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Research Articles

Role of smart tourism technology in heritage tourism development

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Pages 2506-2525 | Received 24 Mar 2021, Accepted 12 Oct 2021, Published online: 31 Oct 2021
 

Abstract

This study investigates the role of smart tourism technology (STT) attributes (accessibility, informativeness, interactivity, and personalisation) in creating a positive STT experience, influencing tourists’ intentions to revisit, thus benefiting the image of a heritage site. A conceptual model was developed by formulating key reasoning from the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) and flow theory. Four hundred samples were collected from four national heritage sites in India to test the model. The results indicated that the STT role is critical in developing tourists’ STT experience and revisit intention, with STT attributes representing the central route of elaboration tending to play a stronger role. This study discusses results across age (old/young) and gender (male/female) with theoretical implications that could also contribute meaningful insights to marketers, government bodies, and corporations involved in tourism development. Importantly, the emergence of STT and the dimensions of the heritage site image are discussed from a sustainability perspective.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Janarthanan Balakrishnan

Janarthanan Balakrishnan is Assistant Professor in Department of Management Studies at National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli. His research interests are in the area of psychology and marketing, technology and marketing, psychology and tourism impacts. He teaches subjects in the area of Digital and Social media Marketing, Marketing Strategy, and Business Consulting and Strategy. His work has been published in leading academic journals including International Journal of Information Management, Industrial Marketing Management, Psychology & Marketing, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Consumer Behaviour, and Computers in Human Behaviour.

Yogesh K. Dwivedi

Yogesh K. Dwivedi is a Professor of Digital Marketing and Innovation and Founding Director of the Emerging Markets Research Centre (EMaRC) at the School of Management, Swansea University, Wales, UK. In addition, he holds a Distinguished Research Professorship at the Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM), Pune, India. Professor Dwivedi is also currently leading the International Journal of Information Management as its Editor-in-Chief. His research interests are at the interface of Information Systems (IS) and Marketing, focusing on issues related to consumer adoption and diffusion of emerging digital innovations, digital government, and digital and social media marketing particularly in the context of emerging markets.

F. Tegwen Malik

Dr Tegwen Malik has an applied project management and multi-disciplinary background. Her focus for many years has been in research and innovation for both the sciences and management areas with a particular interest in international standards, sustainability and bio-inspiration. In her work she regularly turns to nature’s evolutionary solutions to harness and inspire greener and more sustainable solutions and innovations.

Abdullah M. Baabdullah

Dr Baabdullah is an Associate Professor of Information Systems at the Department of Management Information Systems, Faculty of Economics and Administration, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. His academic qualifications include a PhD. in Information Systems from Swansea University in Wales; MSc in Management Information Systems from University of Surrey and BSc in Management Information Systems from King Abdulaziz University. Dr Baabdullah’s research interests are in the area of information systems, analysis/development of IS theories/models, IT/IS adoption, diffusion of emerging ICTs, acceptance and use of e-services and m-applications, e-government/m-government and social media/social networking.

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