Experiential marketing in the tourism context: a bibliometric analysis of scientific production in the Web of Science
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18800/360gestion.202611.006Keywords:
Experiential marketing, Tourism, Bibliometric study, Web of ScienceAbstract
Experiential marketing has established itself as a central paradigm in contemporary tourism management, as the focus shifts toward creating memorable experiences. The objective of this study was to analyze the scientific literature on experiential marketing in tourism through a bibliometric study in the Web of Science. Twenty-three articles were analyzed as a result of a search strategy in English and Spanish. The data were processed using R (bibliometrix package). The results show a higher volume of publications in recent years. Rather R. A. and Hollebeek L. D. stood out as the authors with the greatest impact, while the Journal of Marketing Management was the main publication channel. The co-occurrence analysis revealed the impact of experiential marketing on tourism as the driving theme, alongside topics related to traveler identity and emotional activation. Future research directions were defined as, on the one hand, the proposal of integrative frameworks and, on the other, the identity and emotional dimensions of the field.
Downloads
References
Casais, B., Coelho, T. & Escadas, M. (2025). Sensory marketing in the metaverse for tourism preview and tourism pre-experience: the effect on the intention to visit tourist destinations. Tourism Review, 80(8), 1558-1577. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-06-2024-0540
Çelik, A. A., Balcıoğlu, Y. S. & Altindağ, E. (2025). Exploring online brand advocacy for e-commerce destinations through the lens of management, experience, and satisfaction: the advocacy advantage. International Journal of Online Marketing, 13(1), 394503. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJOM.394503
Cetin, G. & Walls, A. (2016). Understanding the customer experiences from the perspective of guests and hotel managers: empirical findings from luxury hotels in Istanbul, Turkey. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 25(4), 395-424. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2015.1034395
Chávez-Cruz, G. J., Chávez Cruz, R. B. & Chávez-Flores, R. D. (2025). Rol del marketing experiencial en la fidelización del cliente. Revista Boliviana de Administración, 7(7), 28-39. https://doi.org/10.62349/reba.v7i7.17
Cuenca Alvarado, S. (2024). El rol de la realidad virtual y la realidad aumentada en la transformación digital del turismo. Research Club Scientia, 2(4), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.65415/rcs.v2i4.16
Di-Clemente, E., Hernández-Mogollón, J. M. & Campón-Cerro, A. M. (2019). Food-based experiences as antecedents of destination loyalty. British Food Journal, 121(7), 1495-1507. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-07-2018-0419
Díaz-Pompa, F., Ramos-Giral, G., González-Infante, M. Á., Cruz-Aguilera, N., Ortiz-Pérez, O. L., Sierra-Mulet, Suárez-Cuba, L. & Serrano-Leyva, B. (2025). Análisis de la producción científica de la Universidad de Holguín en Scopus. Anales de la Academia de Ciencias de Cuba, 15(1). http://scielo.sld.cu/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2304-01062025000100014&lng=es&tlng=es
Gallo, I., Townsend, C. & Alegre, I. (2019). Experiential product framing and its influence on the creation of consumer reviews. Journal of Business Research, 98, 177-190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.01.007
Girotto, M., Nicolas, C. & Campo, J. (2025). Pre-travel experiential tourism communication: a study of Catalonia and Veneto. Journal of Vacation Marketing. https://doi.org/10.1177/13567667251335046
Klaus, P. & Maklan, S. (2011). Bridging the gap for destination extreme sports: a model of sports tourism customer experience. Journal of Marketing Management, 27(13-14), 1341-1365. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2011.624534
Leveau, P. H. & Camus, S. (2023). Embodiment, immersion, and enjoyment in virtual reality marketing experiences. Psychology & Marketing, 40(7), 1329-1343. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21822
Lindberg, F. & Mossberg, L. (2023). Struggle of the story: towards a sociocultural model of story world tension in communal consumption. Journal of Marketing Management, 39(5-6), 498-519. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2022.2108487
McKercher, B., Ho, P. S. Y. & Du Cros, H. (2004). Attributes of popular cultural attractions in Hong Kong. Annals of Tourism Research, 31(2), 393-407. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2003.12.008
Meeprom, S. & Kokkhangplu, A. (2025). Customer experience and satisfaction in coffee consumption: an experiential marketing perspective. Cogent Business & Management, 12(1), 2450296. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2025.2450296
Miranda-Guerra, M. d. P., Samán-Chingay, S., Benzaquen-Hinope, H. A. & Esparza-Huamanchumo, R. M. (2023). Marketing experiencial y competitividad empresarial: revisión sistemática. Revista Venezolana de Gerencia, 28(e10), 1386-1401. https://doi.org/10.52080/rvgluz.28.e10.31
Nosi, Y., Syah, T. Y. R., Wahyudi, T. A. & Anggraeni, A. (2025). Marketing transformation through brand experience: a systematic study and future trends. General Management, 26(208), 375-387. https://doi.org/10.47750/QAS/26.208.39
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., ... Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, 71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Pine, J. & Gilmore, J. H. (1998). Welcome to the experience economy. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/1998/07/welcome-to-the-experience-economy
Prentice, C., Dominique-Ferreira, S., Ferreira, A. & Wang, X. (2022). The role of memorable experience and emotional intelligence in senior customer loyalty to geriatric hotels. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 64, 102788. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102788
Rather, R. A. & Hollebeek, L. D. (2021). Customers’ service-related engagement, experience, and behavioral intent: moderating role of age. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 60, 102453. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102453
Şahin, I. & Güzel, F. Ö. (2020). Do experiential destination attributes create emotional arousal and memory?: a comparative research approach. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 29(8), 956-986. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2020.1746214
Salomão, M. T. & Santos, M. A. (2022). O impacto do marketing experiencial na intenção de revisitar a marca: uma comparação entre grandes e pequenas redes de restaurantes fast-food. ReMark. Revista Brasileira de Marketing, 21(3), 730-783. https://doi.org/10.5585/remark.v21i3.21331
Schmitt, B. (1999). Experiential marketing. Journal of Marketing Management, 15(1-3), 53-67. https://doi.org/10.1362/026725799784870496
Sikdar, P., Jebarajakirthy, C., Baber, R., Agrawal, A., Maseeh, H. I. & Anubha. (2026). Experiential marketing: systematic review and future research agenda. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 1-35. https://doi.org/10.1108/MIP-01-2024-0044
Utarsih, H., Suryana, Y., Sucherly, Sari, D. & Riyanto, A. (2023). Boosting customer trust: pricing, experience and value in enchanting west java tourism. Journal of Eastern European and Central Asian Research, 10(6), 786-798. https://doi.org/10.15549/jeecar.v10i6.1497
Villamarín-Ojeda, S., Zizumbo-Villareal, L. & González-Damián, A. (2023). Las experiencias turísticas. Su estudio desde la revisión sistemática de la literatura científica. Rotur. Revista de Ocio y Turismo, 17(2), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.17979/rotur.2023.17.2.9481
Wang, W., Chen, J. S., Fan, L. & Lu, J. (2012). Tourist experience and wetland parks: a case of Zhejiang, China. Annals of Tourism Research, 39(4), 1763-1778. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2012.05.029
Xancó-Grau, S., Vizuete-Luciano, E., Vila-Márquez, F. & Merigó-Lindahl, J. M. (2025). More than 20 years of scientific production on sensory/experiential marketing scales and instruments. British Food Journal, 127(13), 625-648. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-09-2024-0954
Yang, L. (2026). Product evolution in the experience economy: how to develop a welcoming experiential offering. Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing, 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1080/1051712X.2025.2612374
Zha, D., Foroudi, P., Jin, Z. & Melewar, T. C. (2022). Making sense of sensory brand experience: constructing an integrative framework for future research. International Journal of Management Reviews, 24(1), 130-167. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12270
