Travel cycle of smart tourists: Impact on satisfaction, intention to return, and recommendation of the tourist destination
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24215/27186717e050Keywords:
smart tourism, tourism destination, loyalty, customer journey, smart tourism technologyAbstract
The study analyzes the impact of smart tourism on satisfaction, intention to return, and recommendation among tourists from the outbound market of Córdoba, Argentina. A sample of 472 respondents over 18 years old who had traveled in the last year revealed that smart tourist behavior is associated with higher levels of satisfaction, greater intention to return, and recommendation of the destination. Specifically, pre-travel behavior positively influences satisfaction, intention to return, and recommendation. During the stay, the impact is mainly observed in the intention to return and recommendation. However, in the post-travel stage, smart tourist behavior seems to have no significant effect on loyalty to the destination. These findings open new opportunities to develop smart tourism technologies and services that enhance the tourist experience and their relationship with the destination.
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