From mass tourists to smart tourists: a perspective article

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to review the research on tourists and outlines future scenarios for its development.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses a critical and conceptual approach to this phenomenon and provides new perspectives for its future investigation.

Findings

This research on tourists might consider more aspects, such as the change from purely human-centred to a broader scope including non-human tourists, non-physical space and non-current time slots. This might provide the opportunity to engage more research disciplines into the research on tourists.

Originality/value

The past perspective includes the comparison of research on tourists in Western Europe and North America with an often-overlooked situation in Central and Eastern Europe. The future perspectives deal with challenges that might affect tourism research in the following years.

Citation

Gajdošík, T., Maráková, V. and Kučerová, J. (2021), "From mass tourists to smart tourists: a perspective article", Tourism Review, Vol. 76 No. 1, pp. 47-50. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-07-2019-0285