Chatbots in hospitality and tourism: A hybrid review and future research lines

Chatbots are now widely used in the hospitality industry because they offer round-the-clock support, engage clients in human-like dialogue, and lighten the workload of human agents. However, scholarly research on the application of chatbots in hospitality and tourism still needs to be explored across disciplines. The present review employs a hybrid approach to synthesize this domain and identify relevant research lines for future academics. This study uses a mixed review methodology that combines the SPAR-4-SLR protocol and the bibliometric tools. Using the Scopus database, the authors compile papers (articles and reviews) about chatbots in top hospitality journals. The data was examined using VoSviewer, Bibliometrix-R, and Excel. The present study identified the critical researchers in chatbots in hospitality and tourism and divided the findings into seven categories. The report also offers ideas for further research for academics. This study tries to comprehend the changes in this subject over the last ten years regarding prolific writers. Most prominent journals, significant issues, and the intellectual and social structure serve as the foundation for research on chatbots in hospitality and tourism. The study indicates that this field is still in its infancy. A more thorough analysis is necessary to help create a deeper understanding of this new sector. Based on all the publications published in reputable academic journals, a comprehensive study needs to address the issues, ideas, structures, and methods utilized in earlier studies involving chatbots in the hospitality and tourist industry. A deeper understanding of this field of study is the goal of this review, which aims to help researchers advance their research.