SMART TOURISM CHALLENGES: THE EFFECTS OF DIGITAL REVOLUTION ON CONSUMER EXPERIENCE AND BUSINESS COMPETITIVENESS

Project Information

SMARTOURISM

Grant agreement ID: 795428

DOI

10.3030/795428

Project closed

EC signature date 6 April 2018

Start date 1 July 2019

End date 30 June 2022

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 257 191,20

EU contribution

€ 257 191,20

Coordinated by

UNIVERSIDAD DE CASTILLA - LA MANCHA
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SMARTOURISM (SMART TOURISM CHALLENGES: THE EFFECTS OF DIGITAL REVOLUTION ON CONSUMER EXPERIENCE AND BUSINESS COMPETITIVENESS)

Reporting period: 2021-07-01 to 2022-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

This study examines the impact of the use of smart technologies (STs) on consumers and tourism small and medium-sized organisations (SMEs) through two models. A first model from the consumer perspective includes three potential consequences of smart consumer experience: smart tourism technologies satisfaction, purchase effectiveness, and travel experience satisfaction. Concurrently, the smart tourism technologies satisfaction experienced by tourists at the destination and the purchase effectiveness with STs is examined to determine its influence on travel experience satisfaction. This model also analyses the effect of these consequences of smart consumer experience (smart tourism technologies satisfaction, purchase effectiveness, and travel experience satisfaction) on word-of-mouth (WOM) intentions towards STs and behavioral intentions. Finally, this study proposes that the country variable (Europe versus the US) can moderate the relationship between the eleven relationships considered in the study. In a second model, this study examines the effect of the infusion of STs and the mindfulness of tourism SMEs in the use of STs on a series of aspects. Specifically, its effect on service advantage, value co-creation, employee job satisfaction, employee perception of service cannibalisation, and competitiveness of tourism companies is analysed. These relationships are analysed for the US and European contexts.

Research on smart tourism to date has partially ignored tourists’ role from a holistic perspective, usually focusing on the adoption and use of particular technologies. Furthermore, the employee and manager' perspective regarding the use of STs has not been analysed in the literature. Thus, a global interpretative framework in this regard for the smart context was missing. To tackle this shortcoming, this paper has contributed first, by proposing a deeper conceptualisation that characterises smart tourists through a description of their attitudes and behaviours, and second, by defining the role of technology infusion and mindfulness in the tourism SMEs scenario. The paper concludes that the role of the tourist must be central in smart tourism and calls for a better strategic decision making. The findings offer several critical implications for research, DMOs and businesses operating in the smart services setting, and highlight possible research lines for a topic that is still in its infancy.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The model linked to tourists and applied to Europe shows that smart consumer experience is positive and significant in smart tourism technologies satisfaction, purchase effectiveness, and travel experience satisfaction. Smart tourism technology satisfaction is positively associated with travel experience satisfaction and WOM intentions towards STs. However, the relationship between smart tourism technology's satisfaction and behavioural intentions is not confirmed. Similarly, purchase effectiveness has a significant influence on travel experience satisfaction and WOM intentions towards STs. Yet, the association between purchase effectiveness and behavioral intentions is not confirmed. Finally, travel experience satisfaction appears to be positive and significant in word-of-mouth intentions towards STs and behavioral intentions. Concerning the US context, it can be observed that smart consumer experience appears to be positive and significant in smart tourism technologies satisfaction, purchase effectiveness, and travel experience satisfaction. As proposed, smart tourism technology satisfaction is positively associated with travel experience satisfaction, WOM intentions towards STs, and behavioral intentions. Similarly, purchase effectiveness has a significant influence on WOM intentions toward STs. However, the relationships between purchase effectiveness with travel experience satisfaction and behavioural intentions are not confirmed. Finally, travel experience satisfaction appears to be positive and significant in WOM intentions towards STs and behavioral intentions. The findings indicated that there were no significant differences between the American and European tourists, only in the relationship between smart tourism technologies satisfaction and behavioural intentions amongst both groups.

Regarding the organisational model in Europe, researchers found that smart technology infusion and mindfulness towards digital transformation appears to be positive and significant on service advantage, value co-creation, employee job satisfaction, employee perception of service cannibalisation, and competitiveness. The findings show also that these last variables have a significant influence on competitiveness. When the model is applies to the US context, the relationship between smart technology infusion, and employee job satisfaction is not supported. The mindfulness has a significant influence on service advantage, value co-creation, employee job satisfaction, employee perception of service cannibalisation, and competitiveness. Finally, these variables have a significant influence on competitiveness. Nevertheless, the relationship between value co-creation and competitiveness is not supported. The findings showed that there were no significant differences between the American and European tourism SMEs, only in the relationship between value co-creation and competitiveness amongst both groups.

During the period of developing of this project, Dr. Díaz has exploited and disseminated the resulted of this research with the publication of 2 book chapters, a research paper in a top international journal related to marketing, a report which analyses smart destinations, the presentation of 18 communications in international conferences, 4 interviews in audiovisual media, 9 articles in press, 1 website of the project and other outreach activities.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

This project has contributed to current STs and tourism literature in many ways. First, drawing on literature-based identified factors, the critical shift from the digital to the smart tourist has been conceptualised and framed in relevant theories which shed light on this transformation. The smart consumer experience has been explored, and its impact over several variables related to consumers has been emphasised. Smart consumer experience plays a particularly relevant role in SDs across many issues. Moreover, the great potential of STs in tourist experiences has been contrasted in different contexts (Europe and the United States) with the necessary acceptance and use of these by tourists, bridging the theories on technology acceptance and the omnipresence of STs in current tourist experience literature. Finally, the effect of technology infusion and mindfulness toward STs by tourism SMEs on several aspects of companies and employees has been argued to be the final step towards the smart experience, taking the experience co-creation to a higher level in the SDs. This way, linking the SD concept to current critical factors affecting tourists in a cutting-edge technological context has served to introduce the smart consumer experience, smart technology infusion and mindfulness conceptualisations. Specifically, smart consumer experience has captured how tourists are adapting to this new smart service ecosystem while at the same time they wish to retain the power to decide how to use technologies to co-create value with the rest of stakeholders at the destination.

SMARTOURISM