Lao International College (Oudomxay)

Critical Success Factors for the Development and Sustainability of Smart Tourism in Laos
A Case study of Oudomxay Province
By Efe Onomake (MBA)
and
Vilay Saythongkeo (MBA)

Abstract

Smart Tourism which is currently “the trending topic” in the world of tourism today can be
closely viewed as a recent phenomenon that was born out of the application of technological
devices for accessing tourist attractions, information, sites and other hospitality services due
to the increased use and proliferation of digital devices, lap tops, computers and increased
connectivity around the world. It is only natural that the tourism sector is digitalized as well.
This can very well be said to be the new evolved form of tourism. While a simple online search
on a digital device search engine can direct an individual on a trip from one part of the world
to another. The question of the smartness of the destination and that of the stake holders to
take full advantage of the many benefits that smart tourism offer should be also be clearly
emphasized. According to Rashmi et al 2018. Smart tourism can also be directed towards the
innovative use of technology in resource optimization, sustainability, good governance and
quality of life in the tourism industry. If this is true than we can all agree that the nature of
tourism has been forever changed with the inception and application of digital technology.
This paper seeks to explain and defined the concept of smart tourism in Laos by taking a
scientific look at the tourism industry in Oudomxay. Which is a notable destination for Eco
and Nature tourism. This study takes a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the tourism
industry of Oudomxay combined with a SWAT analysis of the province and proffer solutions
and recommendations on how to improve or upgrade the province to a smart destination in
combination with the already existing Eco and Nature tourism. The Conceptual model
elucidated critical success factors for the successful implementation of smart tourism in
Oudomxay. This Research aims to increase the competitive advantage of Oudomxay as a
unique and exotic tourist destination and to update the Ideas of previous research works on
the tourism industry of Laos.

Key Words: Smart Tourism, Smart Tourism Destination, Eco-Tourism, Nature-Tourism,

Technology and Tourism.
Introduction

With the inception and development of modern technologies like the internet and portable
mobile digital devices that are primarily used to access and transfer information. The way
people formally access information which are the traditional medium of television,
Newspaper, Magazine, words of mouth or Radio has been impacted forever.

Quite Recently, many changes have been observed in tourism consumer tastes due to the
new ways by which there can access information about potential tourist destinations. It has
been revealed that modern day tourists do not only want to experience what others have
experienced before but also want new and more personal experiences. As a result of this
demand, It is imperative that the tourism industry evolve and adapt (Neirotti et al. 2014).Also
the application of new technologies in tourism means that consumers now have access to a
wide range of tourism destination options, as well as access to the opinions and evaluations
of other individuals who have experienced the destination before with just a click on their
devices. Having access to such information can generate a high degree of confidence when
choosing a destination, especially if the destination is underexploited or obscure.

Also, ( Ivars et al., 2016)asserted that ICTs have provided new tools for the tourism industry, thereby
giving rise to new experiences for tourists. Likewise, the swift uptake of mobile technologies by
tourists and visitors has enabled travelers to consume individualized information, regardless of the
site and situation in which they are located (Lamsfus et al., 2015, Wang et al., 2012).This trend has
now led to the phenomenon or concept currently called “Smart Tourism”

What is Smart Tourism?

Smart tourism can be defined as the use of technology in the industry to influence tourism
experiences, improve the destination competitiveness, sustaining the tourism resources and
favor tourism development projects ( Presenza et al. 2014). Around the world smart tourism
concept is growing rapidly, many developed as well as in developing nations are now focusing
on the smart tourism initiatives and are trying to upgrade their tourist destinations to smart
tourist destinations (STDs). (Gretzel et al. 2015). This is also a recent concept and derived
directly from the concept of Smart Tourism.

What is a Smart Tourist Destination (STDs)?

According to Zhu et al 2014,The Notion of an intelligent or smart tourist destination was

derived from the concept of smart cities with more focus on the development of the tourism
industry.(Ivars et al,2017)Also Stated that Smart Cities also presents new challenges while
providing new service and business opportunities.

A Smart Tourist Destination or a Smart City according to Lopez de Avila et al 2015 can be
defined as a “ Tourism-oriented and innovative space accessible to all, which is consolidated
on a cutting edge technological infrastructure, which must guarantee sustainable territorial
development while facilitating visitor interaction and integration with the environment, the
quality of their experience in the destination and the quality of life of the residents”.

Caragliu et al 2011, also defined a city as smart when social investment, human capital,
communications and infrastructures coexist in harmony with a view to promoting sustainable
and efficient socioeconomic development, relying on the use of ICT to this end.

In the context of Laos currently, Smart Tourism can be said to be in a fledging state and needs
more focus on its development to be regarded as a Smart Tourist Destination. Hence the
primary objective of this research is to identify the major factors militating against this and
proffer solutions and recommendations on how to improve the current level of tourism in
Oudomxay Laos.

What is Nature Tourism?

Nature Tourism or Nature-based tourism includes all forms of tourism where relatively undisturbed
natural environments form the primary attraction or setting (Buckley 2009; Newsome et al. 2002). It
can include consumptive and adventurous as well as non-consumptive contemplative activities, which
in turn can include ecotourism and conservation tourism (Buckley, 2010). Another definition of
Nature tourism is that it is a broad term that covers all tourism experiences centered on wild or
natural environments. (Ecotourism association of Australia,2020).

Also Texas Park and wildlife defined Nature Tourism as responsible travel to natural areas, which
conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local people. This includes, Adventure
Tourism, Geo Tourism, Wildlife tourism, Ethical Tourism, Environmental Tourism and of
course Eco-Tourism. In its broadest sense, nature in tourism involves experiencing natural
places, typically through outdoor activities that are sustainable in terms of their impact on
the environment. Based on these definitions we can see that Eco Tourism which is our focus
in this article is under distinct subset of Nature Tourism.

What is Eco-Tourism?

Ecotourism is a form of sustainable travel that supports the local environment instead of
putting more pressure on it and exploiting its resources. Eco-Tourism or Sustainable tourism
has been defined according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)as
“Environmentally responsible travel to natural areas, in order to enjoy and appreciate nature
(and accompanying cultural features, both past and present) that promote conservation, have
a low visitor impact and provide for beneficially active socio-economic involvement of local peoples.”

Another, simpler and more to the point definition is given by The International Ecotourism
Society (TIES), which says that ecotourism is “responsible travel to natural areas that
conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.” In practice, this
implies several things. A low visitor impact and provides for beneficially active socio-economic
involvement of local peoples.” This means that ecotourism is much more than traveling around the
globe and sightseeing. Ecotourism is about ensuring that your visit also has a positive impact on the
local community. This includes the people and their natural resources. The first thing it implies is a
level of awareness from the tourist. Tourists should be aware of their impact both on the local
environment and on the local community and should try, within reasonable limits, to reduce
this impact. Furthermore, the tourist should not only try to do as little damage as possible,
but also to support the local community whenever this is possible. Of course, this doesn’t
mean that the whole experience becomes less pleasant on the contrary. This appreciation
attitude often leads to the traveler enjoying his experience even more. The international
ecotourism society listed several principles that must be abide by to by sites to meet the
requirement for an eco-tourist destination. This means that those who implement,
participate in ecotourism activities should adopt the following 8 principles of Eco-tourism:

1.Minimize physical, social, behavioral, and psychological impacts.

2.Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect.

3.Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts.

4.Provide direct financial benefits for conservation.

5.Generate financial benefits for both local people and private industry.

6.Deliver memorable interpretative experiences to visitors that help raise sensitivity to

host countries' political, environmental, and social climates.

7.Design, construct and operate low-impact facilities.

8.Recognize the rights and spiritual beliefs of the Indigenous People in your community

and work in partnership with them to create empowerment.

(Source: The International Ecotourism Society,2020)

Literature Review

Smart Tourism

In today’s technological driven world, tourism can be said to be one of the largest industries
in terms of employment creation and also acts as support system for several other industries.
According to the UNWTO (2015), tourism is a “social, cultural and economic phenomenon
which entails the movement of people to countries or places outside their usual environment
for personal or business/professional purposes” .Also “Statistics on ICT use in Tourism” (2018)
statistics data explains tourists prefer online services to book their travel plan than regular
offline service. The percent of such tourists increase day by day and in present scenario 60%
for air travel, 55% for accommodations and 50% for railway or waterway tickets in European
Union.

According to Rashmi et al 2018, India is currently seeing information services growing rapidly
in tourism as the online booking of tickets and hotels services experiences a visible growth. In
last few years rail ticket bookings grown up to 54.52% in 2014-15 compared to the traditional
counter booking which was 38.54% in 2011-12 with a clear increase of 16 percent (Dubbudu,
2016). The online travel sales volume in India increased to 30.61 billion US dollar in 2016 from
5.37 billion US dollar in 2010 with an increase of all most 600 percent (“Online travel sales,”
2017)

Also Buhalis 2003,postulated that ICTs incorporate a whole series of electronic instruments
that facilitate the operational and strategic management of institutions and companies in
matters such as information and knowledge management, as well as communication and
interaction with interest groups(Stake holders).We are clearly facing a digital revolution that
has substantially modified tourism management.(Gertzel et al,2000)

Based on the above facts, it is very obvious that ICTs has provided the tourism industry with
new innovative tools giving rise to the creation of new experiences for tourist. Also, the swift
uptake of mobile technologies by tourists and visitors has enabled travelers to consume
individualized information, irrespective of the site or situation in which there are located.
(Lamsfus et al,2015;Wang et al.,2012)

According to Gretzel, U. et. al. (2015) ‘smart’ has become the buzzword to describe
technological, social and economic developments propelled by new technology by using
sensors, connectivity, big data, information exchange between industry and end users.
Combining tourism to the term, it can be understood that it directs towards smart destination
development, smart experience and smart business systems. As a matter of fact, the
important of ICTs to the tourism industry cannot be over emphasized. Many researchers have
pointed this out in their research articles (Buhalis,2003,2013; Cerezo & Guevera,2015; Gretzel
et al.,2000; Lamfus,2014; Parra & Santana,2014; Ruiz &Hernandez,2017, among others)

Based on these facts, it is imperative that both public and private sectors of the tourism
industry invest in ICTs to improve their competitive advantage and their management. By
following this context that is characterized by the extensive use of information and
technological innovation. ICTs has enabled new services and the reconversion of traditional
ones through the adoption of new ideas and approaches to tourism development. This is
where the proposal from the development of a smart tourism destination in Laos streamed
from. Smart business system and smart expression of experience and information or data are
considered as components of smart tourism (Vasavada & Padhiyar. 2016).

Data is connected with the other three and they are inter-connected with each other through
collection, exchange and processing of information. Though ICT plays an important role but
smart tourism is not all about technology, it is about agility. The dimension of smartness like
human capital, social capital, governance and innovation also puts effect in smart tourism.
According to Buhalis “Smartness is fostered by open innovation, supported by investments in
human and social capital, and sustained by participatory governance, in order to develop the
collective competitiveness of tourism destinations to enhance social, economic and
environmental prosperity for all stakeholders and generate value for visitors.” (Buhalis, 2013).

Fig 1. Structure of Smart Tourism

Source: Zhu, Zhang & Li (2014)

“Smart tourism system comprises of five elements which are Information Exchange Center
(IEC), tourists, government, scenic zones and business”. (Zhu, Zhang & Li, 2014). IEC is
interrelating with the other elements and disseminates information exchanges from both way
through IEC. Tourists search for information using ICT through different search requests and
gets appropriate information as response from IEC. Business entities showcase their products
through advertisements in different medium like social media, websites, electronic media and
print media to get better return from the other end. The important role of IEC in tourism is to
sustain the scenic zones hence report is prepared for the IEC using statistical data to monitor
the activities at the destinations from time to time. Finally, IEC helps government to manages
the stakeholders and in policy planning for tourism development. (Zhang et al,2012)
Study Area.

About Oudomxay

With the integration of a rich cultural heritage, under visited Pristine forest, Water falls,
Caves, Valleys, Lush vegetation, Modern facilities and a strong Economic base. Oudomxay has
the potential to be a very famous and popular Smart tourism destination in South East Asia.
Oudomxay is located in the Northeast of Laos with a population of over 300,000 people. The
capital city is Meuang Xay.The province covers an area of 15,370 square kilometers (5,930 sq
miles).it is bordered by China to the North, and a major transit point for flow of goods
between Vietnam, China and Thailand. It is also bordered by Phongsali province to the North
East, Luangprabang Province to the East and South East, Xaingabouly province to the south
and south west, Bokeo Province to the West, and Luang Namtha Province to the Northwest.
The topography of Oudomxay is mountainous,between 300-1,800 meters(980-5910ft)above
sea level. Oudomxay Province consists of 7 districts: Meuang Xay,Meuang Namor,Meuang
La,Meuang Beng,Meuang Hoon,Meuang Pakbeng and Meuang Nga.( Tourism Laos,2020)

From the tourism point of view, odoumxay has the potential to be a major tourist destination
in the region with the presence of more than 6 major tourist attractions like the Chom Ong
Cave which stretches along 4km with a length of over 17,150km.There is also the Namkat
Yorlapa which is a mixture of pristine old growth jungle ,limestone out crops and mountain
within walking distance to the Tadnamkat water fall. There is also the Phachao Singkham
Temple which is one of the oldest and most famous temples in Laos. There is also the
Phouthat Stupa located in the center of Xay town in Ban Navannoi Village province with a
height of 18 meters and width of 18 time 18 meters. It is also a worship place for all Buddhist
believers and a very nice place to relax and watch the Sun rise and set. They is also the Talea
waterfall which is a very amazing waterfall located in a pristine forest. The length of the
waterfall is 600 meters and consists of 7 different beautiful waterfall levels and of course
there is also the Oudomxay Museum, Cheng Temple and other minor tourist attraction sites.
With this collection of natural sites, Oudomxay has been rated very high as an excellent
destination for Eco-tourism and Nature tourism.

Apart from Tourism, Oudomxay has the potential of becoming a major economic hub in the
near future due to its strategy broader location with China and 4 other provinces. The
Construction of the China-Laos Railway is set to bring much more tourist and business
prospects to Oudomxay. The city holds the fame of one of the two planned “Smart” and “Eco”
Cities by the Laos Government.

A plan to create “Smart” and “Eco” cities in Luang Namtha, and Oudomxay provinces topped
the agenda at the government’s monthly meeting for October.
Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith presided over the meeting on October 25, at which
government members also discussed a draft report on the implementation of this year’s
socio-economic development plan, the budget and monetary plans, and plans for next year.
A Memorandum of Understanding on a feasibility study for the development of smart and
eco cities in Luang Namtha, and Oudomxay provinces by Thailand’s AMATA Corporation was
discussed.

The meeting agreed that sufficient economic analysis had been made for the project, which complied
with the government’s direction on investment promotion, domestic production, and development
along the Laos-China railway route. “This project will support the use of the Laos-China railway and
contribute to the socio-economic development of our country. “a statement from the Prime Minister’s
Office said.

Oudomxay Provincial Governor Khamphan Pheuyyavong said the under-construction railway

will run for 126.6 km through the province, so officials are looking at ways to capitalize on this
by bolstering business alongside the railway, Local Daily Vientiane Times reported on
Wednesday October 20th 2019.

He Also said that “There are plans for the province to become an economic, cultural and social
hub, with a focus on service provision and tourism. Officials have signed memorandums of
understanding with three companies to draft a plan for economic development and build new
townships near railway stations,” said the governor.

A survey is also being carried out to gather information and devise a plan to link localities of
Oudomxay province and nearby Luang Namtha province to bordering areas of China.

There are also plans to develop the agricultural sector and build a modern township in the
province, so as to benefit from the railway, according to the report.

The 414-km China-Laos Railway runs from Boten bordering China in northern Laos, via
Oudomxay Province, to the capital of Vientiane with an operating speed of 160 km per hour.
The project which began construction in December 2016 is scheduled to be operational by
2021. (Yamei,2019)

SWAT Analysis of Oudomxay

SWOT analysis tool used to identify the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of
the temple city for the study of smart tourism.

As we have started earlier, the aim of this study is to improve or upgrade the tourism sector
in Oudomxay Laos by scientifically analyzing its current state and identifying critical factors
necessary for its development and those factors militating against it. Based on this premises,
we have therefore deemed it necessary to analysis factors necessary for a tourist destination
to be regarded as a smart tourist destination and to see if Oudomxay qualifies for that
inclusion or what it needs for it qualify as a Smart Tourist Destination. The Swat analysis is
done by examining the internal and external factors of the city that are related to tourism.
 Strength: Weakness:
 Geographic Positioning  Lack of Digitalized Public
 Local Airport Transportation
 Diversified Tourism Sector  Lack of Adequate Publicity
 Large Number of Accommodations (e-commerce Website or mobile app)
 Domestic Market  Lack of Flexibility to access
 High Growth Rate destination
 Good number of eco and nature  Language Barrier
tourist attractions  Needs development to attract off
season visitors.
Opportunity: Threats:
 Government intervention plan to  Increased Traffic
upgrade to smart City.  Increased Pollution
 Addition of New products and  (Noise/sound, air pollution
services e.g. MICE Center. Meetings, &material waste)
incentives, conferences and exhibitions  Increased cost of living or inflation
(MICE)  Damage to natural sites due to influx
 New markets with commissioning of of tourists.
Lao-China Railway.  Increased crime rate
 Growing demand for Eco and Nature
tourism

Fig.2

Objectives of the Study

The proposed study has been conceptualized with the following objectives:

1) To study the smart tourism concept in Laos context with special reference to the
proposed smart city establishment in Oudomxay by the Laos Government.
2) To study the prospects and challenges of smart city and smart tourism development in
Oudomxay.
3) To identify critical factors necessary for the successful integration of smart tourism into
eco-tourism industry in Oudomxay

Methodology

The exploratory study is based on qualitative research approach. The data for this study were
gathered from different secondary sources like archives of journals, magazines, media
contents, official reports of Government, periodicals and from different web sources. Content
analysis and personal observation in the study area was carried out for the research work.
Findings and Recommendations

Destination accessibility and the seamless integration of a destination’s transport

infrastructure are critical for tourism business success, especially for Asian and international
markets. Regional support for route development to improve and expand air access for
international customers is important in this context. For instance, in the United Kingdom,
Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle Gateshead all offer direct air links to a vast array of
national and international destinations and all have route development funds to further
enhance access. Seamless integration of air with road and rail links was also identified as
critically important by all four UK business tourism destinations (Claire Et al 2015) This is also
the case in with nearby Thailand where major tourist destinations like Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai,
Ko Samui, Phuket, Pattaya, Krabi, Bangkok and others are have international airports and are
all interlinked with one another.(Thailand Tourism Board, 2020)

In the case of Oudomxay, there is presently only one domestic airport with a single two-way
destination between Vientiane and Oudomxay. What this situation presents is that
Oudomxay is only currently accessible by air travel from only the Capital City Vientiane and
this is seriously limiting the inflow of potential tourist and visitors to the city there by reducing
the revenue generated by the tourism sector. Hence it is the recommendation of this research
to expand the air accessibility of the city by linking Oudomxay with the closest tourist
destination which is Luang phabang. A once a week flight between Oudomxay and Luang
Phabang is highly recommended for a start. Then subsequent upgrading Oudomxay airport
to an international airport in the not too distance future is highly recommended. What this
will do is that it will increase the flexibility of accessing the city by tourist that are indisposed
to long distance travel by road. There by increasing the revenue and popularity of the city.

Also, city public transportation in the city will have to be boosted and digitalized to enable
ease and flexibility by tourist in accessing locals’ sites and locations. Taxi booking Apps like
Uber, Grab taxi e.t.c needs to be developed to facilitate ease of booking transportation in the
city. Transportation services experience an incredible revolution with the integration of ICT.
Prepaid taxi service, online tour bookings, common fare and emergency response systems
like ambulance, fire safety and security services available at the push of a button.

According to Rashmi 2019, “The best situation that describes the smartness of the city is
demonetization” . The gradual shift from a predominantly cash system to a cashless system
will go a long way to signify Oudomxay as a Smart City Destination. These initiatives need to
be adopted in the case of Oudomxay as there are some of the major factors necessary for the
development of Smart Tourism and a Smart City Destination.

The importance of digitalizing the Infrastructure to support the tourism sector and in order
to facilitate appropriate access to and within, the destination cannot be over emphasized.
This will greatly remove the danger of potential tourist dealing with fraudulent of unlicensed
or unregulated tour companies that could create a negative impact in the city. Also this will
greatly facilitate the booking of tours and transportation online there by reducing the
transaction cost significantly usually attributed to middle men factor or vendors who usually
seek to take advantage of novice tourist by over inflating cost of transports and other
associated products and services. This will also reduce paper printing which will add to the
eco and nature tourism destination branding of the City.

Prospect for Smart Tourism in Oudomxay.

 Near by Tourist Destinations like Luang Namtha or Luang Phabang provides a greater
advantage to develop the smart city and smart tourism destination prospect of
Oudomsay by Air Travel Linkage.
 Eco Tourism and Nature Tourism has a major potential growth rate for Oudomxay and
an effective marketing strategy should be adopted.
 The Two-city “Smart” and “Eco” city development plan of Luang Namtha, and Oudomxay
provinces by the Laos Government discussed in October 2019 is the biggest prospect for
the smart tourism development in Oudomxay along with Luang Namtha.
 Government should create initiatives in entrepreneurship development in tourism
and allied sectors.
 The digitalization of public transportation services, logistics and tour booking should
be implemented either with partnership with reputable foreign firms or through green
field initiatives.
Fig 3: Conceptual Model for Smart tourism prospects in Oudomxay.

Smart Tourism in

Oudomxay

Communication Infrastructure Branding Resources

(Komninos et al. 2013) (Batty, et.al, 2012) (Vasavada & (Tourism Laos 2020)
International Airport Padhiyar. 2016) Pristine Natural Sites
Road and Rail Hotels, Resorts and and Wonders.
connectivity Better Restaurants Number one smart Major Cultural events
informational city Destination and festivals.
communication Medical Facilities for Eco Tourism, Market and Business
services(Digitalization Nature Tourism and hub.
of tour and public Event Management Romantic
transportation Facilities Getaways.
services)

Challenges of Smart Tourism in Oudomxay.

 Destination smartness depends on the community residing there; hence it’s very
important to involve them in the development plans. Currently the plan to involve the
community on the proposed city smartness is still in its infancy.
 Inexperienced human resource is also a major huddle in the smart tourism
development. People working in the tourism industry will need to be trained and
enlighten about the advantages of smart tourism and the process of implementing or
adopting smart tourism strategies. English language training courses and those of
other major languages in the world like French and Germany should be undergo by
tour guides to facilitate effective communication with potential tourist.
 Lack of flexibility or limited options to access the city is a major challenge for Smart
Tourism in Oudomxay.
 Lack of adequate and digitalized public transportation system is also a major challenge
for Smart Tourism in Oudomxay.
 Lack of Registered e-commerce websites or mobile apps that offers updated
information on tours and hotels with online booking system is a major challenge for
smart tourism development in Oudomxay.
Conclusion

Smart tourism has a great potential in a fast-developing country like Laos. It can be estimated
that new technological innovations in the tourism industry is configuring a new
developmental scenario for tourism destinations all over the world and will naturally favor
progression of smart tourism in Laos if adopted quickly and strategically. Unlike developed
countries smart tourism in Laos is in the infant stage and need collaborative efforts from the
government and the tourism stakeholders for development. The Potential smart cities
identified under the Government smart city mission needs to be promoted through smart
approaches. Smart city standing committees should come up with needful or necessary
strategies and proper planning and monitoring should be followed to achieve those. Since
tourism needs long term development, policies should be framed which includes
development of overall road infrastructure for better accessibility, affordable
accommodation and restaurants, accessibility to airports, Digitalized tour and public
transportation booking services, uninterrupted access to basic amenities like water and
electricity and tourism information Centre for tourist guidance. Citizen views are important
in decision making process and while implementation community participation should be
encouraged. Smart tourism projects need to be marketed through smart mediums like
advertising in TV and social medias for wide spread and better responses. Finally, it is not only
enough to be declared as a smart City but the significant thing is to maintain and sustain that
title.

Agenda for Future Research

The positive and negative effects of smart tourism on the environment should be the focus of
future research. Future research may examine this topic by integrating different theoretical
backgrounds, methods, and destination settings. The effects of smart tourism on businesses
and their adoption of smart tourism can be the agenda for future research. Another area of
research question relates to the authenticity concept. Given the emergence of smart tourism,
what destinations and businesses offer to tourists are substantially changing. For example,
augmented reality is constantly used within the context of smart tourism as an efficient way
to present information and add value to the tourist experience. The authenticity of such and
other technology-driven experiences from destinations, businesses, and tourists’ perspective
remain generally unknown, thereby representing a promising research direction. Lastly,
another well-established and crucial discourse in tourism research is resident attitudes to
tourism development. What do residents think about the development of smart tourism at a
destination? Arguably, some will welcome it, whereas others will not. However, the question
is why. The antecedents and consequences of resident attitudes are thoroughly discussed in
tourism literature, and can be extended to smart tourism context.
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