Travelers’ Perception of Smart Tourism Experiences in Smart Tourism Destinations

ABSTRACT

Although the study of smart tourism destinations (STDs) has increased in recent years, little attention has been paid to travelers’ perception of smart tourism experiences (STEs). Therefore, this study presents a substantive theory regarding the formation of STEs in the context of STDs, according to the travelers’ perception. By resorting to grounded theory (GT), the categories that build up this phenomenon were identified. The STE results from the interaction between travelers and other STD stakeholders and the use of technology to share information and personalize experiences. Trust, security, independence and commitment emerge as subjective elements that explain the relationship between travelers and other stakeholders. The results were analyzed according to social exchange theory and this study presents management approaches targeted at tourism service organizations, DMOs, and STD governance. The last section offers proposals for future research.

KEYWORDS:

• Smart tourism destination
• smart tourism experience
• social exchange theory
• trust
• commitment
• grounded theory

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.