Bibliometric Analysis and Literature Review of Mountain Tourism

Abstract

In recent years, the adventure-seeking behaviour of tourists has increased the consumption of mountain tourism. The research on mountain tourism, however, is fragmented, highlighting the gaps in the current literature. This study uses bibliometric analysis to summarise the literature from 1462 articles published on mountain tourism between 1982 to 2022. The study uses bibliographic data to carry out descriptive and network analysis. The co-authorship network is used to highlight the impactful contributors to mountain tourism research. Further, keyword co-occurrence and bibliographic coupling networks helped in identifying the economic development, nature conservation and preservation, climate change and future of mountain tourism, and tourist satisfaction and marketing as the themes in the mountain tourism research. The content analysis of these clusters delivers insight into past research and suggests research for future avenues. The study offers advantages to the researchers and practitioners by suggesting future research avenues and policy actions.

Mountaineering in the Himalayas: A Comprehensive Analysis Through a Literature Review and Research Profiling

“…Four thematic areas were identified in the literature on Himalayan mountaineering: (1) tourism management, geo-ecology, and the local community; (2) psychology, anthropology, and the risk of high-altitude physical activity; (3) acclimatisation and hypoxia pathophysiology; and (4) altitude-related diseases, including brain and pulmonary oedema. As can be seen, there is no thematic cluster devoted to the analysis of declining winters and their impact on the future of winter sports, as described by Shekhar [16]. Still, in the case of the Himalayas, this problem seems to be of minor importance at the moment compared to the Alps, Rockies and Carpathians.…”

“…This diversification reflects the maturation of Himalayan mountaineering research, which covers a broader spectrum of issues beyond the physical and technical aspects. There is also no noticeable increase in research interest in topics such as nature conservation, sustainability, climate change and the future of winter tourism at mountain destinations, as described by Shekhar [16] and Shruthi Gopirajan et al [14].…”

“…In another systematic literature review, Chakraborty and Ghosal [15] explored the status and development of tourism in the Indian Himalayan Region and how they are interconnected. Shekhar [16] carried out a bibliometric analysis and review of the literature on mountain tourism. In their systematic review of multi-dimensional vulnerabilities in the Himalayas, Sultan et Source: Himalayan Database [13].…”