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Smart Tourism Innovations, Consumer Behavior, and Sustainable Development

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (29 January 2020) | Viewed by 31664

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Dr. Paulo Duarte

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Guest Editor

Department of Business and Economics, Universidade da Beira Interior and NECE -UBI (Portugal), Covilhã, Portugal
Interests: consumer behavior; tourism marketing; digital markets; place branding
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Smart tourism has become a hot topic in tourism research, and experts claim that smart tourism will help tourism destinations to grow and become economically sustainable. The sustainability of tourism destinations has shown to be a difficult task, particularly for destinations in low-density regions. The opportunity to apply smart technologies to tourism destinations has raised renewed expectations for achieving the desired environmental, social, cultural, and economic sustainability in less-favored tourism areas.

It is expected that smart tourism will enhance the overall satisfaction of tourists’ experience by enabling them to obtain better services, communicate, and interact during their trip. Since the tourist is the main actor in the tourism experience, “smartification” can enrich the overall experience by providing actual, relevant, and convenient information in real-time. Additionally, smart tourism tools can increase the efficiency of promotional efforts by revealing and monitoring changes in the demand and orienting promotions towards more profitable and enthusiastic segments. Active tourists are, therefore, presented with the opportunity to generate and manage personalized content and obtain special services and promotions whenever they need them through contextual marketing and location-based offers. As a consequence, it is expected that smart tourism enhancements will increase tourist satisfaction and loyalty, which eventually translates into improved sustainability for the destination.

Despite the opportunities that smart tourism technologies and applications provide for tourism in general, government and research efforts have mainly been devoted to city tourism (e.g., https://smarttourismcapital.eu/) to address issues of tourism promotion and management, particularly the so-called “over tourism” dilemma, which is the most common concern for many cities around the world. Conversely, the impact of smart tourism innovations in other geographical spaces, such as remote and rural, densely populated, and deprived regions, as well as in particular types of tourism (e.g., pilgrimage, religious, dark, ancestry, or military tourism) have received considerably less attention. Additionally, the bulk of research has concentrated on the provider side, neglecting the consumer (tourist) behavior perspective, thus creating gaps that need to be filled.

Within this context, the opportunities that the application of smart tourism solutions create for monitoring and the measurement of all types of tourist behaviors and managing systems in non-city-tourism destinations need to be explored and systemized. Therefore, the objective of this Special Issue is to provide a space for the identification of complementary aspects of smart tourism and to explore the possibility of obtaining higher levels of sustainability based on the development of innovative smart tourism destinations, strategies, and applications. These new insights may help local authorities, policy-makers, and DMO managers to understand how to use smart tourism tools to promote sustainable benefits.

Researchers are invited to submit original papers that include conceptual, empirical, analytical, case-study, or design-oriented approaches. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

smart tourism, sustainability, and development;
smart tourism and unusual types of tourism;
consumer (tourist) behavior in smart tourism;
innovation in smart tourism;
case studies in smart tourism;
privacy and security issues in smart tourism;
smart tourism business models;
smart tourism integration and transversal actions;
cooperative partnerships in smart tourism;
smart tourism design and governance models;
economic performance sustainability, and competitiveness;
involvement of residents and stakeholders in smart tourism;
entrepreneurship in smart tourism;
business intelligence applicable to smart tourism;
big data analytics and smart tourism; and
theoretical and methodological developments.

Prof. Dr. Paulo Alexandre Oliveira Duarte
Guest Editor

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.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 916 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Service Customer Loyalty: An Evaluation Based on Loyalty Factors

by Neringa Vilkaite-Vaitone and Ilona Skackauskiene

Sustainability 2020, 12(6), 2260; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12062260 - 13 Mar 2020

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 8427

Abstract

This study sheds light on customer loyalty based on three groups of factors (customer, service provider, and environment). Noting the diversity of the effects of customer loyalty factors, this research investigates the impact of every factor upon customer loyalty. This paper provides an innovative insight into how a variety of customer loyalty factors might be combined into a single measure of customer loyalty. Finally, this study examines phases of customer loyalty and identifies the factors that prevent a peak of customer loyalty. The factors determining customer loyalty explain why customers move across different loyalty phases over time. The results of the empirical testing confirmed the practical applicability of the suggested approach for evaluating customer loyalty based on these factors. An innovative approach to the evaluation of customer loyalty is essential for marketers because it will help them to evaluate loyalty in cases where data about customer behavior are not collected. The findings of the research contribute to a better understanding of which factors are a viable basis for increasing customer loyalty, specifically in the catering and beauty markets, and offer guidance to marketing managers on how to shift customers to more desirable loyalty phases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Tourism Innovations, Consumer Behavior, and Sustainable Development)

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21 pages, 2674 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Examining the Antecedents of Brand Engagement of Tourists Based on the Theory of Value Co-Creation

by Feng Xu, Yuli Bai and Shuaishuai Li

Sustainability 2020, 12(5), 1958; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12051958 - 04 Mar 2020

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4819

Abstract

Tourist engagement in marketing activities for destinations has been seen as a new driving force for the sustainable development of such destinations and as an effective way to improve their brand equity. Based on the theory of value co-creation and the theory of consumer-based brand equity for destinations, this paper examines the antecedents of brand engagement and the causal paths among them and compares the estimated values of different paths with brand image, brand awareness, and brand quality as the independent variables; brand value and brand trust as the mediating variables; and brand engagement as the dependent variable, taking Shandong Province as an example. The final results show that brand image, brand awareness, and brand quality are all key antecedents of brand engagement; however, they play different roles. The total effect of brand quality is the largest, the total effect of brand awareness follows, and the total effect of brand image is the smallest. Furthermore, the mediating effect of brand value is larger than the mediating effect of brand trust. The results provide empirical support for promoting the management of brand equity for similar destinations and encouraging tourists to participate in value co-creation activities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Tourism Innovations, Consumer Behavior, and Sustainable Development)

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18 pages, 284 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Touristic Stakeholders’ Perceptions about the Smart Tourism Destination Concept in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico

by José Luis Cornejo Ortega and Christopher D. Malcolm

Sustainability 2020, 12(5), 1741; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12051741 - 26 Feb 2020

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 3277

Abstract

The smart tourism destination (STD) is an adaptation of the smart-city concept into a tourism destination. Smart cities relate to the urban use of technologies and internet in order to improve economic growth, quality of life, efficient management of resources, and generation of governance processes and social participation. This paper aims to highlight the perception that different tourism experts in Puerto Vallarta have about intelligent tourism destinations. The working method of this research was through a Delphi study to analyze the responses of local experts on the status of STD´s and their future trends. The experts’ perceptions on the concept’s definition, regional capacity for innovation, technological components, linking, and sustainability was analyzed. Experts perceived an optimistic scenario for STD in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, México. The participants in this study value the factors that determine the implementation of STDs as determinants; there are at least three of them: Training, Investment, and Governance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Tourism Innovations, Consumer Behavior, and Sustainable Development)

17 pages, 684 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Effect of Religious and Cultural Information of Olive Oil on Consumer Behavior: Evidence from Japan

by Tamaki Kitagawa, Kenichi Kashiwagi and Hiroko Isoda

Sustainability 2020, 12(3), 810; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12030810 - 22 Jan 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3808

Abstract

The olive tree and oil are iconic in the Mediterranean culture and religions, and producers incorporate those associations into the packaging of olive oil products they distribute regionally. This study examines the impact of religious and cultural information about olive oil on consumer behavior. A choice experiment was conducted to survey Japanese consumers’ willingness to pay for olive oil products. Results show that consumers respond with varying degrees of favor to the characteristic of “produced in pilgrimage destination,” but if cultural and religious information related to olive is provided, their willingness to pay increases 6.7 times. Measurements of cross-effects show that consumers that are more educated respond favorably to cultural and religious imagery, whereas older consumers and those with more children respond less favorably. Empirical results imply those regional religious and cultural allusions could be used to differentiate and promote olive oil products in a culturally distinct market. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Tourism Innovations, Consumer Behavior, and Sustainable Development)

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13 pages, 264 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Repeat Consumer Behavior on Smart P2P Tourism Platforms

by Pilar Talón-Ballestero, Fernando E. García-Muiña, Juan José Rienda-Gómez and Lydia González-Serrano

Sustainability 2019, 11(24), 7082; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11247082 - 11 Dec 2019

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2757

Abstract

Despite the key role played by frequent consumers interacting on smart P2P (peer to peer) tourism platforms, there are hardly any studies on the explanatory variables of their frequency of use. This paper aims to understand the motivational and sociodemographic factors that bring about repeat consumers in collaborative accommodation and transport services. In order to test various assumptions, a set of logistic regressions were made where the dependent variable is the frequency of use and the independent variables are sociodemographic and motivational factors. The results suggest that many consumer attributes recognized as being typical of collaborative platforms, such as young people traveling with friends for leisure who are interested in low prices, have changed. We found that, due to the consolidation of these smart business models, the frequency of use increases with age and for those who travel for work reasons. In addition, it is worth noting the existence of a positive relationship between consumers who provide reviews on these platforms and their frequency of use. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Tourism Innovations, Consumer Behavior, and Sustainable Development)

17 pages, 1050 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Airport Self-Service Characteristics on Passengers’ Perceived Value, Satisfaction, and Behavioral Intention: Based on the SOR Model

by Jong-Hyeon Kim and Jin-Woo Park

Sustainability 2019, 11(19), 5352; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11195352 - 27 Sep 2019

Cited by 36 | Viewed by 7624

Abstract

This paper analyzes the effects of airport self-service characteristics on behavioral intention through the perceived values and satisfaction in passengers based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model. For this purpose, a survey was conducted with passengers having used self-service technologies (SSTs) at Incheon International Airport. A total of 400 questionnaires were then analyzed using structural equation modeling. Four SST factors—functionality, enjoyment, customization, and convenience—were found to have significant effects on behavioral intention through the perceived values and customer satisfaction. As for the moderating effects of self-efficacy and waiting time, significant differences were found in the effects of the airport self-service characteristics. The results of this study are expected to be useful as basic data to aid strategies to develop and improve SSTs at Incheon International Airport. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Tourism Innovations, Consumer Behavior, and Sustainable Development)

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