TOURISM ECONOMICS

The economics of tourism in a digital world

Yang Yang; Tong Fu; Ulrich Gunter

Abstract

This guest editorial introduces the special issue “Technological Revolution, Digital Economy and Tourism Economics”. Technological progress through innovation has long been identified as a key driver of productivity and growth (Solow, 1956). The tourism industry is no exception to this broader economic phenomenon (Verelst and Henríquez, 2025), and digital technologies have become an important source of innovation across tourism and hospitality (Önder and Gunter, 2022). Developments in artificial intelligence, blockchain, platform-based business models, and service robotics have extended the scope of technological change beyond improvements to individual products and processes. Some of these developments may be understood as disruptive innovations in a Schumpeterian sense, with implications for the organization of markets and the creation and distribution of economic value (Schumpeter, 1942). Understanding their consequences requires attention to how technologies interact with consumers, enterprises, destinations, and economic institutions. While the ongoing penetration of various new technologies helps cultivate a digital economy, this digital economy may challenge conventional economic theories related to tourism demand and supply, as the digital transformation from technological revolutions has imposed significant impacts on every part of the tourism value chain (see, e.g., Tian and Weng, 2024). The COVID-19 pandemic brought these questions into sharper focus as businesses reconsidered their distribution channels and governments intervened to support tourism demand. The original call for this special issue therefore invited economic and econometric analyses of technological change, digitalization, policy, institutions, and tourism development.

Keywords

Research topic

AI and Big Data, Digital Platform and Pricing

Research method

Geographic area

Additional links for this paper

ResearchGate

Publisher Website

Web of Science

HOW TO CITE

Yang, Y., Fu, T., & Gunter, U. (2026). The economics of tourism in a digital world. Tourism Economics, 32(7), 1381-1384.

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