The rapid digital transformation of the hospitality sector has significantly reshaped how tourists interact with service providers, influencing service perception, experience quality, and overall satisfaction. This paper investigates the role of key digital tools—mobile applications, online booking platforms, digital check-in systems, and customer feedback technologies—in shaping tourist satisfaction within the Romanian hospitality industry. Using empirical evidence collected from hospitality establishments across major tourism destinations, the study examines how digital adoption enhances service efficiency, personalization, and real-time communication. Findings show that digital tools contribute positively to perceived service quality, operational fluidity, and customer engagement, with notable differences across age groups and service categories. The paper provides managerial implications for Romanian hospitality operators and highlights strategic directions for strengthening digital competitiveness.

This study integrates the fragmented literature on digital influence in tourism and hospitality by combining a bibliometric analysis with a PRISMA 2020-guided systematic literature review (SLR), examining how creator-mediated, peer-mediated, and platform-mediated influence jointly shape the customer decision journey. Scopus was searched (last searched 19 May 2026) for English-language articles and reviews addressing tourism or hospitality and at least one digital-influence mechanism, published 2010–May 2026; 906 records met these criteria and were retained for bibliometric analysis. A further eligibility criterion—direct examination of relationships among digital-influence sources, consumer appraisal, and decision outcomes, restricted to 2020–May 2026—narrowed this to 117 studies selected for structured evidence coding, with study design classified using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). The corpus grew sharply after 2019 (84.1% of records), and bibliographic coupling and keyword co-occurrence analysis identified four research fronts and five thematic clusters spanning the three influence channels. Building on this structure and a Stimulus–Organism–Response basis, the study proposes a Tri-Channel Digital Influence Framework formalized into seven research propositions (P1–P7). Evidence coding shows consumer-appraisal and decision-progression pathways (P4) are most extensively evidenced (64 studies), while cross-channel interaction (P5, 3 studies) and post-consumption feedback (P7, 4 studies) remain the least tested, representing the main evidence gaps. To our knowledge, this is the first study to integrate all three channels into a single, evidence-based decision-journey framework, offering an integrative theoretical architecture and a specific, evidence-based agenda for future research that current single-construct reviews of eWOM or influencer marketing do not provide.

The rapid development of digital technologies has accelerated the emergence of virtual tourism and immersive experiences based on virtual reality. This study aims to identify the main research trends and emerging directions in the field of virtual tourism through a bibliometric analysis of the scientific literature. The analysis was conducted using articles indexed in the Scopus database during the period 2015–2025, limited to the Business, Management and Accounting subject area. Bibliographic data were processed with VOSviewer software using keyword co-occurrence analysis. The findings reveal six major thematic clusters related to immersive experiences, tourist behavior, destination marketing, technology acceptance, digitalization, and emerging virtual experiences. The results highlight the growing importance of metaverse tourism and the commercialization of immersive experiences, demonstrating the transformation of virtual tourism into a distinct segment of the digital experience economy.

Human resources represent a key factor in ensuring service quality in the hospitality industry, where employee performance directly influences customer experiences. This study aims to investigate employees’ perceptions regarding the role of human resources in implementing a quality culture within hotel organizations. A quantitative approach was adopted, using a questionnaire survey administered to employees working in the hospitality sector. The research focuses on aspects related to motivation, training, organizational culture, managerial support, and their contribution to service quality. The findings emphasize the importance of employee involvement and continuous development in maintaining quality standards and enhancing organizational performance. The study provides useful insights for hotel managers seeking to strengthen quality-oriented practices and improve service delivery.