A Bibliometric Study of the Importance of Tourism in Salt Landscapes for the Sustainable Development of Rural Areas

Abstract

Since ancient times, people have used salt for cooking and preserving food, its healing benefits, and as a means of payment. Therefore, the first settlements were located near water, food, and preferably salt, as prerequisites to further social and economic development. Naturally, the social development, the healing properties of salt, and the beauty of some salt landscapes have led to the development of tourism as an essential asset for rural communities. This paper aims to investigate the research focusing on the use of salt resources in tourism and to see if the exploitation of salt landscapes is an actual research topic linked to rural development. The study’s primary objectives are to investigate the scientific output in the tourism field, the main drivers in scientific production, and any connection between the importance of salt landscapes in tourism and sustainable rural development. The article represents a bibliometric analysis of 437 scientific articles published in prestigious journals indexed in the Web of Science until November 2023. The results emphasised a need for more research on using salt landscapes and resources in tourism as a central topic, as most identified studies focus on proposing models for the sustainable development of former salt mines and ecosystem restoration using tourism activity. Since many salt mining operations have been closed and the inhabitants of the neighbouring rural localities have been left without the related income, the results of this research are helpful for specialists in the field and for decision-makers to have a clear view of the development trends of areas rich in salt resources for tourism purposes.

1. Introduction

Salt is an essential natural resource for human life and welfare. It is used in everyday life, such as in food, health, commerce, transportation, and tourism.

The term Salt Landscapes covers natural or anthropic environments such as saltpans, salt marshes, salt lakes, salt flats and salt mines, where salt used to be, or still is, the element that fundamentally determines their appearance and impacts local ecology and economy.

One of the most important benefits of salt landscapes is related to health. Medical tourism dates back over 2000 years; one of the first records mentions pilgrims travelling to Epidaurus, believed to be the sanctuary of the healing god Asklepios. Historically, therapeutic destinations, such as spas, sacred sites, mountains and temples, have been significant in multiple cultures for their health benefits [1]. Medical and wellness tourism is a growing industry offering affordable medical procedures and holistic well-being experiences in various countries, harnessing mineral waters and natural remedies [2]. In Eastern European countries, therapies at salinas or salt lakes mainly treat lung problems. Health ministries recognise their curative effects, and the national authorities wholly or partially fund the therapies; such is the case in Romania [3]. Salt is essential for regulating fluid volume in patients with orthostatic disorders [4]. Halotherapy is effective in alleviating symptoms of respiratory illnesses and could be included in the rehabilitation program for patients recovering from COVID-19 [5] and in treating children with dermato-respiratory syndrome, especially during exacerbations of atopic dermatitis [6]. Adding neuro-orthopaedic activity-dependent plasticity therapy techniques to a subterranean pulmonary rehabilitation program resulted in a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in the subjects’ health-related quality of life: breathing, vitality, chest mobility, and back flexibility [7]. Microbial communities in mine brines may have medical applications [8], such as in recovering chronic sciatica patients and those suffering from neurasthenia, dissolving uric acid, and athletes’ quick recovery after a challenging physical effort [9]. Salt in the aerosol offers potential health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and antiallergic properties, supporting using salt mines for halotherapy [10]. Portugal, Poland, and Romania are the most representative countries in the EU regarding the use of salt for spa and wellness therapies [11].

In Poland, the Wieliczka salt mine exhibits air-ion concentrations several times higher than the neutral atmosphere, which is considered optimal for human health [12], and inhalations with brine solutions reduce asthma-related symptoms [13]. Higher bioaerosol concentrations were found in active subterraneotherapy chambers in the Bochnia Salt Mine Health Resort, mainly of anthropic origin [14].

In Romania, the Cacica salt mine, located in a rural area, has no radioactive risks and the aerosol concentration is beneficial for treating chronic respiratory, inflammatory, and allergic diseases [15]; the Praid salt mine, also located in a rural area, has a microclimate with specific physical and chemical characteristics (air purity, constant humidity and temperature, air stream velocity, and ozone content), generating favourable conditions for saline therapy [16]. The halo chambers from the Targu Ocna salt mine have therapeutic potential for various health conditions, including post-COVID recovery. Findings suggest varying levels of improvement across genders and conditions. The results could incentivise the development of artificial halo chambers [17]. The Turda salt mine provides exceptional radioactive features perfect for speleotherapy and spa tourism [18].

The precise therapeutic benefits of spa therapy are still mostly unknown. Therefore, more comprehensive scientific evidence is required to demonstrate its effectiveness, particularly in the musculoskeletal system [19].

The importance of salt landscapes in developing a destination tourist brand is widely recognised, and many countries market themselves as locations with salted land that can be capitalised through tourist activities. Saltpans, with their peaceful landscapes and rich natural, cultural, and historical significance, offer a promising opportunity for wellness tourism [20].

Poland’s tourism industry flourished due to its accessibility for local and international tourists, beautiful natural sites, and rich cultural heritage [21]. The Wieliczka salt mine, which used to be a significant source of salt production, is now a renowned tourist attraction due to its sophisticated carvings and sculptures [22].

Another European country with a rich salt landscape is Romania. It has valuable natural resources, such as salt mines (N.B.: Turda, Targu Ocna, Praid) and mineral-rich or briny waters (N.B.: Sovata, Lacul Sărat), suitable for spa tourism, many of them located near rural areas. Thanks to the modernisation of facilities related to these resources, visitors have significantly increased their numbers, seeking treatment and recreational activities, bringing considerable economic benefits to the country and local communities [23]. Based on tourists’ interests, salt can become the main attraction for practising cultural tourism, agrotourism, ecotourism, educational tourism, health tourism, and gastronomical tourism [24]. Tourism is a solution for the sustainable development of rural communities and is seen as an alternative to agriculture, offering residents the opportunity to diversify their sources of income [25]. Due to the characteristics of saline environments, developing health and well-being facilities and accommodations and encouraging water sports and other outdoor recreational activities while monitoring the impact on the environment should be among the priorities of local planners [26]. Other priorities should include hands-on salt production, high-quality product creation, cultural events, educational opportunities, spa treatments, culinary experiences, and education about the area’s f Since mining and quarry heritage tourism may not offer as many job opportunities as the mining industry once did, combining it with other regional tourism attractions, if any, might prove successful [27]. Miners should narrate their mining history to tourists personally and comprehensively reflect on the region’s extensive past, making it a significant tourist destination. They could present their historical perspective, using it to gain sympathy and support from tourists [28]. Old mining tools could become cultural artefacts that blend into the environment, reflecting the symbiosis between man and nature [29]. Tourism in valuable mining locations can protect the environment, restore rural ecosystems, preserve geoheritages, and boost local economies while educating visitors on geology and mining [30]. Tourism development gives rural communities the power over resources and autonomy for collective action [31].

Under good land and tourism management (predefined paths with interpretive boards, professional guides, and limits on the number of tourists on site), tourists do not disturb the fauna and flora in protected areas [32]. To make salt landscapes more attractive to tourists, it is essential to focus on themes, programs, and designs that involve the community and provide interactive experiences such as “work-watching” [33]. Most tourists prefer to stay in a resort with all the modern facilities, using the resources of the saltpans nearby (mud, salt, brine), without being interested in or aware of the beauty of saltpans themselves. Therefore, traditional salt production should continue to protect the saltpans and their value [34].

Saline soils are not favourable to agriculture per se but they might provide a natural habitat for specific flora, such as Sporobolus spicatus [35] or Suaeda [36], and fauna, such as migratory birds and various invertebrates [37], with significant tourism potential. However, most of these sites do not have basic tourism infrastructure, professional tour guides, and proper advertising [38]. The tours of salt landscapes provide a distinctive cultural experience. However, planning and evaluating them must be strategic, considering accessibility, historical significance, and potential for development to promote sustainable tourism and maintain balance [39].

The salt landscapes represent a “cultural heritage” that should be conserved and are located mainly near rural areas [40]. Mining heritage is authentic, having material, cultural, and demonstrative components. Miner guides ensure the connection of the past to the present, maintaining accuracy while acknowledging their performative roles for visitors [41].

However, salt landscapes are vulnerable and degrade over time. To mitigate this process, they should be patrimonialised [40]. In the process of recovery and patrimonialisation, communities around inland salinas in several EU countries invested in gastronomy, wellness, tourism, and innovation to repurpose them. There are three identified stages of patrimonialisation: (1) before, the most fragile stage where the process could stop, when the heritage value starts being recognised, but there is very little interest in protection or recovery (2) in progress, there is a larger but unstructured interest of stakeholders in recovery and use and (3) consolidated, in which heritage value is managed and used professionally [42]. During the process, cooperation between stakeholders, sharing good practice examples between similar salinas and preserving the values of the sites and nearby communities, proved to be vital priorities.

The practice has demonstrated that proper management and a vision for long-term development can positively influence rural areas with high tourism potential, given the fragility of resources. Careful planning of tourism development is essential to ensure both community prosperity and resource protection. This is true for rural communities that are the object of tourist attractions, such as agrotourism villages, and those in the vicinity of tourist attractions, such as salt landscapes.

The development of sustainable tourism is the result of a synergic action of communities, the interests of various stakeholders, and state authorities [43]. This mix is not always conducive to complete sustainability, as happens in China, where rural tourism development based on external capital and state intervention does not necessarily lead to rural prosperity and could destroy local traditions [44]. Therefore, adaptive management is a requirement in social interactions, considering the social memory and knowledge of stakeholders involved in the sustainable development of rural communities [43]. A balance between economic, sociocultural, and ecological sustainability can also ensure the sustainable development of rural communities [45].

Preserving and promoting mining heritage sites also needs integrated planning and land management. Administrative challenges, lack of coordination, and minimal local involvement can hinder its development. Successful mining tourism requires differentiation, emotional connection to heritage, and sustainable planning, all with community involvement [46]. Rural areas could be transformed into popular tourism destinations via specialisation, management commitment, the use of local resources, proper infrastructure (digital payments, money exchange), and innovation, while focusing on a few types of tourism, such as educational, culinary, water, or dry rides [47]. The management of salt mines and ecosystem restoration requires a holistic, long-term approach that considers both opportunities and threats, ensuring a balance between economic advantages and preserving the authenticity of these heritage sites [11]. Effective marketing is also necessary to create lasting memories and appreciation for salt landscapes [48].

The value of salt landscapes for tourism is also related to operational or closed mines located near rural communities, which have a positive impact at many levels. First, they are a source of jobs [49] for their inhabitants, supplementing agriculture or other economic activities. Second, the presence of tourist salt mines leads to the development of accommodation facilities in rural communities that use goods and services supplied locally, having a multiplicative effect on the development of rural communities by offering new business opportunities. Hydrogen generation from renewable energy sources and its storage in salt caverns would positively impact the power system, turning the nearby rural settlements into green energy hubs [50]. Third, tourists connect with the local way of living (food, traditions, crafts, culture, history) lost in big urban settlements. Fourth, an influx of tourists enables local infrastructure development. Tourism-oriented rural areas usually include a higher level of economic, ecological, and social infrastructure, which is very comprehensive [51].

Promoting salt landscapes as a tourist attraction is beneficial for nearby rural communities, as they are connected to sustainability, enhancing the need for touristic facilities and services to provide a sustainable livelihood for the locals. In the EU countries where salt extraction operations used to be an important industrial activity, the authorities need sustainable solutions to diversify the income source of citizens, mainly in small cities and rural areas. As recognised by authorities, civil society and researchers, tourism could be one of the possible solutions. The rural communities near salt landscapes can take advantage of this resource and transform it into a valuable tourist attraction. These developments can be attractive for tourists as a visiting site or can be converted into specific spa, wellness, or medical tourism facilities.

From this standpoint, the relationship between salt-extracting sites and rural communities is important in terms of economic development and prudent, sustainable exploitation of salt resources. Thus, engaging local communities in salt mining can boost rural tourism, and this way, more visitors can flow into rural areas, which can also be an alternative means of diversifying income for residents, leading to less need for salt exploitation. According to the Mindat Organisation, there are many salt landscapes in the world. Our analysis revealed a gap in the research on the advantages and disadvantages of salt landscapes for sustainable rural development that needs to be addressed. Filling this gap is essential because abandoned salt landscapes might represent a significant risk to nearby rural communities due to land instability [52], the possibility of polluting the water sources [53], and potential habitat destruction [54]. On the upside, valorising these natural assets could benefit the nearby communities and the environment. A rich literature on this challenging topic, with examples of good practices from around the globe, could incentivise other communities to take the necessary steps to patrimonialise them and give them a new purpose beyond their original cultural and social value.

The importance of salt decreased over time once transportation became more affordable and faster, and more conservation methods for food were invented. Consequently, many extraction sites closed, and the authorities have not modernised them for decades. This is also the case for tourist sites, and this lack of action from the authorities has impacted rural development in nearby villages. Because salted land is not the first option for agriculture, under the current technologies, saltscape conservation is needed under the current technologies. Since the topic hasn’t been investigated comprehensively and the salt landscapes are located mostly near rural communities, we considered it important to reveal ideas that local communities can apply and researchers can analyse further to improve the economic status of local communities through a sustainable approach.

Based on the millenary importance of salt for nearby communities and its potential to boost the tourist attractiveness of a destination, we wanted to investigate (i) what the focus of research in salt tourism has been, (ii) the main pillars in terms of scientific production in this field, and (iii) whether there is any connection between salt tourism and sustainable rural development.

2. Materials and Methods

In order to address the scope of the research, we conducted a systematic literature review in the tourism field, based on the PRISMA protocol, looking for papers that analyse the use of salt resources. We chose this method because we considered it the most appropriate for the scope of the study and because it can highlight the main trends in research and the most important gaps in addressing the link between using salt resources in tourism and the sustainable development of a destination. Our study is based on co-word analysis and co-authorship analysis. It investigates (i) the scientific output in the tourism field, (ii) the main drivers in terms of scientific production in the field, and (iii) whether there is any connection between the presence of salt landscapes and sustainable rural development. The three objectives were accomplished through the following methods (

Table 1. The research approach.

The Objective of the Research	Method	Output
(i) the analysis of scientific output in the field	content analysis	The analysis of scientific output
(ii) to identify the main drivers in terms of scientific production in the field	co-authorship analysis	The co-occurrence map
(iii) to investigate the connection between salt tourism and sustainable rural development	co-word analysis	The cluster map

Source: personal elaboration by the authors.

):

We included in our search relevant keywords and their variations (e.g., plurals), using this function with the Web of Science and incorporating papers from the tourism field and other connected areas, like water resources, ecology, environmental studies, and multidisciplinary geosciences (Figure 1). We preferred to include more research fields, considering the following particularities of salt: it can be considered a tourist resource itself; it is a brine ingredient (e.g., salt waters used for curative purposes); and salt exploitation is associated with areas that need sustainable development, such as rural communities. The analysis was conducted in the prestigious Web of Science bibliometric database that covers titles dating back to 1900 [51], relevant for studying international academic rankings in many countries. The study included research articles and reviews published in English that respect the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The research was limited to 437 articles published in the Web of Science database, both SCIE and ESCI collections, up to September 2023. To ensure that the selected papers met the right inclusion and exclusion criteria, we based our search on the PRISMA protocol, using automatic tools for inclusion/exclusion only. We adapted the PRISMA protocol in accordance with our research, considering the field, the type of document, and research objectives, and compiled the workflow in two main stages: the identification stage (phase I) and the screening stage (phase II), as described below.

In the identification stage, the documents published in English in journals included in the SCIE and ESCI collections and connected to the use of salt landscapes in tourism were selected. The search screen for research in the field of tourism related to exploiting salt resources. The initial search queries referred to documents that have, in the title or abstract keywords, connections to the tourism field and spa/wellness activities, since the use of salt resources is associated with health purposes in many countries (e.g., Eastern EU countries), like: tourism*/destination*/hospitality/leisure/wellness/balneo*/thermalisme/visit*/resort/hotel/travel*/spa; they also must have, in the abstract, the following keywords connected to salt resources: salt*/ salina*. The initial search resulted in 3010 documents.

The screening stage cleaned the data and selected only relevant documents for the research. The search was restricted to only academic papers and reviews published in English up to September 2023 from the following five research areas: water resources, ecology, environmental studies, multidisciplinary geosciences, hospitality, leisure, and sports, and resulted in 513 documents. The database was filtered again to exclude papers that concerned the exploitation of salt resources and did not have a clear connection to the tourism field. The exclusion criteria applied were as follows: Salta Province, As-Salt, Saltmarsh, Salt-marsh, Salt marsh, Salt Lake City, Saltos del Guaira, Salteno, Salinarum. The number of resulting documents considered for the bibliometric analysis was 437.

The documents were analysed and interpreted using VosViewer software (1.6.20 version), a specialised tool for bibliometric analysis used in different areas, including tourism [53]. The software is an open-source tool developed by Leiden University and is regularly updated to meet research requirements. The software is useful for building bibliometric networks, measuring scholarly impact, and text-mining visualisation. The inclusion and exclusion criteria for the documents were applied for the titles and abstracts, and a combination of them, as they are considered the most relevant in identifying research trends in papers that are approaching a not-so-exploited subject.

3. Results

The results of the bibliometric analysis of the literature in the field of salt tourism are illustrated in the following subsections and follow the structure of the research objectives.

(i)

The identification of scientific production in the field of salt tourism

In order to identify the scientific output that studied the link between salt landscapes and tourism, we selected documents that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria and analysed the results (n = 437). The number of scientific papers recorded peaked in 2021 at 41 papers, descending in 2022 to 37 papers, and in 2023 (in the first ten months) to 29 papers. The publication production followed an increasing trend that has become more visible since 2001 (Figure 2). From the 437 papers included in our analysis, 200 received funding for publication.

The top ten journals regarding the number of citations in the WOS (all databases) that published articles related to the use of salt in tourism include ENVIRON EARTH SCI (18 articles), J COASTAL RES (13), WATER RESOUR RES (12) J HYDROL (13), GEOHERITAGE (10), OCEAN COAST MANAGE (10), HYDROGEOL J (9), EARTH SURF PROC LAND (8), DESALINATION (8), and REMOTE SENS-BASEL (8). Regarding scientific production, from the selected papers, the top ten publishing houses are AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION (18 papers), COASTAL EDUCATION & RESEARCH FOUNDATION (13 papers), ELSEVIER (including Elsevier SCI LTD and Elsevier Science BV, PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD) (106), MDPI (27), Springer (including SPRINGER HEIDELBERG) (74), and Wiley (34).

In order to have an in-depth overview of the papers that reflect the connection between tourism and the valorisation of salt landscapes, we extracted documents with the word “tourism” in the title. Of the 437 papers included in the study, only 22 papers that met the initial selection criteria and had the word “tourism” in the title remained. After we analysed the content of the articles and excluded the papers that had a different approach (e.g., papers related to the connection between the film industry and the increase of tourism interest, or to industrial heritage with a focus on the use of salt mining), we concluded that 15 articles were the most representative for our research. Since the subject is not widely approached in the research, we compiled the results using the journal category in terms of scientific ranking (the quartile in WOS) and the existence of funding for each research article (

Table 2. The 15 most relevant papers in salt tourism according to our selection criteria.

No.	Authors/Year	Article Title	Journal Title/Q/Publishing House *	Topic of Research	Times Cited, All Databases	Funded Paper/Country of Funding Body
1	Wu et al., 2015	Perceptions of attractiveness for salt heritage tourism: A tourist perspective	Tourism Management (SCIE Edition/Q1; Publishing House: Elsevier)	Aspects that increase the attractiveness of a salt destination and affect tourists’ decision-making process.	36	NO
2	Zhang et al., 2010	Chemical Composition of Aerosol and Fresh Snow and Tourism Influences at Baishui Glacier No. 1 from Mt. Yulong, Southeastern Tibetan Plateau	Journal of Earth Science (SCIE Edition/Q2; Publishing House: CHINA UNIV GEOSCIENCES)	Motor exhaust emissions from tourism influences aerosols composition.	17	Yes, China
3	Nielsen & Liburd, 2008	Geographical information and landscape history in tourism communication in the age of web 2.0. The case of the Salt River Bay national park in St. Croix of the US Virgin Islands	Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing (SCIE Edition/Q2; Publishing House: TAYLOR & FRANCIS)	The limits of location-based information in national parks (case study: Salt River Bay).	13	NO
4	Yoon et al., 2022	The water-energy nexus in hotels and recreational activities of a mass tourism resort: the case of Benidorm	Current Issues in Tourism (SCIE Edition/Q1; Publishing House: TAYLOR & FRANCIS)	Aspects related to the sustainable use of water resources, including salt waters.	12	YES, Spain
5	Kimic, et al., 2021	Creating Tourism Destinations of Underground Built Heritage-The Cases of Salt Mines in Poland, Portugal, and Romania	Sustainability SCIE Edition/Q2; Publishing House: MDPI)	Salt mines used in tourism activities.	11	YES, EU (COST Action)
6	Moyle et al., 2022	Are water-centric themes in sustainable tourism research congruent with the UN Sustainable Development Goals?	Journal of Sustainable Tourism SCIE Edition/Q1; Publishing House: TAYLOR & FRANCIS)	The use of salt water in tourism as a sustainable resource in the context of The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).	11	NO
7	Abou et al., 2019	Exposure of tourism development to salt karst hazards along the Jordanian Dead Sea shore	Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (SCIE Edition/Q1; Publishing House: COPERNICUS GESELLSCHAFT MBH)	The importance of protecting heritage salt sites.	7	YES, Jordan
8	Wu et al., 2016	Creative Turns in the Use of Industrial Resources for Heritage Tourism in Taiwan	Journal of China Tourism Research SCIE Edition/Q3; Publishing House: TAYLOR & FRANCIS)	The transformation of salt resources in Taiwan from the production of a tangible to an experiential product.	7	YES, Taiwan
9	Hueso-Kortekaas & Iranzo-García, 2022	Salinas and Saltscape as a Geological Heritage with a Strong Potential for Tourism and Geoeducation	Geosciences ESCI Edition/Q3; Publishing House: MDPI)	Lessons obtained from four salinas and saltscapes contribute to the recovery and valuation of similar saltscapes and other forms of geoheritage.	4	NO
10	Ramos et al., 2022	Activating an artisanal saltpan: tourism crowding in or waterbirds crowding out?	International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research (ESCI Edition/Q2; Publishing House: EMERALD)	The impact of tourist visits in saltpans.	3	Yes, Portugal
11	Martins et al., 2020	Promoting tourism businesses for Salgado de Aveiro rehabilitation	Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism SCIE Edition/Q2; Publishing House: ELSEVIER)	Identifies the most suitable tourism and recreation activities for saltpans of Aveiro.	3	Yes, Portugal
12	Lee, 2021	Carrying Capacity of Sustainable Tourism Based on the Balance Concept between Ecological Damage Loading and Recovery Capacity	Journal of Coastal Research SCIE Edition/Q4; Publishing House: Coastal Education & Research Foundation inc)	The necessity of a sustainable approach to tourism.	3	No
13	Xie, 2015	Perceptions of Attractiveness for Salt Heritage Tourism	Tourism Management (SCIE Edition/Q1; Publishing House: ELSEVIER)	Identifies theme, product, and design as the three most important attributes that contribute to the attractiveness of a salt destination.	1	No
14	Ramos, 2023	Tourism and work environment in sea salt pans	Journal of Heritage Tourism (ESCI Edition/Q2; Publishing House: TAYLOR & FRANCIS)	Perceptions of workers in traditional salt pans that receive visits from tourists in the south of Portugal.	0	No
15	Zeynal, 2022	Physical-chemical and treatment peculiarities of Azerbaijan mineral waters and their use in health tourism	Journal of Geology, Geography and Geoecology (ESCI Edition/Q4; Publishing House: OLES GONCHAR DNIPRO NATL UNIV)	Therapeutic-health importance of the mineral waters of Azerbaijan (the salt component of mineral waters).	0	No

Source: personal elaboration by the authors. * We considered both SCIE and ESCI Editions after the IF (2023 JCR Report), choosing the most favourable rank of each journal in the JCR categories.

).

The analysis of research output in terms of using salt resources in tourism reveals that out of the 15 papers, 12 were published in journals included in the SCIE edition of the Web of Science, with the following distribution according to their impact factor: five papers in Q1 journals; five papers in Q2 journals, one paper in a Q3 journal and one paper in a Q4 journal. The remaining three articles were published in journals included in the ESCI edition of Web of Science, one in the Q2 ESCI journal, one in the Q3 ESCI journal, and one in the Q4 ESCI journal. The authors of articles opted mainly for journals with high visibility, with eleven papers published by journals owned by highly recognised publishing houses like Taylor & Francis (five papers), Elsevier (three papers), MDPI (two papers), and Emerald (one paper). The other four articles were published in journals owned by universities, like Oles Gonchar Dnipro Natl Univ (one paper), China Univ Geosciences (one paper), and specialised organisations: the Coastal Education & Research Foundation Inc. (one paper), and Copernicus Gesellschaft MBH (one paper).

Regarding the affiliation country of the authors, the study revealed that the majority of authors are affiliated with institutions from the USA (110 documents), Spain (32 papers), China (30), Australia (27), and Canada (24). The main institutions of affiliation are the US Geol Survey (ten documents), Univ Utah (seven papers), Chinese Acad Science (seven), Hohai Univ (six), and Univ Canberra (six).

Out of the fifteen papers, seven received funding for research, the funding bodies being from China (one), Spain (one), EU-COST Action (one), Jordan (one), Taiwan (one), and Portugal (two). The main subjects of the funded papers are all connected to sustainable ways of conducting tourism or developing tourist sites.

(ii)

The Identification of the main drivers in terms of scientific output

To identify the main contributors to scientific output regarding the use of salt resources in tourism, we built a co-authorship network based on country, considering at least four documents as a minimum number of documents for a country to be considered (Figure 3). Of the 83 countries, 36 met this threshold. The top five countries identified with the highest link-strength were the USA (link-strength = 50; 110 documents; 2461 citations), Spain (link-strength = 27; 32 papers; 787 citations), Canada (link-strength = 22; 24 documents; 602 citations), France (link-strength = 22; 16 papers; 606 citations), and Sweden (link-strength = 19; 10 documents; 215 citations).

To build a co-authorship network based on the authors’ affiliation, we considered the institutions with at least four documents (Figure 4). Of the 174 organisations, 17 met this threshold. In terms of academic production from the affiliated institution, the main five research institutions that published studies about the connection between tourism and exploiting salt resources were the U.S. Geological Survey (10 documents; 405 citations), the University of Utah (7 papers; 106 citations), the Chinese Academy of Sciences (7 documents; 55 citations), the University of Canberra (6 papers; 84 citations), and Hohai University (6 documents; 59 citations).

(iii)

The investigation of the connection between salt tourism and sustainable rural development

In order to investigate the strengths of the links between the keywords used in the papers, we created a co-occurrence map using all the keywords. To clean the data, we excluded terms unrelated to our research due to their link to methodology or chemistry fields. We excluded 16 terms as follows: evolution, basin, sediment transport, simulation, geochemistry, indicators, origin, variable-density flow, depth, model/s, size, mammals, soil, chemistry, moose, and fish, and took into consideration terms with a minimum number of occurrences of five. Out of 3096 keywords, 81 were selected that met the threshold. The map of the co-occurrence keywords (Figure 5) shows the main areas of interest of the authors in studying salt as a resource used in tourist activities (direct or indirect) grouped in five clusters.

Cluster 1 (red) contains 19 items mainly related to sustainability. The main terms, based their occurrence, are behaviour (occurrence: 19), conservation (17), management (22), impacts (9), population (9), sustainability (8), ecology (8), environment (8), geophagy (8), vegetation (8), quality (6), habitat use (5), diversity (5), national-park (5), plants (5), responses (5), and sodium (5). The cluster has an indirect but strong connection to rural tourism and indicates activities from the ecotourism sphere. The connection between ecology, communities, national parks, population, and conservation suggests activities from the tourism field that take place in rural communities.

Cluster 2 (green) contains 14 items connected to water issues. The items, based on their occurrence, are as follows: water (22), salinity (19), estuary (9), area (8), sediments (7), river (7), Mexico (6), California (6), salinisation (6), water-quality (6), wetlands (6), variability (5), biodiversity (5), and water quality (5). The cluster suggests a low relation between salt tourism and rural communities and refers to salt waters as tourist attractions.

Cluster 3 (blue) has 11 items that are connected to geology. The terms included are groundwater (22), aquifer (17), seawater intrusion (14), solute transport (7), coastal (6), desalination (6), saltwater intrusion (6), sea-level rise (6), submarine groundwater (5), vulnerability (5), and recharge (5). The cluster does not show a connection to the exploitation of salt as a tourist resource that could support rural communities. The approach of these papers is from a geological point of view.

Cluster 4 (yellow) contains 11 items and has terms that are connected to changes in salt exploitation: dynamics (22), transport (17), climate change (9), movement (8), velocity (8), erosion (7), saltation (7), impact (5), interrill erosion (5), runoff (5), and uncertainty (6). The terms refer to the impact of climate change on the quality of the salt resources and their use in tourism activity.

Cluster 5 (purple) contains 8 items that are related to the tourism field. The items are as follows: tourism (18), salt (7), sea (8), geoheritage (6), geotourism (6), island (5), region (5), and tectonics (5). The connection between salt exploitation and tourism is clear and refers to the ways the salt, in various forms, can represent an important attraction point for tourists. The connection with rural communities could be stronger. Still, it can be inferred, as many salt resources are located near villages, and the locals can take advantage of the tourist flows.

4. Discussion

Research on the use of salt landscapes in tourism has yet to be extensively explored. Despite tourists’ interest in the subject over the years, the number of research articles and reviews that met the inclusion criteria could have been higher. The peak from 2021, when the number of research articles significantly increased to 41 documents from 27 documents in 2019, can be connected to the COVID-19 pandemic, when medical spas started to be promoted as places where the long-term effects of COVID-19 could be treated successfully. The number of documents may also be associated with the fact that salt is an intrinsic resource, and it is seen as part of spa procedures, in the case of spa and wellness tourism, or as part of the local recipes, in the case of gastronomic tourism. Also, using salt water in rural communities has become an old-fashioned custom, even for the locals. The data is difficult to collect, as many salt exploitation sites are near rural communities. In this case, tourist activities are only sometimes recorded, as many salt attractions are not included in the tourist system (e.g., salt lakes, salt mountains etc).

Most research teams chose to publish their works in journals with high prestige in the academic community, affiliated with publishing houses from their fields, like AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION, COASTAL EDUCATION & RESEARCH FOUNDATION, and international ones such as Elsevier, Wiley, and MDPI. This suggests that salt tourism is mainly considered a research subject specifically to the specialists researching salt resources and less to the specialists who focus on interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary studies.

The high proportion of funded papers indicate the subject is not easy to investigate, and research teams need additional funds. The lack of statistical data and the need for field research suggest that investigating the link between salt resources, tourism activity, and sustainable development is a subject where researchers need help finding data. The research is often based on case studies or studying the impact of exogenous factors on salt waters, requiring important funds and specialised research tools.

The connection between using salt to promote heritage tourism or to boost the tourist image of a destination is obvious from the analysis of the 15 most relevant papers in the field. The main research direction in the studied papers is the idea that local communities, including the rural ones, can take advantage of the revitalisation of closed salt mines. This suggests that, despite the high amount of salt exploitation worldwide, there are still a few success stories of turning old salt exploitation into a tourist attraction that can support communities to diversify their income sources.

The affiliations of the research teams in terms of country and institution reveal that only a few countries have a high interest in supporting research in this area. Despite the tradition of salt tourism in ex-communist countries, we could not identify a research team there. This suggests that interest in salt tourism is low among local authorities, and salt resources need more funds for sustainable exploitation. The most frequent affiliations of the research teams reveal institutions that find salt tourism important and investigate its development. The distribution indicates a high interest from China, Western EU countries, Canada, and Mexico, which have strong spa and wellness tourism offerings.

Salt landscapes are mostly associated with tourism research, including the use of salt resources in spa and wellness therapies, water cures, and heritage revitalisation. The papers included in the present research revealed that the main focus of the research is on finding new, sustainable ways to transform the old salt mine into a successful tourism destination, or on salted land management. The keyword analysis revealed a moderate connection between salt resources and their use to sustain the economic development of rural communities. The cluster analysis revealed the main focus of research: sustainability of exploitation, water use, geology, and actual changes in exploitation and tourism. Two of the five clusters indicated a strong connection between salt resources, tourism activities, and rural communities: red and purple. This indicates that most papers studied the use of salt in tourism activity from other perspectives, such as the impact of tourism on salinity, the impact of climate change on the quality of salt tourist resources, changes in salt structure and land management, etc. However, the connection identified in the two clusters suggests the importance of salt resources in tourism and in helping local communities to develop. The association with terms from the area of rural tourism indicates that some research stressed the role of using salt tourism resources in boosting rural area development.

5. Conclusions

The bibliometric analysis revealed a relatively low number of documents researching salt tourism, despite the long tradition of using salt resources in different tourist activities. This indicates that the research field has yet to mature, and research teams are focused on other topics related to salt resources. The use of salt resources in tourism is a research topic that is of interest mainly to specialists in the field, who prefer a —simple—approach to an interdisciplinary one. The focus of research has been developed in five main directions: sustainability, water issues, geology, issues in salt exploitations, and tourism. The bibliometric analysis revealed a significant interest in turning old salt mines into tourist attractions and converting industrial areas into tourist destinations.

Scientific production was connected to institutions from the USA, Western Europe, and China, the most prolific being the U.S. Geological Survey, The University of Utah, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the University of Canberra, and Hohai University. The geographical distribution reveals that studying salt resources from the tourist point of view is of interest worldwide, even though the field is still young.

The results revealed that there is an indirect connection between the use of salt resources in tourism and developing rural communities through the attraction of the tourist flows interested in salt resources. The terms associated with rural tourism, like ecology, conservation, national parks, and communities, and their connection to the terms from the tourism clusters, support this association. However, no terms that are strongly associated with rural tourism, like agritourism, gastronomic tourism, tourist accommodation, or similar were identified. This finding suggests that researchers recognise the importance of salt resources for rural communities in terms of economic development, but they do not consider it a priority at this point.

Despite the long tradition of exploiting salt for tourist and curative purposes, especially in ex-communist European countries, the lack of research affiliated with these countries indicates mainly the poor funding allocation for studying the sustainable use of salt resources in the tourism industry. Due to the lack of studies published in prestigious academic journals, research from such countries does not gain the needed visibility and mitigates its role in international research.

Taking into account the important role of tourism in supporting local communities from the areas where salt mines were closed, more action from national authorities is needed. On the one hand, it would be useful to create awareness about the use of salt resources in the past and revitalise old customs that attract tourists. On the other hand, more funds should be allocated to research how salt landscapes can be valorised for salt tourism and to adapt success stories of converting closed salt mines into heritage tourism based on the specific location.

One limitation of the study is the exclusion of papers in languages other than English. The bibliometric method we chose generates results for documents in the same language. As salt tourism is a niche research field, papers published in other languages (e.g., Spanish and French) should to be considered. Another limitation is using only a database as a source for the documents. We included only papers published in the WOS bibliometric database in our research. As salt is also connected to health tourism, we intend to extend the present research with papers from PubMed that are not present in the WOS database. Another future research direction is to complement the results with interviews with experts in the use of salt resources in the tourism field from one ex-communist country to understand better the constraints of researching salt tourism in an interdisciplinary manner.

Another limitation of the study is that the analysed literature did not provide an in-depth assessment of the long-term environmental impacts of using salt resources for tourism. Therefore, future research should target not only ecological footprints, landscape conservation, and loss of biodiversity, but also the impact of increased human activity on these sensitive environments. While economic benefits were mentioned, there was little discussion of long-term socio-economic benefits. A few risks of over-tourism were identified, but they lacked details about management strategies to address them.

The next research focus will be on developing frameworks and policies to manage the number of visitors to ensure tourism sustainability without affecting the quality of a site’s heritage and environment. Although the therapeutic benefits of salt are recognised, scientists should concentrate more on proper clinical trials and studies to further investigate and record the explicit health benefits that derive from salt therapy.

The analysis revealed the need to develop in-depth educational and interpretive programs to provide visitors with a better understanding and increase appreciation of salt resources and their related cultural heritage. It also revealed the discussion on the need for infrastructure development, but not on sustainable practices regarding this development; thus, there is a need for studies on sustainable infrastructure practices that also increase the tourist experience. For this, more research will still have to be done on how salt mines and tourist operations could best adapt to growing threats from a changing climate. The general impact on biodiversity and ecosystem services has not been thoroughly researched so far. Research is also required on the effects of salt mining on local flora and fauna and how these ecosystems could be safeguarded and incorporated into tourism development. However, future research should be guided by identified gaps to further improve sustainability in terms of environmental impact, socio-economic sustainability, health benefits, and educational programs.