Study on the Application of Information Technology in International Cultural Tourism and the Evolution of the Trend

In the digital age and the wave of globalization, the integration of international cultural tourism and information technology plays a crucial role in the protection, transmission, and innovation of cultural heritage. This research, based on the Web of Science Core Collection, uses "Information Technology," "Culture," and "Tourism" as keywords to conduct a visual analysis of 773 relevant publications from 2004 to 2024 using Citespace and VOSviewer software. This study aims to examine the application of information technology in the cultural tourism industry and its future directions. The results indicate that the number of research outputs in this field is on the rise, divided into three stages: germination, exploration, and maturity, with "Tourism Management" and "ANNALS OF TOURISM RESEARCH" being the main journals in this domain. The focus areas of the research are centered on the construction of smart tourism media, the advancement of the smart tourism industry, the enhancement of cultural experience quality, and the integration of education with the health sector. The application of Information Technology is propelling cultural tourism research into a new phase characterized by smart tourism, personalized experiences, and sustainable tourism practices. Overall, the integration of IT into the practice of cultural tourism has become a growing field of research, and it is anticipated that future studies will deepen the understanding of these core issues and will explore new directions and challenges.