Blockchain Applications in Tourism and Tourism Marketing: A Short Review

Blockchain is one of the most prominent and discusses technologies of the twenty-first century that has the potential to change, the way that we are conducting business, payments, and the management processes in a big number of industries. Based on the Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), blockchain applications provides a breakthrough and innovative solutions due to the security they offer to the participants of the network, the efficiency of record keeping and transaction execution, and the automation solutions in terms of executing contracts when certain conditions are met (smart contracts). Despite the fact that most literature concerning blockchain focuses on its use in the finance industry and cryptocurrencies, there is a growing interest in the ways that this technology could be applied in other industries and management processes as well, both in the private and the public sector. In this paper, we are going to review the main propositions and findings in the literature concerning the use of blockchain technology in tourism and tourism marketing. We identify potential uses of blockchain in the tourism and hospitality industry in general and outline the benefits derived, and the challenges that will arise from the adoption of this innovative technology. Finally, we point out some direction for future research on the topic.