This systematic literature review synthesises studies on the influence of visual content on tourist decision-making. This study aims to examine various studies to identify patterns, trends, themes and gaps in the literature. The research examines how visual stimuli help travellers make decisions, from the initial inspiration phase to the final selection of travel components.
The influence of visual content on tourist decision-making is investigated in this research via the bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review technique that adheres to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) criteria.
The findings provide comprehensive insights into the role of visual stimuli in tourist decision-making, highlighting the diverse ways in which images and videos shape expectations, influence perceptions of destinations and ultimately impact choices regarding accommodations and activities.
The research offers useful insights for academicians, destination managers and tourism marketers, but also admits that it has limitations due to the constantly evolving nature of technology. Future studies should look at new visual technologies and their influence on tourist decision-making. It helps to understand the visual turn in tourism studies and make optimal use of visual content in a competitive travel business.
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study which explores the impact of virtual information on tourist decision-making, examining various mediums for sharing virtual information and their effects on users. It provides insights, design recommendations and future research agenda.
