Behavioral Intention to Use Mobile Information Services in Tourism: The Case of the Tourist Guide Dolomitisuperski.Mobi

Abstract

Mobile information services show great potential both as an on-site information source for customers and as a communication and distribution channel for tourism providers. Although in nontourism domains the adoption rate of using mobile technologies has been growing exponentially, comparable figures are only moderate in travel and tourism. Moreover, relatively little research has been conducted to understand travelers' behavioral intention to use mobile technologies. thus, the article proposes a technology acceptance model which is especially designed for mobile information services in the tourism domain. the model is an extension of the Unified theory of Acceptance and Use of technology, and is empirically tested through laboratory-based usage data obtained from users evaluating a mobile tourist guide developed for the ski resort DolomitiSuperski. Structural equation modeling (SeM) revealed that hedonic quality and social influence are main drivers of the behavioral intention to use mobile technologies in tourism, while monetary transparency and price fairness emerged as major usage barriers.