Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
they used their smartphone. This study went on to outline fi ve scenarios that exemplifi ed the
mediating role of smartphones on tourist experience: to provide good value and effi ciency; to
enhance and enrich visiting experiences; to provide delight and novelty in the experience; to
enable sharing, either as a form of status enhancement or for happiness and peace of mind; and
to inspire future travel. Further studies have sought to understand the types of uses of smartphones
in particular for: travel planning and reservations; information search in the destination, location
based services, such as tour guiding and maps, and sharing tourist experiences, largely through
social media (Wang and Xiang 2012). Finally, Tussyadiah (2013) found that tourists tended to
anthropormorphize their interactions with their mobile phones, treating them as social
companions, depending on the perceived intelligence, socialness and positive social characteristics,
as well as frequency of use in travel. This study demonstrates the important potential of mobile
phones to affect opportunities for social interaction in travel.
Generally there is a limited amount of empirical evidence on the infl uences of smartphone
use on tourism experiences. The rates of adoption are very fast and new business models
are emerging to take account of the opportunities that smartphones might offer to tourism
suppliers, but little is known about how a shift towards mobile advertising might impact
on consumers in the future. The present study sought to understand what types of mobile
applications are currently used in tourists' experiences, and at which stages in the experience.
The research consisted of an online survey, which was sent out to a large database of UK
consumers. The survey sought to understand the current level of smartphone ownership
amongst consumers (in 2010), their use of social media and Internet technology at different
points in tourism planning and trip/post-trip experiences in order to compare users with non-
users. The survey also asked which types of smartphone applications tourists used in different
types of trips to understand how tourists' use of these types of applications holds implications for
tourism business and marketing.
Types of mobile digital applications in tourism
As with previous studies (Wang
et al
. 2011; Wang and Xiang 2012) this study began with a
search of the available applications by trawling Apple's 'Appstore' and Android's marketplace.
Applications on the 'Appstore' are already categorized, although we did not limit our search to
the travel section, but included navigation, lifestyle and social networking categories. A simple
evaluation of the types of applications enabled an evaluation of the range of mobile applications
currently available in the market. These categories of applications informed the survey
development in terms of the types of applications used.
Transport planning apps
(e.g. Trainline, Flight track). These applications allow users to track
fl ight information in many locations in real time, helping them to share information on
travel disruptions with other users and to make alternative arrangements.
What's on guide/event listing apps
(e.g. buzzd). These applications allow users to up(down)load
information on events and activities in their current location and to rate/recommend places
and events. These types of applications could increase tourists' sense of spontaneity, encourage
new forms of sociality through recommendations and word-of-mouth.
Travel planner applications
(e.g. TripIT, Tripcase, TripDeck). Different to the transport planning
applications described above, these apps perform integrated itinerary management functions
including fl ights and car hire, hotel and restaurant reservations, and meetings, which are
synchronized to the user's i-calendar. These types of applications mirror the function of the
tour operator and allow users to manage their itinerary on the move.
