Ecotourism, past, current and future perspectives : a bibliometric review between 2001 to 2018

Abstract: Ecotourism is natural based travel that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local communities, and involves environmental interpretation and education. A number of literature reviews have been published focusing on specific aspects of the ecotourism market segmentation, ecological impacts of wildlife viewing, and community-based ecotourism, but there has been minimal attention to critical areas such as quality control, the industry, external environments or institutions. In order to further promote related studies, it is important to conduct a comprehensive review on ecotourism so that recent research progresses can be summarized and future research directions can be identified. Accordungly, this paper aims to conduct a bibliometric review on ecotourism to glean the past, current and future perspectives on ecotourism. Based on 1,889 articles published from 2001 to 2018 and searched from Web of Science, a systematic method combining bibliometric analysis and network analysis is applied to uncover the dynamic trends, academic collaboration and research hotspots. Results show that the overall publication quantity had been gradually improved. The key journals include Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Annals of Tourism Research, Conservation Biology and Biological Conservation. Authors from USA have the most publications and international co-authorships, followed by Australia and England, while the most influential institution is the Chinese Academy of Science followed by Griffith University. Moreover, research keywords have been identified, including ecotourism, management, biodiversity, national park, sustainability and sustainable tourism. In order to further improve research in this field, it is crucial to combine different methods so that more innovative perspectives can be presented. Research findings from this study will provide limitations, and suggestions for future research