Smart Tourism Design: A new experience-centered approach for destinations

Author Bios (50 Words for each Author)

Larissa Neuburger is a PhD student and teaching assistant at the Department of Tourism, Recreation & Sport Management, University of Florida. Her research interest includes Smart Tourism, e-tourism, immersive technology (Augmented & Virtual Technology) and tourist experience.

Dr. Lori Pennington-Gray is the Director of the Tourism Crisis Management Initiative at the University of Florida and Professor in the Department of Tourism, Recreation and Sport Management. Her current research primarily focuses on crisis management strategies for the tourism industry.

Abstract (150 Words)

The current state of research about Smart Tourism puts its focus mainly on technology solutions rather than the tourist experience itself. As such, it is argued that Smart Destinations need to adopt a tourist-centered approach which, in turn, is a more holistic perspective bridging the gap between the physical and virtual world. Smart Systems, therefore, act more as enablers for the creation of the tourism experience rather than being the experience itself. With this foundation, this paper proposes a revised notion on Smart Tourism by proposing a Smart Tourism framework, which embraces the essential qualities of the touristic experience by at the same time ensuring the resident’s quality of life. Furthermore, this framework should serve as the basis for a self-evaluation tool for Smart Destinations in order to assess their implemented plans as well as to evaluate the impact of their potential future strategies.

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Smart Tourism Design: A new experience-centered approach for destinations

The current state of research about Smart Tourism puts its focus mainly on technology solutions rather than the tourist experience itself. As such, it is argued that Smart Destinations need to adopt a tourist-centered approach which, in turn, is a more holistic perspective bridging the gap between the physical and virtual world. Smart Systems, therefore, act more as enablers for the creation of the tourism experience rather than being the experience itself. With this foundation, this paper proposes a revised notion on Smart Tourism by proposing a Smart Tourism framework, which embraces the essential qualities of the touristic experience by at the same time ensuring the resident’s quality of life. Furthermore, this framework should serve as the basis for a self-evaluation tool for Smart Destinations in order to assess their implemented plans as well as to evaluate the impact of their potential future strategies.