Towards a conceptualisation of smart tourists and their role within the smart destination scenario

• Published in: The Service industries journal Vol. 39; no. 2; pp. 109 - 133
• Main Authors: Femenia-Serra, Francisco, Neuhofer, Barbara, Ivars-Baidal, Josep A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Routledge 25.01.2019; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Ecosystems; ICTs; Smart tourism; smart tourism destination; smart tourist; Tourism; tourist behaviour; 信息通信技术; 旅游行为; 智慧型旅游者; 智慧旅游; 智慧目的地
• ISSN: 0264-2069; 1743-9507
• DOI: 10.1080/02642069.2018.1508458

'Smart tourism' and 'smart destinations' have been gaining attention as new frameworks within which to understand the impact the latest information and communication technologies (ICTs) have on the relationship between businesses, destinations and tourists. However, there is a crucial element of the smart tourism ecosystem that has been rather neglected in research hitherto: the tourists themselves. By acknowledging a shift in tourists' behaviour due to the advent of disruptive factors, this paper conceptualises the recently emerged notion of 'the smart tourist'. This new type of tourist is profiled through a description of their attitudes and behaviours, and their role within the smart destination scenario is depicted. By taking a consumer-centric perspective and framing the conceptualisation within the relevant theories, this paper contributes to the current body of knowledge on tourism in a highly technological context and facilitates bridging smart tourism theoretical foundations with empirical research. The observed transformation in tourists' behaviour and its encapsulation in the smart tourist conceptualisation reveal critical managerial implications for both destination management organisations and businesses in the rapidly changing smart tourism ecosystem.