Corporate social responsibility and sustainable tourism development: a bibliometric analysis

Abstract

Purpose: This bibliometric analysis study aims to provide trends and patterns of scholarly output in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainable Tourism Development (STD). It provides insights into the growth of submissions, leading authors, essential sources, intellectual structure, and thematic research areas on CSR and STD. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis was based on a clearly defined dataset comprising 144 indexed documents from Scopus databases covering 2006–2024. More specifically, bibliometric software tools like Bibliometrix and VOS Viewer are applied to the publication data for performance analysis and science mapping. Findings: The study reveals that the research area of CSR and STD is developing adequately, with an average annual growth rate of 15.31%. This is an indicator of increasing interest from scholars. In addition, the most relevant sources for disseminating research on this topic are CSR, Sustainability, Ethics, and Governance and Sustainability (Switzerland). Also, the most productive authors based on the h- h-index and g-index are Manente M, Minghetti V, Mingotto E, and González-Morales O. Moreover, China occupies first place regarding the number of documents in which international collaboration is present. Finally, it determines the dominant themes are community participation, environmental sustainability, and ethics. Practical implications: The findings provide valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners. This bibliometric analysis study aims to provide trends and patterns of scholarly output in CSR and STD. It provides insights into the growth of submissions, leading authors, essential sources, intellectual structure, and thematic research areas on CSR and STD. Originality value: This bibliometric analysis's novelty lies in its focused approach, whichwill allow the intersection of CSR and STD. It is based on very recent data and is multifaceted. This more detailed examination of specific thematic areas identifies emerging trends, thus establishing a fresh field perspective.