Mapping research on family business in tourism and hospitality: a bibliometric analysis

Purpose This study aims to map the development of research on family business in tourism and hospitality and provides insights into the key contributors, key areas and current dynamics, and suggests future research directions in the field. Design/methodology/approach This study uses the Web of Science (WoS) database to identify the 124 articles published in the theme. The study uses bibliometric indicators such as the co-citation network, word co-occurrence network to analyze the publication and citation structure using Science of Science (Sci2), OpenRefine, and Gephi. Findings The top authors, top journals and major themes are recognized using bibliometric techniques. The study identifies six keyword clusters: entrepreneurship, innovation, and empirical collaborating with tourism, hospitality, and family business. The country-wise collaboration indicates the lack of research in the eastern hemisphere of the world. The co-authorship shows studies shared among individuals of a few organizations. The trends from bibliographic coupling depict the evolution of research. Research limitations/implications The scope of data collection for the network analysis is limited to the WoS. Incorporating papers from other databases might provide different network structures and insights. Originality/value The study is the first of its kind in the theme of family businesses in tourism and hospitality and will contribute to the literature by identifying future research directions.

Automated summary

This study maps the development of research on family business in tourism and hospitality, using bibliometric techniques to identify key contributors, areas, and trends. The analysis reveals a lack of research collaboration in the eastern hemisphere and highlights the need for stronger partnerships in the field.