Smartphone technological advancement and consumers

This chapter examines the state-of-play for smartphone technology adoption in tourism, highlighting the various uses of this technology to aid consumer decision-making and enhance the customer experience. It highlights the functionalities of smartphones and discusses their application during travel. The importance of tourism businesses offering consumers a mobile-friendly version of their website is discussed and the role and types of apps in tourism examined. The chapter presents a case study involving market research to inform the design of a tourist attraction app, offering insights into the design process and management challenges faced in embracing this technology. It explores how tourism businesses can design apps to augment the visitor experience. The chapter provides a case study of a wildlife attraction that is planning to create a new park app. The adoption of new technology is underpinned by its perceived usefulness and ease of use.