Level of conformity to expectations for smart tourism experiences in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam)

Abstract

The aim of this research is to establish a specific list of requirements for the application of technology to serve the tourist experiences and to compare it with the actual level of response to the expected smart tourism experiences of tourists visiting Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), in order to evaluate the level of response of this destination. This list includes the two frameworks: "normal conformity" and "high conformity". Accordingly, if the "high conformity" framework is achieved, it will help the destination to gain a competitive advantage. Comparing this list with the reality of Ho Chi Minh City will help identify the specific positioning of this locality on the journey to build and develop smart tourism destinations. The author relied on the results of unstructured interviews with 26 domestic tourists who visited Ho Chi Minh City in 2022 to create a list of 21 items expected for a smart tourism experience and compared it with the reality of 40 destinations/services in Ho Chi Minh City, including hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions, entertainment venues, shopping centers, airports, bus stations, train stations, and public transportation for tourism, through direct surveys to score them. The research results showed that many requirements in the "normal conformity" framework only reached an average score, while those in the "high conformity" framework scored very low. The main reason is the limited cooperation between tourism businesses, technology businesses, and destination management agencies. This reality is a challenge for the goal and expectations of Ho Chi Minh City if it wants to develop the locality into a smart tourism destination.