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Tracking tourists’ travel with smartphone-based GPS technology: a methodological discussion

Author

Listed:
  • Anne Hardy

    (University of Tasmania)

  • Sarah Hyslop

    (University of Tasmania)

  • Kate Booth

    (University of Tasmania)

  • Brady Robards

    (University of Tasmania)

  • Jagannath Aryal

    (University of Tasmania)

  • Ulrike Gretzel

    (University of Southern California)

  • Richard Eccleston

    (University of Tasmania)

Abstract

This methodological paper discusses the implications of differing approaches for tracking tourists’ movement through destinations and then describes an innovative new method that utilises smartphone-based Global Positioning Systems (GPS) technology and a mobile app to track tourists through regional destinations and attractions over an extended period. The method was developed by the Tasmanian Sensing Tourist Travel project team and is among the largest tracking studies ever conducted in tourism, both spatially and temporally and in terms of sample size. It tracked the movement of 472 tourists in real time via an app with three integrated surveys and GPS tracking. The research team was faced with multiple challenges given the ambitious nature of the project, including: app design, securing tracking hardware, forging partnerships with providers, participant recruitment, and the ethical and legal dimensions of both the tracking and the provision of mobile data as an incentive to participate. This paper discusses the lessons from the project and a holistic study design model to support continuous methodological progress in this growing research area.

Suggested Citation

  • Anne Hardy & Sarah Hyslop & Kate Booth & Brady Robards & Jagannath Aryal & Ulrike Gretzel & Richard Eccleston, 2017. "Tracking tourists’ travel with smartphone-based GPS technology: a methodological discussion," Information Technology & Tourism, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 255-274, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:infott:v:17:y:2017:i:3:d:10.1007_s40558-017-0086-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s40558-017-0086-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Bartosz Bursa & Markus Mailer & Kay W. Axhausen, 2022. "Intra-destination travel behavior of alpine tourists: a literature review on choice determinants and the survey work," Transportation, Springer, vol. 49(5), pages 1465-1516, October.
    2. Monther M. Jamhawi & Roa’a J. Zidan & Mohammed Fareed Sherzad, 2023. "Tourist Movement Patterns and the Effects of Spatial Configuration in a Cultural Heritage and Urban Destination: The Case of Madaba, Jordan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-25, January.
    3. Hardy, Anne & Birenboim, Amit & Wells, Martha, 2020. "Using geoinformatics to assess tourist dispersal at the state level," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    4. Yarlein Ivama Julio Guerrero & Francisco Teixeira Pinto Dias, 2024. "Tourist Tracking Techniques and Their Role in Destination Management: A Bibliometric Study, 2007–2023," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-24, April.
    5. Hardy, Anne & Vorobjovas-Pinta, Oscar & Wells, Martha & Grimmer, Louise & Grimmer, Martin, 2022. "Measuring cruise passenger dispersal through technology," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    6. Yang Yang & Jason L. Stienmetz, 2018. "Big data and tourism planning," Information Technology & Tourism, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 189-190, December.
    7. Bursa, Bartosz & Mailer, Markus & Axhausen, Kay W., 2022. "Travel behavior on vacation: transport mode choice of tourists at destinations," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 234-261.
    8. Cheng Shi & Yujia Zhai & Dongying Li, 2023. "Urban tourists’ spatial distribution and subgroup identification in a metropolis --the examination applying mobile signaling data and latent profile analysis," Information Technology & Tourism, Springer, vol. 25(3), pages 453-476, September.

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