Customer journey research in tourism and hospitality: a hybrid approach and future research agenda

Understanding the customer journey is not only a descriptive exercise but a theoretical lens integral for analysing how consumer cognition, emotion, and context interact to influence behaviours and experiences. However, systematic review and analysis of its structure, evolution, and trends in tourism, hospitality, and business remain scarce. This study employs a hybrid method that combines bibliometric analysis and a systematic literature review of 519 Scopus-indexed papers and 41 sector-specific studies, as of November 2024. Using the Theory Context Characteristics Methodology framework, we identify five core themes: pre-visit planning, touchpoints, emotional journey, post-experience engagement, and sustainability. The findings provide valuable insights, reveal research gaps, and offer implications for scholars and professionals, highlighting potential directions for future research.