Topology of the World Tourism Web

The applications of social network analysis to the world tourism network are scarce, and a research update is long overdue. The goal of this research is to examine the topology of the world tourism network and to discuss the meaning of its characteristics in light of the current situation. The data used for the analysis comprise 193 target countries, 242 source countries, and 17,022 links, which is an overall 1,448,285,894 travels in 2018. Social network analysis is applied to the data to determine network topological and diffusion properties, as well as the network structure and its regularities (does it behave more as a social or a technological/biological network?). While results presented in this paper give a thorough insight into the world tourism network in the year 2018, they are only a glimpse in comparison to the possibilities for further research.

Automated summary

The application of social network analysis in the world tourism network is limited and needs a research update. This research aims to examine the topology of the world tourism network in 2018 and discuss its significance. The data analysis provides insight into the network structure and characteristics, but only scratches the surface of potential for further research.