Purpose: Attribution theory is robust in explaining tourist behaviors and serves as a supplementary framework to other theories; however, the literature lacks a comprehensive synthesis of how the theory has evolved. This study aims to elucidate the intellectual structure and thematic evolution of attribution theory within tourism research through a comprehensive bibliometric analysis.
\nMethods: A total of 343 relevant publications from the Web of Science and Scopus databases were analyzed using bibliometric analysis techniques. Performance metrics of authors, most cited documents, and thematic mapping analyses were conducted utilizing Biblioshiny software.
\nResults: The analysis indicates that publications on attribution theory in tourism have increased since 2018. While the leading motor themes in the development of the relevant literature are service recovery and satisfaction, con-sumer behavior, service robots, and artificial intelligence (AI) are among the emerging but less researched topics in the field, classified as niche themes.
\nImplications: This study is significant as it represents the first comprehensive bibliometric analysis to systematically explore the intellectual foundations of attribution theory in tourism research, providing insights into emerging themes and contributing to both theoretical and empirical advancements in the field.
", "lang": { "id": "eng", "title": { "en": "English" } }, "type": { "id": "abstract", "title": { "de": "Abstract", "en": "Abstract" } } } ], "copyright": "Copyright (C) 2026 Authors", "creators": [ { "affiliations": [ { "id": "01dvabv26", "identifiers": [ { "identifier": "01dvabv26", "scheme": "ror" }, { "identifier": "grid.411822.c", "scheme": "grid" }, { "identifier": "0000 0001 2033 6079", "scheme": "isni" } ], "name": "Zonguldak B\u00fclent Ecevit University" } ], "person_or_org": { "family_name": "Ercan", "given_name": "Fatih", "identifiers": [ { "identifier": "0000-0001-6469-3000", "scheme": "orcid" } ], "name": "Ercan, Fatih", "type": "personal" }, "role": { "id": "contactperson", "title": { "de": "Kontaktperson", "en": "Contact person" } } }, { "affiliations": [ { "name": "Mu\u011fla S\u0131tk\u0131 Ko\u00e7man University" } ], "person_or_org": { "family_name": "Dalgin", "given_name": "Taner", "identifiers": [ { "identifier": "0000-0002-7645-1989", "scheme": "orcid" } ], "name": "Dalgin, Taner", "type": "personal" } } ], "description": "Submitted: April 2026 \u25aa 1st Revision Submitted: May 2026 \u25aa 2nd Revision Submitted: June 2026 \u25aa Accepted: June 2026 \u25aa Refereed Anonymously
\nJEL Classification: L83, Z31, Z33
\nAuthor Contributions: Methodology, visualization, and supervision, F.E.; software, F.E.; conceptualization, T.D.; writing—review and editing, T.D. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manu-script.
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