(RE)THINKING THERMALISM IN EUROPE FROM THE STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION PERSPECTIVE: A THEORETICAL REFLECTION

This research aims to present a conceptual approach to the strategic importance of communication in the thermal sector. This therefore seeks to identify and analyse the scientific publications addressing the thermal sector from the strategic communication perspective. Furthermore, this also sets out the objectives and conclusions of the studies and conveys their relationship with communication. This study correspondingly applies a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) in keeping with the PRISMA Statement method covering the Scopus and Web of Science databases with 27 articles incorporated into the qualitative analysis. The results demonstrate that the three clusters obtained via the similarity of words enable the identification of the features that frame strategic communication as an essential tool for leveraging and promoting thermalism. This study contributes to identifying strategies and operationalised guidelines impacting on the publications able to outline promising future research paths for better knowledge about thermal tourism in Europe.