The tourism industry is particularly vulnerable to ethical violations, privacy breaches, and the misuse of personal data, especially amid rapid digital transformation. This study aims to identify research trends concerning privacy and ethics in tourism, examine the factors influencing these issues during travel, and explore the role of technology in supporting and transforming the tourism industry. A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted using five academic databases: Scopus, ScienceDirect, the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), Springer, and Wiley Online Library. A total of 427 articles were initially identified, of which six met the established inclusion criteria following a systematic screening and selection process. The review focused on publications from 2019 onward, corresponding to the period associated with the emergence and development of Society 5.0. The findings indicate that existing research predominantly focuses on privacy-related issues, whereas ethical dimensions remain relatively underexplored, revealing a significant gap in the literature. The reviewed studies further demonstrate that digital technologies play an increasingly important role in transforming tourism practices while simultaneously creating new challenges related to privacy and ethical responsibility. This study contributes to the literature by synthesizing existing evidence on the interplay between privacy, ethics, and digital technology in the tourism ecosystem. The findings suggest that successful digital transformation in tourism requires not only technological advancement but also the integration of ethical principles and effective privacy protection to support responsible and sustainable tourism development.
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