Ibero-American countries. Some features are coincident among the varied geographical contexts, as the importance of generational succession planning; search for family welfare throughout the business; and the existence of own capacities and resources. Besides, the owner's objectives and gender involvement differ in the research results of developed countries and emerging economies; some implications for Latin America are analyzed.Originality/valueThe family business has international economic relevance, especially in tourism. Still, the studies in this field are few, even when tourism implies processes and interactions that can influence the development of the companies that integrate their industry. In this way, a compilation of the recent works is carried out, in order to identify how the complex family dynamics with tourism are integrated into the studies, main contributions to the field and knowledge gaps.