TITLE:
Mapping International Yacht Tourism Research with Knowledge Graphs: Knowledge Structure, Dynamic Evolution, and Theoretical Underpinnings
AUTHORS:
Meiling Zhao, Dongyang Tang, Jinhua Shao
KEYWORDS:
Yacht Tourism, Scientific Knowledge Graph, Bibliometrics, Sustainability, Knowledge Evolution, Blue Economy
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Applied Sciences,
Vol.16 No.6,
June
26,
2026
ABSTRACT: Against the backdrop of global sustainable development and the transition toward a blue economy, yacht tourism, as a composite industry, has long suffered from knowledge fragmentation in academic research, which constrains theoretical synthesis and the realization of practical value. To clarify the intellectual landscape and reveal evolutionary patterns, this study conducts a systematic bibliometric and visual analysis of 619 international articles from the Web of Science Core Collection (2000-2026) using CiteSpace (version 6.4.R1). Multi-dimensional methods—including keyword co-occurrence analysis, temporal mapping, burst detection, and document co-citation analysis—are employed to characterize the knowledge structure, development trajectory, and theoretical roots of the field. The results show that international yacht tourism research has undergone a three-stage spiral evolution: 1) The Ecological Foundation Stage (2000-early 2010s), focusing on ecological impact assessment and management framework construction; 2) The Management Scientification Stage (mid-to-late 2010s), oriented toward sustainable development, marking a transition from qualitative to quantitative research; and 3) The Market Deepening and Integration Stage (2020-present), which fosters the deep integration of market logic and sustainability principles. The study identifies ten core research themes and clarifies the knowledge base, which relies on multidisciplinary theories and a “trinity” system of literature. By developing a “structure-evolution-roots” framework and a dynamic association model, this research addresses the long-standing problem of knowledge fragmentation, offering clear guidance for theoretical innovation and practical application both in yacht tourism and in analogous interdisciplinary fields.