Tourists’ Intention on Acceptance of Smart Tourism Applications in Kandy Tourism Zone (With the Context of UTAUT Model)

Abstract

Smart tourism means the application of information and communication technology to develop modern approaches and tools to develop the tourism industry such as the Internet of Things, mobile applications, location-based services, geo-tag services, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, social media, etc. (Ye, Ye, & Law, 2020). These advancements in information and communication technologies, in particular, motivate tourism destinations, governments, and practitioners to leverage smart technologies to optimize their decisionmaking in business planning and enhance the tourist experience (Ye, Ye & Law, 2020). Therefore, Governments, in the world such as in the U.S., Mainland China, and South Korea, Taiwan had been taken the initiative to build the prerequisite infrastructure and develop the necessary technologies to support smart tourism development (Li, Hu, Huang & Duan, 2017) and (Gretzel, Zhong & Koo, 2016). For example, China National Tourism Authority issued “Guidance to Promote Smart Tourism Development” in 2015 (Ye, Ye, & Law, 2020), and the smart Taiwan app is described on google pay stores as a smart trip tool that provides information before, during, and after a trip in Taiwan (Frank, Faa & Jeng Lin, 2012). In such an environment, smart tourism applications are also essential for the tourism industry in Sri Lanka. Because the Internet is the main source of information that influences tourists to visit Sri Lanka. (Survey of Departing Foreign Tourists from Sri Lanka, 2017). Not only technically but also economically, tourism was the third-largest foreign exchange earner for the country, preceded by workers’ remittances and textiles and garments, which significantly contributed to the Sri Lankan economy (STDA, 2019; Gunarathna, Nga, & Chan, 2013a). Sharpley, (2000) also suggested that many developing countries have recognized the possible contribution that the tourism industry can make to economic development. Therefore, the government should implement tourism development strategies as the main driver of economic growth (Fernando, Bandara, & Smith, 2016; Gunarathna, Nga, & Chan, 2013b). Therefore, to uplift the tourism industry by utilizing modern technologies in Sri Lanka, various types of applications have already been introduced in Sri Lanka. Examples include GPS, Google Maps, Speak and Translate apps, booking.com, voice GPS driving, pick me, google earth, etc. and “Locomole” is the first experiential digital platform launched in Sri Lanka as proven by the Ministry of tourism development. (Mobitel launches experiential ‘Locomole’ app for tourists, 2021) This app also makes tourists more with the local community to make it a unique experience rather than having to depend on a tourism guide (Mobitel launches experiential ‘Locomole’ app for tourists, 2021). But the inclination of tourists toward these applications is still at a minimum today (Thennakoon & Welagedara, 2017; Gunarathna, Nga, & Chan, 2013b). And also, tourists who visit Sri Lanka have suggested that the tourism industry in Sri Lanka should further enhance the facilities provided for tourism consulting services (Survey of Departing Foreign Tourists from Sri Lanka, 2017). Therefore, it essentially understands its importance for tourists and users who intend to use such applications. With this purpose, one of the Technology Acceptance Models is used as the guiding theoretical framework to determine the level of tourists’ intention on accept technology's usefulness. Because intention to use is the main indicator of the effective use of an information system (Morris, Venkatesh, Davis & Davis, 2003) Therefore the model of the United Theory of Acceptance of Use of Technology (UTAUT) is used to measure the tourist intention on the acceptance of smart tourism applications. This model has been proposed by (Venkatesh, Morris, Davis & Davis, (2003) by combining common points in previous technology acceptance models. The variables focused in the model are Performance Expectancy, Effort Expectancy, Social Influence, facilitating conditions, Perceived Cost, and Risk on tourists' intention Venkatesh, Morris, Davis, & Davis, (2003) suggested that all of these factors are found to be identified as direct antecedents of the information system-related behavior of a user.