Development and Validation of the Smart Tourism Experience Scale

Smart technology has been introduced in the tourism industry for several decades. Nature-based tourism destinations contribute to environmental education and sustainable tourism. Tourism experiences have been extensively assessed in past research; however, no studies have clarified the conceptualization and research instruments of smart tourism experiences, especially in nature-based tourism contexts. To fill this research gap, the present study aimed to develop a valid scale to evaluate the smart tourism experience of nature-based tourists. In study 1, a 32-item research instrument was developed using a mixed approach. In study 2, overall, 897 valid questionnaires were obtained, and confirmatory factor analysis was employed to examine a reliable and valid 29-item scale. In study 3, this scale was cross-validated with 662 respondents for the calibration sample and 674 respondents for the validation sample. The criterion-related validity was also assessed by examining the correlations among five dimensions of the smart tourism experience and overall satisfaction and loyalty. When tourists visit a smart tourism destination, they are more likely to respect the natural environment and use smart technology applications, which provide useful information to plan itineraries and identify diverse and entertaining recreation experiences. Consequently, these applications increase their satisfaction and loyalty, thus assisting in the development of sustainable tourism. The present study extends the theoretical framework of smart tourism experiences to managerial implications by providing a conception and measure, filling the research gaps, and contributing significantly to the tourism literature.