The widespread adoption of digital technologies in tourism has transformed the data privacy landscape, necessitating stronger safeguards. This study examines the evolving research environment in digital privacy in tourism management, focusing on publication trends, collaborative networks, and social contract theory. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining bibliometric analysis, social contract theory, and qualitative content analysis. Data from 2004 to 2023 were analyzed using network visualization tools to identify key researchers and trends. Findings from the study highlights a significant increase in academic attention after 2015, reflecting the industry's growing recognition of digital privacy. Social contract theory provided a framework emphasizing transparency, consent, and accountability. The study’s contribution towards literature are expansive, it is among the first study;s to expand the notion of social contract theory in digital privacy in tourism management. Furthermore, a core contribution of the study is its focus on how transparency, consent, and accountability are central to digital privacy management. Both the findings and contributions hold practical technological solutions to privacy challenges, by exploring actionable recommendations for tourism organizations to implement stronger data security protocols. It showcases how emerging technologies can offer novel methods of enhancing data protection, transparency, and user empowerment in the tourism industry.

digital privacy; tourism management; social contract theory; data protection; interdisciplinary research; emerging technologies

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