Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.8
3.9
Journals
Sustainability
Special Issues
Mobile Technology and Smart Tourism Development
sustainability-logo
Submit to Sustainability Review for Sustainability Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Mobile Technology and Smart Tourism Development

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Tourism, Culture, and Heritage".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2017) | Viewed by 204530

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Chulmo Koo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Smart Tourism Education Platform, College of Hotel and Tourism Management, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Interests: smart tourism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Ulrike Gretzel

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA
Interests: tourism, persuasion, social media, technology adoption, intelligent systems

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the number of smartphone users in the world reaching approximately 2.7 billion people, mobile technologies have become essential tools for travelers before, during, and after their trips. Using their smartphones, travelers post their travel stories, share reviews and upload pictures and video clips to their favorite sites. Along with the advent of mobile technologies, smart tourism development has brought about changes in transforming travel behaviors, as well as business systems in the hospitality and tourism industry. Mobile apps and Social Network Services (SNSs) help travelers access and interact with travel related information, including information on destinations and details of accommodation, transportation and tourist attractions regardless of cost, time, and place. Furthermore, one of the latest technologies is the Internet of Things (IoTs), which is bringing a great deal of change to the tourism environment. IoTs (e.g., Beacon technology) are designed to attract attention at specific locations providing pertinent promotions and discounts as well as virtual maps to the traveler as it detects the traveler’s exact position and sends a message to his/her smartphone. With such enriched mobile experiences supported by inexpensive and ubiquitous connectivity, travel has become a lot smarter. At the same time, to respond to this market environment, Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), travel agencies and other individual tourism product owners in the tourism industry seek ways to connect manufacturing and service industries and enhance marketing channels to provide better products and services to their customers. The focus of smart tourism initiatives is on resource conversation and quality of life. Therefore, mobile technologies can lead to sustainable tourism development.

Likewise, the tourism industry is rapidly evolving into a smart networked business environment and generates creative tourism business models based on online services, platforms or websites. Smart thinking has changed the entire tourism industry into ‘smart tourism ecosystems’. At this point, we need to re-define and further conceptualize how mobile technologies integrate with smart tourism ecosystems. In addition, we should consider that smart means “optimized for a specific need in a specific context either on demand or on a real-time basis.” While the concept of smart tourism development has not yet been clearly developed, it should be explained both from the supply and from the consumer point of view together with respect to providing conventional tourism through more cost efficient, convenient, effective, productive and sustainable travel services. Such services based on mobile technologies can not only provide personalized, location-based, and context-aware information to tourism consumers, but also offer new opportunities to manage tourist flows, resource conservation and positive social change through enriched interactions with local residents.

Therefore, this Special Issue provides a forum to discuss and identify new trends and developments in mobile technologies and smart tourism development in the hospitality and tourism industry, with an emphasis on sustainability.

Prof. Dr. Chulmo Koo
Prof. Dr. Ulrike Gretzel
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

We invite researchers to submit original papers that include conceptual, empirical, analytical, or design-oriented approaches: Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • The impact of mobile technology on smart tourism development
  • Mobile technologies and applications in the tourism industry
  • The role of mobile technology in smart tourism business models
  • Users of smart applications in hospitality and tourism
  • Mobile technologies for destination marketing
  • Mobile technologies for tour operators, travel agencies
  • Mobile technologies for hotels, restaurants, theme parks and cruises
  • Mobile solutions for the tourism industry
  • Barriers and catalysts in the development of smart tourism
  • Policy, strategy, management of smart tourism
  • Acceptance, adoption and diffusion of mobile technology in the tourism industry
  • Business intelligence applicable to smart tourism
  • Case studies of smart tourism
  • Big data analytics in the smart tourism industry
  • Theoretical and methodological developments to understand smart tourism related mobile technology
  • Sustainability opportunities and challenges in the context of smart tourism development

Published Papers (20 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

21 pages, 319 KiB  
Article
Tourists’ Risk Perception and the Use of Mobile Devices in Beach Tourism Destinations
by Francesc González-Reverté, Pablo Díaz-Luque, Joan Miquel Gomis-López and Soledad Morales-Pérez
Sustainability 2018, 10(2), 413; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10020413 - 06 Feb 2018
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 5716
Abstract
The perceived risk of tourists’ use of smartphones is a key issue in shaping the tourist experience in terms of sustainability, as it can affect the behaviour of tourists and influence their satisfaction with that experience. However, little empirical research exists on the [...] Read more.
The perceived risk of tourists’ use of smartphones is a key issue in shaping the tourist experience in terms of sustainability, as it can affect the behaviour of tourists and influence their satisfaction with that experience. However, little empirical research exists on the relationship between tourists’ risk perception and the perceived value of mobile device usage. This paper measures the association between tourists’ perceived risk of mobile device usage and several variables that demonstrate the perceived usefulness of mobile devices: utility, hedonic value and future intention of use. A survey on tourists’ use of smartphones was conducted in 2016 and, by means of a cluster analysis, four groups of tourists were identified with significant differences in their perception of the risk and use value of smartphones. Differences between tourists suggest that a single digital tourist profile does not exist and that tourism destinations and smart tourism DMOs (destination marketing organisations) should include risk perception in their management agenda. This will allow them to achieve a better understanding of tourist behaviour and to adapt the commercialisation of tourism products and services to a wide range of tourism needs. In addition, four regression models were applied to measure the association between the risk and perceived usefulness of mobile devices. On the one hand, dependence on mobile devices was associated positively with the perceived usefulness of mobile devices. On the other hand, the tourists surveyed saw privacy risk as having a major negative impact on the tourist experience, although it did not affect their perceived utility value and future use of mobile devices. Smart tourism destination managers should bear in mind that privacy risk issues related to the use of mobile devices must be integrated into an ethical perspective when marketing a destination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mobile Technology and Smart Tourism Development)
379 KiB  
Article
The Reality of Encounters with Local Life in Other Cultures
by Jin-Young Kim
Sustainability 2018, 10(1), 27; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10010027 - 22 Dec 2017
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3816
Abstract
Equipped with mobile technologies, travelers increasingly seek opportunities to encounter the real lives of the people residing in the focal destination. With this trend of pursuing local life experience, this study investigated how international visitors recognize the lives of people in the focal [...] Read more.
Equipped with mobile technologies, travelers increasingly seek opportunities to encounter the real lives of the people residing in the focal destination. With this trend of pursuing local life experience, this study investigated how international visitors recognize the lives of people in the focal destination, and whether this recognition is related to satisfaction. Reviews for Teheran’s Grand Bazaar from an online review site, Tripadvisor, showed that visitors’ local encounters were linked with favorable emotions (good, interesting, and worthwhile). To lend support to the contact hypothesis, which posits that intercultural experiences can lead to more favorable evaluations of the host community; the visitors who recognized direct and indirect encounters with local life indicated higher satisfaction. Even if brief, the experience of local life appeared to create more intimate feelings for the focal destination. Interestingly, the number of past travel experiences, which was captured by the number of reviews written by the reviewer, was found to have a negative association with satisfaction. We draw further implications for the travelers as well as the local community. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mobile Technology and Smart Tourism Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

1296 KiB  
Article
Smart Tirana
by Antonella Lerario, Antonietta Varasano, Silvia Di Turi and Nicola Maiellaro
Sustainability 2017, 9(12), 2338; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9122338 - 15 Dec 2017
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5745
Abstract
Albania represents an interesting case of a newly emerging destination in the international tourist market, with intensive pressures coming from seasonal visit flows and the related impacts on the environment. The Albanian Culture Marketing Strategy, while correctly focusing on heritage for the de-seasoning [...] Read more.
Albania represents an interesting case of a newly emerging destination in the international tourist market, with intensive pressures coming from seasonal visit flows and the related impacts on the environment. The Albanian Culture Marketing Strategy, while correctly focusing on heritage for the de-seasoning of visits in congested areas and for awareness-raising about the country’s cultural identity among tourists and residents, presents some limitations in the definition of application patterns and concrete solutions. In particular, the active contribution of potential users, of ICTs and, in particular, the potentialities of widespread tools such as mobile apps seem to be overlooked. In this article, the current scenario of the Albanian tourism sector, with particular emphasis on the cultural segment, is presented through a detailed analysis of relevant program documents in order to outline strengths and weaknesses of the underlying approach. Then, the potential contribution of mobile apps to the sustainable development of destinations are analyzed and the market of available technologies is presented through a taxonomy of a consistent number of representative cases. Finally, the SOS-Tirana app is presented and its adequateness to the context is discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mobile Technology and Smart Tourism Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

3693 KiB  
Article
How Can Big Data Support Smart Scenic Area Management? An Analysis of Travel Blogs on Huashan
by Jun Shao, Xuesong Chang and Alastair M. Morrison
Sustainability 2017, 9(12), 2291; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9122291 - 09 Dec 2017
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 6355
Abstract
Data from travel blogs represent important travel behavior and destination resource information. Moreover, technological innovations and increasing use of social media are providing accessible ‘big data’ at a low cost. Despite this, there is still limited big data analysis for scenic tourism areas. [...] Read more.
Data from travel blogs represent important travel behavior and destination resource information. Moreover, technological innovations and increasing use of social media are providing accessible ‘big data’ at a low cost. Despite this, there is still limited big data analysis for scenic tourism areas. This research on Huashan (Mount Hua, China) data-mined user-contributed travel logs on the Mafengwo and Ctrip websites. Semantic analysis explored tourist movement patterns and preferences within the scenic area. GIS provided a visual distribution of blogger origins. The relationship between Huashan and adjoining tourism areas revealed a multi-destination pattern of tourist movements. Emotional analysis indicated tourist satisfaction levels, while content analysis explored more deeply into dissatisfying aspects of tourist experiences. The results should provide guidance for scenic areas in destination planning and design. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mobile Technology and Smart Tourism Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

3789 KiB  
Article
Smart City and Smart Tourism: A Case of Dubai
by M. Sajid Khan, Mina Woo, Kichan Nam and Prakash K. Chathoth
Sustainability 2017, 9(12), 2279; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9122279 - 08 Dec 2017
Cited by 143 | Viewed by 31601
Abstract
Over the past decade, the advent of new technology has brought about the emergence of smart cities aiming to provide their stakeholders with technology-based solutions that are effective and efficient. Insofar as the objective of smart cities is to improve outcomes that are [...] Read more.
Over the past decade, the advent of new technology has brought about the emergence of smart cities aiming to provide their stakeholders with technology-based solutions that are effective and efficient. Insofar as the objective of smart cities is to improve outcomes that are connected to people, systems and processes of businesses, government and other public- and private-sector entities, its main goal is to improve the quality of life of all residents. Accordingly, smart tourism has emerged over the past few years as a subset of the smart city concept, aiming to provide tourists with solutions that address specific travel related needs. Dubai is an emerging tourism destination that has implemented smart city and smart tourism platforms to engage various stakeholders. The objective of this study is to identify best practices related to Dubai’s smart city and smart tourism. In so doing, Dubai’s mission and vision along with key dimensions and pillars are identified in relation to the advancements in the literature while highlighting key resources and challenges. A Smart Tourism Dynamic Responsive System (STDRS) framework is proposed while suggesting how Dubai may able to enhance users’ involvement and their overall experience. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mobile Technology and Smart Tourism Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

513 KiB  
Article
The Effects of Perceived Value, Website Trust and Hotel Trust on Online Hotel Booking Intention
by Seo Yeon Kim, Jong Uk Kim and Sang Cheol Park
Sustainability 2017, 9(12), 2262; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9122262 - 07 Dec 2017
Cited by 71 | Viewed by 13916
Abstract
With the rapid development of information technology in hotel booking context, it is no doubt that many hotels consequently enhance the needs of integrating information technologies into their overall business operations. In this study, we developed a research model which consists of perceived [...] Read more.
With the rapid development of information technology in hotel booking context, it is no doubt that many hotels consequently enhance the needs of integrating information technologies into their overall business operations. In this study, we developed a research model which consists of perceived value, trust toward a third party online booking site, and trust toward hotels, and tested it by using partial least square techniques. Survey data were collected from 307 individuals who have prior experiences on making a reservation using third-party online booking sites. Based upon our findings, we found that the perceived value, which was affected by both price and quality, was positively related to individuals’ intention to book. We also found that both trust toward third-party online booking sites and trust toward hotels, which was influenced by online review, have positive impacts on individuals’ intention to book. The implications of these findings for both research and practice are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mobile Technology and Smart Tourism Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

249 KiB  
Article
A Social Network Analysis of Tourist Movement Patterns in Blogs: Korean Backpackers in Europe
by Hee Chung Chung, Namho Chung and Yoonjae Nam
Sustainability 2017, 9(12), 2251; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9122251 - 05 Dec 2017
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 4819
Abstract
Given recent developments in information and communication technology, the number of individual tourists enjoying free travel without the advice of travel agencies is increasing. Therefore, such tourists can visit more tourist destinations and create more complex movement patterns than mass tourists. These tourist [...] Read more.
Given recent developments in information and communication technology, the number of individual tourists enjoying free travel without the advice of travel agencies is increasing. Therefore, such tourists can visit more tourist destinations and create more complex movement patterns than mass tourists. These tourist movement patterns are a key factor in understanding tourist behavior and they contain various information that is important for tourism marketers. In this vein, this study aims to investigate tourist movement patterns in Europe. We acquired 122 data points from posts on the NAVER blog, which is the most famous social media platform in Korea. These data were transformed into matrix data for social network analysis and analyzed for centrality. The results suggest that Korean backpackers in Europe tend to enter Europe through London and Paris. Venezia and Firenze are also key cities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mobile Technology and Smart Tourism Development)
5726 KiB  
Article
User-Generated Social Media Events in Tourism
by Estela Marine-Roig, Eva Martin-Fuentes and Natalia Daries-Ramon
Sustainability 2017, 9(12), 2250; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9122250 - 05 Dec 2017
Cited by 32 | Viewed by 10186
Abstract
Social media and mobile technologies have revolutionised communication and particular attention has been given to user-generated content (UGC) and the formation of online communities; however, little attention has been given to tourist events entirely generated by users through social media. This paper aims [...] Read more.
Social media and mobile technologies have revolutionised communication and particular attention has been given to user-generated content (UGC) and the formation of online communities; however, little attention has been given to tourist events entirely generated by users through social media. This paper aims to define and characterise the phenomenon of tourism user-generated events (UGEs) through social media around the user’s new empowered role and to assess user-generated social media events’ online socialness. It is also our aim to provide a useful mixed-methodology analysis framework for UGEs in relation to social media and to highlight their interest for organisations. The methodological approach includes a quantitative model to store, analyse and compare events’ online socialness, which is combined with qualitative, participant observation at the events. This approach is applied to the analysis of three Instagram meetups organised by a specific online community at Catalan ski resorts. The paper’s results show the differential characteristic of tourism UGEs: user initiative and empowerment, full organisation and structure, great social media use and UGC production, brand dissemination, attraction capacity, strong online community bond and faithfulness. With UGEs, an event management paradigm shift occurs as organisations are no longer the main initiators and controllers of the event. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mobile Technology and Smart Tourism Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

2445 KiB  
Article
Digital Omotenashi: Toward a Smart Tourism Design Systems
by Chaeyoung Lim, Noha Mostafa and Jaehyun Park
Sustainability 2017, 9(12), 2175; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9122175 - 25 Nov 2017
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 13318
Abstract
The tourism industry is currently facing many challenges; one of the main challenges is the lack of having smart tourism systems that make use of the recent advances in information and communication technology. Another challenge is designing such smart tourism systems while embracing [...] Read more.
The tourism industry is currently facing many challenges; one of the main challenges is the lack of having smart tourism systems that make use of the recent advances in information and communication technology. Another challenge is designing such smart tourism systems while embracing diversified tourists’ sustainable values of experience (functional values, social values, emotional values, and epistemic values). In light of these challenges, the overall objective of this work is to design a smart tourism experience-centered system that considers social and technical perspectives. The Socio-Technical Systems theory was adopted as a theoretical foundation, and the Design Science Research methodology was used to develop a smart tourism system and a practical design artifact. A case study from the Japanese tourism context was studied by exploring tourists’ sustainable values of experiences and local staffs’ behaviors. The main problem was the dysfunctional communication between local service staffs and foreign tourists during the service process. After identifying the problem and the objectives, a relevant smart tourism system was synthesized and tested as a design artifact. The results of the utility test of the proposed artifact showed its effectiveness and efficiency in facilitating the service process and in creating multi-dimensional values of experience. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mobile Technology and Smart Tourism Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

539 KiB  
Article
Factors Affecting the Adoption of Gamified Smart Tourism Applications: An Integrative Approach
by Changsok Yoo, Shinhye Kwon, Hyunsoo Na and Byenghee Chang
Sustainability 2017, 9(12), 2162; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9122162 - 23 Nov 2017
Cited by 65 | Viewed by 8515
Abstract
Considering that the core concerns in sustainability are threats to the survival of humankind and the ecosystems that humans depend on, changing the consumption and production behaviors of individuals and society is inevitable. However, people are reluctant to change their own behavior in [...] Read more.
Considering that the core concerns in sustainability are threats to the survival of humankind and the ecosystems that humans depend on, changing the consumption and production behaviors of individuals and society is inevitable. However, people are reluctant to change their own behavior in support of sustainability goals. This tendency seems to be especially strong in tourism because the main value of tourism is hedonic utility. Thus, the tourism industry is now introducing gamification and smart tourism to shift tourist behavior toward sustainability, but most of studies and practices only focus on the performance and application of gamification without considering customer adoption patterns and perceptions during the process. This study empirically investigated what factors affect the adoption of smart tourism applications that incorporate game elements, using the Google Maps tourist guide program. As an initial approach, we incorporated diverse theoretical approaches: perceived usefulness; perceived ease of use; perceived enjoyment from technology acceptance model; information and interaction motivations from the uses and gratifications theory; the network effect; distributive justice; flow as responses to the game characteristics of smart tourism applications; and information privacy concerns as a negative factor for diffusion. The result showed that hedonic characteristics of the gamified smart tourism application (GSTA) are strong in adoption. Perceived enjoyment had a significant influence on the intention to use, but information quality, related to cognitive experience, did not. The flow and perceived distributive justice associated with the game content were not significant, but the interaction motivation was significant in the research model. The results of this study show that individuals regard a GSTA as a low-level game tool. Also, it is important to preoccupy the smart tourism application market in terms of marketing strategy because the network effect is relevant to both perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment. We also found that the need to provide personal information would negatively affect the adoption of a gamified smart tourism application. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mobile Technology and Smart Tourism Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

2226 KiB  
Article
The Role of Mobile Technology in Tourism: Patents, Articles, News, and Mobile Tour App Reviews
by Dongwook Kim and Sungbum Kim
Sustainability 2017, 9(11), 2082; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9112082 - 13 Nov 2017
Cited by 91 | Viewed by 19640
Abstract
The purpose of this research is to identify the status and role of mobile technology in achieving sustainable and smart tourism, and to suggest future research and strategy directions for academia and managers in practice. This research utilized multiple sources, such as patents, [...] Read more.
The purpose of this research is to identify the status and role of mobile technology in achieving sustainable and smart tourism, and to suggest future research and strategy directions for academia and managers in practice. This research utilized multiple sources, such as patents, academic articles, and news, and selected methodologies optimized for the purpose of each study. Study 1 used Netminer, a social network analysis program, to analyze the relationships between patent’s International Patent Classification (IPC) codes. Study 2 used the T-LAB program for content analysis to analyze the texts of patents, journal articles, and news. Study 3 used the Leximancer program, which utilizes relative frequency to analyze mobile app consumer reviews. In study 1, we identified various forms of data related technologies and mobile technologies for smart city systems and maps. In study 2, we found the environment, sustainability, business, and market themes to be related to mobile technology. In study 3, we explored consumers’ attitudes and preferences for mobile travel app using their reviews. Advances in mobile technology are expected to create innovative experiences for consumers, foster a sustainable competitive advantage for tourism destinations and tourism-related suppliers, and create sustainable competencies for smart tourism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mobile Technology and Smart Tourism Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

5381 KiB  
Article
Customer-Driven Smart and Sustainable Interactions in Conventions: The Case of Nestlé’s Smart Button Adoption
by Arum Park, Jungho Jun and Kyoung Jun Lee
Sustainability 2017, 9(11), 2007; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9112007 - 01 Nov 2017
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4009
Abstract
Abstract: Services based on Internet of Things (IoT) technologies have emerged in various business environments. To enhance service quality at conventions and maximize the experience of attendees, this study developed a customer-driven smart and sustainable service, applying a smart button as an [...] Read more.
Abstract: Services based on Internet of Things (IoT) technologies have emerged in various business environments. To enhance service quality at conventions and maximize the experience of attendees, this study developed a customer-driven smart and sustainable service, applying a smart button as an IoT technology. An application of the IoT technology-based smart button was adopted by comparing advantages and disadvantages of technologies. We also identified the need for customer-driven smart and sustainable service by analyzing cases. Then, we designed, constructed and evaluated the service with the action research framework, which includes phases such as diagnosis, action planning, action taking, evaluation, and specify learning. In the first phase, various challenges and problems of the smart convention were diagnosed through interviews with organizers. In the action planning phase, service models were designed to solve the problems. In the action taking phase, which IoT technology would be the most appropriate was discussed and it was applied to the convention space. In the evaluation phase, we derived the role of IoT technology for smart conventions and summarized the results of the smart convention service. Finally, we presented implications for a business. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mobile Technology and Smart Tourism Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

2289 KiB  
Article
NFC Evaluation in the Development of Mobile Applications for MICE in Tourism
by David Silva-Pedroza, Ricardo Marin-Calero and Gustavo Ramirez-Gonzalez
Sustainability 2017, 9(11), 1937; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9111937 - 25 Oct 2017
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4236
Abstract
This paper presents an analysis and implementation of a service for the deployment of events in the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) category, to answer the question: how can Near Field Communication (NFC) and mobile applications contribute to the development of tourism [...] Read more.
This paper presents an analysis and implementation of a service for the deployment of events in the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) category, to answer the question: how can Near Field Communication (NFC) and mobile applications contribute to the development of tourism in the MICE category? First is an analysis of the applications that are currently on the market and an extraction of the features of greater relevance; later, we define the functionalities for our service, and finally we provide a performance test in a MICE-type event, the seventh Seminar on Emerging Technologies in Telecommunications “TET 2016” developed in Popayán, Colombia and the results of the experience are analyzed. The use of NFC technology with a mobile application allows the experience to be improved when a MICE event was made, for both the user and the organizer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mobile Technology and Smart Tourism Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

4202 KiB  
Article
Investigating Online Destination Images Using a Topic-Based Sentiment Analysis Approach
by Gang Ren and Taeho Hong
Sustainability 2017, 9(10), 1765; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9101765 - 29 Sep 2017
Cited by 48 | Viewed by 6327
Abstract
With the development of Web 2.0, many studies have tried to analyze tourist behavior utilizing user-generated contents. The primary purpose of this study is to propose a topic-based sentiment analysis approach, including a polarity classification and an emotion classification. We use the Latent [...] Read more.
With the development of Web 2.0, many studies have tried to analyze tourist behavior utilizing user-generated contents. The primary purpose of this study is to propose a topic-based sentiment analysis approach, including a polarity classification and an emotion classification. We use the Latent Dirichlet Allocation model to extract topics from online travel review data and analyze the sentiments and emotions for each topic with our proposed approach. The top frequent words are extracted for each topic from online reviews on Ctrip.com. By comparing the relative importance of each topic, we conclude that many tourists prefer to provide “suggestion” reviews. In particular, we propose a new approach to classify the emotions of online reviews at the topic level utilizing an emotion lexicon, focusing on specific emotions to analyze customer complaints. The results reveal that attraction “management” obtains most complaints. These findings may provide useful insights for the development of attractions and the measurement of online destination image. Our proposed method can be used to analyze reviews from many online platforms and domains. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mobile Technology and Smart Tourism Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

666 KiB  
Article
International Tourism Advertisements on Social Media: Impact of Argument Quality and Source
by Un-Kon Lee
Sustainability 2017, 9(9), 1537; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9091537 - 29 Aug 2017
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 5825
Abstract
To guarantee sustainable international tourism market growth, challenges for international tourism advertisements (ITAs) include how and by whom they are made. Different to traditional ITAs, a new type of ITA has been created by the international tourists themselves; it contains not only pictures [...] Read more.
To guarantee sustainable international tourism market growth, challenges for international tourism advertisements (ITAs) include how and by whom they are made. Different to traditional ITAs, a new type of ITA has been created by the international tourists themselves; it contains not only pictures but also their own tour stories, and it is distributed via social media (e.g., Youtube.com). However, few studies have investigated the impacts of this type of ITA. I was challenged to empirically validate the impacts on potential tourist reactions of argument quality and the peer tourist source of ITAs. I developed my research model based on Toulmin’s model of argument, institution-based trust, the information adoption model, and consumer reaction literature. I conducted the quasi-experiment using three types of ITAs that vary by argument quality and advertisement source. A total of 387 data were collected and analyzed using ANOVA and the partial least squares (PLS) analysis. The results indicate that argument quality and peer tourist source significantly increase perceived ITA quality, ITA fit-to-task and trusting belief, and decrease perceived risk. Argument quality and peer tourist source could also significantly increase tourist reactions, such as ITA adoption, planned/unplanned visit, and word-of-mouth intention. These findings could make ITAs more persuasive on social media. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mobile Technology and Smart Tourism Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

5096 KiB  
Article
Measuring Destination Image through Travel Reviews in Search Engines
by Estela Marine-Roig
Sustainability 2017, 9(8), 1425; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9081425 - 12 Aug 2017
Cited by 71 | Viewed by 10183
Abstract
In recent years, mobile phones and access points to free Wi-Fi services have been enhanced, which has made it easier for travellers to share their stories, pictures, and video clips online during a trip. At the same time, online travel review (OTR) websites [...] Read more.
In recent years, mobile phones and access points to free Wi-Fi services have been enhanced, which has made it easier for travellers to share their stories, pictures, and video clips online during a trip. At the same time, online travel review (OTR) websites have grown significantly, allowing users to post their travel experiences, opinions, comments, and ratings in a structured way. Moreover, Internet search engines play a crucial role in locating and presenting OTRs before and throughout a trip. This evolution of social media and information and communication technologies has upset the classic sources of information of the projected tourist destination image (TDI), allowing electronic word-of-mouth to occupy a prominent position. Hence, the aim of this paper is to propose a method based on big data technologies for analysing and measuring the perceived (and transmitted) TDI from OTRs as presented in search engines, emphasising the cognitive, spatial, temporal, evaluative, and affective TDI dimensions. To test this approach, a massive analysis of metadata processed by search engines was performed on 387,414 TripAdvisor OTRs on ‘Things to Do’ in Île de France, an outstanding smart tourist destination. The results obtained are consistent and allow for the extraction of insights and business intelligence. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mobile Technology and Smart Tourism Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

255 KiB  
Article
Connecting the Members of Generation Y to Destination Brands: A Case Study of the CUBIS Project
by Ralf Bochert, Laura Cismaru and Diana Foris
Sustainability 2017, 9(7), 1197; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9071197 - 07 Jul 2017
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4548
Abstract
There is direct correlation between building powerful destination brands and the degree to which tourists and locals share the brands values. The massive penetration of the active population by Generation Y has generated a major shift in tourism marketing, based on the profile [...] Read more.
There is direct correlation between building powerful destination brands and the degree to which tourists and locals share the brands values. The massive penetration of the active population by Generation Y has generated a major shift in tourism marketing, based on the profile of this cohort. The members of Generation Y are very different from previous generations. The so-called “digital natives” share high technological proficiency; they like to share their skills; they are disloyal consumers; and they are affected by trends. In order to connect with members of Generation Y and to actively involve them into the life of tourist destinations, viral, participative, interactive, networked and versatile marketing techniques should be employed. This article introduces the Intelligent Solution for Brand Culturalization (CUBIS) Project, which is a collaborative research initiative that offers to Destination Management Organizations an innovative idea of how to connect the members of Generation Y with destination brands using information and communication technologies (ICT). The CUBIS Project aims to create emotional attachment with the brand values and supports the adoption of the brand by young locals and tourists. The CUBIS idea is flexible and highly adaptable to other destinations. The article uses exploratory qualitative research in the form of a case study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mobile Technology and Smart Tourism Development)
533 KiB  
Article
Tourist Satisfaction Enhancement Using Mobile QR Code Payment: An Empirical Investigation
by Liguo Lou, Zilu Tian and Joon Koh
Sustainability 2017, 9(7), 1186; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9071186 - 06 Jul 2017
Cited by 42 | Viewed by 13426
Abstract
Innovative technologies have greatly changed people’s lives, including their travel experiences. This study investigates the antecedents and outcomes of the quick response (QR) code payment technology used in tourism to provide empirical evidence that mobile technologies can be used to enhance tourist satisfaction. [...] Read more.
Innovative technologies have greatly changed people’s lives, including their travel experiences. This study investigates the antecedents and outcomes of the quick response (QR) code payment technology used in tourism to provide empirical evidence that mobile technologies can be used to enhance tourist satisfaction. An empirical analysis using 247 field survey responses reveals that relative advantage, compatibility, and observability innovation attributes significantly affect tourists’ attitudes positively toward QR code payment services, which results in their use of the technology while traveling. However, image—the subjective norm in innovation diffusion—has no effect on such use. Furthermore, the study confirms that the use of the QR code payment technology in tourism influences an individual’s transaction satisfaction and travel satisfaction, suggesting that this technology can be used to advance the tourism industry. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings and future research directions are also discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mobile Technology and Smart Tourism Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

2535 KiB  
Article
Assessing the Impact of Mobile Technology on Exhibition Attendees’ Unplanned Booth Visit Behaviour
by Namho Chung, Chulmo Koo and Kyungmin Lee
Sustainability 2017, 9(6), 884; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9060884 - 24 May 2017
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 5957
Abstract
This study examines the effect of the booth Recommender system (BRS) embedded in a mobile device on the goals of exhibition attendees, based on two main theories that are unplanned behaviour and goal frame theories. Previous studies have overlooked the importance of the [...] Read more.
This study examines the effect of the booth Recommender system (BRS) embedded in a mobile device on the goals of exhibition attendees, based on two main theories that are unplanned behaviour and goal frame theories. Previous studies have overlooked the importance of the unplanned behavioural effectiveness of IT devices for understanding motivation and delivering unexpected outcomes at exhibitions. The BRS offers customized, personalized, and advanced information to attendees; experiences with the BRS lead to unplanned behaviour. In this paper, we distinguish several goal frames, including hedonic, gain, and normative goals, which contribute to the relationship between continued BRS use and unplanned booth visits. Continued BRS use directly influences revisit intentions to an exhibition and contributes to unplanned booth visits. We analysed data from 508 attendees at a franchise exhibition using structural equation modelling (SEM) method. Our research empirically determined that goal framing theory and unplanned behaviour via continued BRS use embedded in a mobile device are connected. Continued BRS use in an exhibition can contribute to attendees’ impulsive behaviour and can induce them to return to an exhibition. The results and implications are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mobile Technology and Smart Tourism Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

27 pages, 3859 KiB  
Review
Hospitality and Tourism Online Review Research: A Systematic Analysis and Heuristic-Systematic Model
by Sunyoung Hlee, Hanna Lee and Chulmo Koo
Sustainability 2018, 10(4), 1141; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10041141 - 10 Apr 2018
Cited by 74 | Viewed by 22818
Abstract
With tremendous growth and potential of online consumer reviews, online reviews of hospitality and tourism are now playing a significant role in consumer attitude and buying behaviors. This study reviewed and analyzed hospitality and tourism related articles published in academic journals. The systematic [...] Read more.
With tremendous growth and potential of online consumer reviews, online reviews of hospitality and tourism are now playing a significant role in consumer attitude and buying behaviors. This study reviewed and analyzed hospitality and tourism related articles published in academic journals. The systematic approach was used to analyze 55 research articles between January 2008 and December 2017. This study presented a brief synthesis of research by investigating content-related characteristics of hospitality and tourism online reviews (HTORs) in different market segments. Two research questions were addressed. Building upon our literature analysis, we used the heuristic-systematic model (HSM) to summarize and classify the characteristics affecting consumer perception in previous HTOR studies. We believe that the framework helps researchers to identify the research topic in extended HTORs literature and to point out possible direction for future studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mobile Technology and Smart Tourism Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-20
Back to TopTop