Abstract
Mobile devices are more present in our everyday lives and have become an important factor in travel behavior. This study amends the technology acceptance model (TAM) and employs it to discuss the relationship between overseas independent travelers using a smartphone travel application (APP) and perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, usage attitude, usage intentions, and information search behavior. As such, the results reveal that foreign independent travelers (FIT) have a positive usage attitude toward the APP and this produces positive usage intention. The findings herein show that one can apply the new TAM to the tourism industry, as the results not only offer research and development avenues for production ideas, but also present references for formulating new APP policies and strategies.
Highlights
The rise of smartphones in combination with other mobile communication devices and wireless transmission technologies has helped travelers to conduct a variety of tourism information search behaviors at any time, in any place, and with a variety of methods
It is necessary to understand the characteristics of smartphone application (APP) use among Foreign Independent Travelers (FIT), and the items and types of things that travelers search for when using smartphone tourism APPs
Smartphones that they most commonly use their smartphones for 6–10 h each day; for use during travel and prior to travel, they utilize their smartphones to search for tourism information
Summary
The rise of smartphones in combination with other mobile communication devices and wireless transmission technologies has helped travelers to conduct a variety of tourism information search behaviors at any time, in any place, and with a variety of methods. There is growing emphasis on combing the technology and applications with travel and this has gradually changed the travel model for current travelers [5,6] It is quite common for smartphone users to download applications (APPs), and tourism-type APPs are popular. Travelers search for information to help them decide visiting new attractions or trying certain activities at the destination [7]. For this reason, it is necessary to understand the characteristics of smartphone application (APP) use among FITs, and the items and types of things that travelers search for when using smartphone tourism APPs
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