Scope of Research on Sojourners in the Field of Tourism Studies

Abstract

This study conducts a comprehensive review of the current body of literature in order to elucidate the origins of sojourner studies, provide a clear definition of the sojourner concept, a concise summary and description of the four primary discourses within sojourner-related research, critically examine existing studies, and offer insights into potential avenues for future research. Narrative review method was used to systematically compile and analyse all sojourner-related articles published in English-language research journals up to 2023. Using Google search and Science Direct, a preliminary literature search and a thorough search on the research topic were conducted, respectively. To ensure the validity of the study, the relevant literature was tagged using a "snowballing" approach. Then, the relevant articles in core journals were read one by one and the literature in the field of tourism was intensively read. Finally, the relevant information was annotated and categorized by topic. The conclusion focuses on identifying research gaps in the field of tourism studies in the four areas of research perspectives; content, methodology, and theory on the research theme, and argues that more interdisciplinary perspectives are required to advance research in the areas of identity construction, cultural identity, and cross-cultural well-being of sojourners. This is the first systematic review of research on sojourners. It synthesizes the findings of 52 relevant research papers by analyzing publication trends. Key research gaps are identified and directions for future research are provided.