This study maps the knowledge structure and recent evolution of smart tourism technologies research with a specific focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and big data through a bibliometric approach. Data were retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) database on 20 December 2025, covering publications from 2010 to 2025 (as of 20 December). An initial topic search yielded 1,166 records. The dataset was then refined by applying tourism-related field filters, restricting document types to articles and review articles, and limiting the language to English. After screening for bibliographic suitability (e.g., removing duplicates and non-relevant or incomplete records), the final sample comprised 242 publications. The findings indicate a pronounced acceleration of scientific output and citation visibility in recent years. Publication activity increased notably after 2019, while 2024 and 2025 emerged as peak years in both output and citation counts. Country-level contributions reveal a concentration of research production within a limited set of hubs, with China, the United States, and England among the most prominent contributors. At the institutional level, Hong Kong Polytechnic University stands out in terms of publication volume. Journal dispersion suggests that the literature is primarily anchored in tourism-technology and hospitality-technology outlets, reflecting the field’s applied and interdisciplinary character. Keyword evidence highlights “smart tourism” as the central conceptual node, strongly linked to “artificial intelligence,” “digital transformation,” and “big data,” indicating that data-driven decision-making and AI-enabled service innovation are dominant trajectories. Overall, the study demonstrates that the rapid growth of the field is accompanied by thematic consolidation. It also signals future research opportunities in areas such as data governance, privacy and ethics, interoperability, and scalable implementation models for AI and big data in destination and hospitality ecosystems.