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Enhancing Memorable Experiences, Tourist Satisfaction, and Revisit Intention through Smart Tourism Technologies

Author

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  • Zabih-Allah Torabi

    (Department of Studies in Geography, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran 14117-13116, Iran)

  • Ali Asghar Shalbafian

    (Department of Tourism, Semnan University, Semnan 35131-19111, Iran)

  • Zaheer Allam

    (Chaire Entrepreneuriat Territoire Innovation (ETI), IAE Paris—Sorbonne Business School, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, 75013 Paris, France
    Live+Smart Research Laboratory, School of Architecture and Built Environment, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia)

  • Zahed Ghaderi

    (Department of Tourism, College of Arts and Social Science, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat 123, Oman)

  • Beniamino Murgante

    (School of Engineering, University of Basilicata, 10 Viale dell’Ateneo Lucano, 85100 Potenza, Italy)

  • Amir Reza Khavarian-Garmsir

    (Department of Geography and Urban Planning, Faculty of Geographical Sciences and Planning, University of Isfahan, Isfahan 81746-73441, Iran)

Abstract

Global connectivity facilitated tourism and redefined economic landscapes, highlight an interest in better understanding tourism retention factors. Today, in view of the global COVID-19 pandemic, this is made even more important as the world prepares to lift lockdown restrictions and to re-engage in cross border circulation; reiterating needs to understand tourism satisfaction and revisit intentions. This study thus sheds light on the predictors of tourists’ intention to the explorative and exploitative use of Smart Tourism Technologies (STTs) and memorable experiences in tourism destinations via an integrated model and a self-administered questionnaire—distributed among domestic tourists visiting Tehran—employing the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). The results indicated that tourists’ attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control toward STTs had significant positive impacts on their explorative and exploitative intentions. Furthermore, tourists’ explorative/exploitative intention and perceived behavioral control exercised significant, positive effects on their memorable experiences. Finally, the results demonstrate that tourists’ memorable experiences significantly influence their satisfaction and intention to revisit smart destinations. This study expands existing literature by exploring a new model for enhancing memorable experiences and revisit intention using STTs, and presents findings applicable to the city of Tehran, while adopting a model which can be replicated in other geographies looking at better understanding its tourism landscape. Finally, the results in this study can be helpful for both researchers and policy makers in their quest to rejuvenate local post-pandemic economies via tourism measures.

Suggested Citation

  • Zabih-Allah Torabi & Ali Asghar Shalbafian & Zaheer Allam & Zahed Ghaderi & Beniamino Murgante & Amir Reza Khavarian-Garmsir, 2022. "Enhancing Memorable Experiences, Tourist Satisfaction, and Revisit Intention through Smart Tourism Technologies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-18, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:5:p:2721-:d:758800
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Torabi, Zabih-Allah & Rezvani, Mohammad Reza & Hall, C. Michael & Allam, Zaheer, 2023. "On the post-pandemic travel boom: How capacity building and smart tourism technologies in rural areas can help - evidence from Iran," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    2. Zabih-Allah Torabi & Mehdi Pourtaheri & Colin Michael Hall & Ayyoob Sharifi & Fazlollah Javidi, 2023. "Smart Tourism Technologies, Revisit Intention, and Word-of-Mouth in Emerging and Smart Rural Destinations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-21, July.
    3. Yasser Tawfik Halim & Hazem Tawfik Halim & Mohamed Samy El-Deeb & Samia Adly El Sheikh, 2022. "An empirical investigation into people’s intention to participate in mega events tourism: applying mixture of two behavioral theoretical models," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 8(1), pages 1-18, December.
    4. Shuxian Li & Shan Jiang, 2023. "The Technology Acceptance on AR Memorable Tourism Experience—The Empirical Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-19, September.
    5. Liting Zhou & Fei Ouyang & Yang Li & Jieling Zhan & Nadeem Akhtar & Muhammad Ittefaq, 2022. "Examining the Factors Influencing Tourists’ Destination: A Case of Nanhai Movie Theme Park in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-19, September.
    6. Junjie Gao & Younghwan Pan, 2022. "Evaluating Influencing Factors of Tourists’ Experiences with Smart Tour Guide System: A Mixed Method Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-19, December.
    7. Qi Wang & Yue’e Liao & Jun Gao, 2022. "Rural Residents’ Intention to Participate in Pro-Poor Tourism in Southern Xinjiang: A Theory of Planned Behavior Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-17, July.

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