Tourist perception on smart tourism experiences: The case of Budapest as a smart tourism destination

Abstract

The rapid technological innovation brings new opportunities for tourism development. More tourism destinations are relying on smart technologies to attracts tourists to visit and enrich their tourism products. This study assesses how tourists experience the use of smart tourism technologies (STT) Information and Communication Technology (ICT), accessibility, interactivity, and security) at destinations. Although studies in smart tourism have increased recent years, little research has evaluated tourists’ perception on smart tourism technologies usage. This study used Budapest as a smart tourism destination. Descriptive survey research design was adopted and sampled 256 international tourists who visited Budapest during August to November 2022. This study results indicated that accessibility is the most effective factor affecting smart tourism technology experiences in Budapest and interactivity is least. STT experience is shown to be significantly associated with travel experience.