A FRAMEWORK TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF SMART TOURISM ATTRIBUTES AND TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE MODEL ON TRAVEL EXPERIENCE IN MALAYSIA

Abstract

Smart tourism has been chosen as one of the key transformation strategies outlined in the National Tourism Policy 2020-2030. Currently, international tourists are very tech-savvy and demand destinations to be equipped with the latest ICT applications that make their travel more convenient. However, little is known about international tourists' experience using smart tourism technologies in Malaysia. Several reports suggest that many problems associated with local ICT systems and infrastructure are still unresolved. Among others are poor internet connectivity, incomplete and outdated information on travel websites, limited interface capability, and cyber security concerns like travel scams that have been troubling tourists for years. The literature has so far suggested several key smart tourism attributes including informativeness, accessibility, interactivity, personalization, security, and credibility that may reflect the quality of smart tourism technology offered. In addition to smart tourism attributes, this study also integrates the Technology Acceptance Model’s key dimensions namely perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use as the moderators to further improve the existing body of knowledge. Ultimately, this study proposes a comprehensive smart tourism experience framework comprising several key attributes. The framework will assist in developing robust smart tourism as the key transformation strategy stated in the National Tourism Policy 2020-2030.

Keywords: Smart tourism attributes, technology acceptance model, travel experience