Smart City Tourism Development in Enugu State, Nigeria: The Role of Mobile App–Enabled Transportation, Accommodation Booking, and Digital Food Ordering in Enhancing Tourist Experience (Published)
In order to advance smart city tourism development and improve the visitor experience in Enugu State, Nigeria, this study looks at the role of mobile app-enabled tourism services, particularly transportation, hotel booking, and food ordering. The study also looks into the moderating impact of digital literacy and the mediating influence of visitor satisfaction. 412 tourists were surveyed cross-sectionally as part of a quantitative study approach. Structured questionnaires were used to gather data, which were then analysed using SmartPLS 4’s Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). Direct, mediating, and moderating interactions between the constructs were examined in the study. The findings show that tourist pleasure is greatly impacted by digital hotel booking, mobile transportation, and food ordering services, with food ordering having the biggest impact. The relationship between digital tourism services is substantially mediated by visitor satisfaction. and destination attractiveness. In turn, the attractiveness of a destination has a big impact on word-of-mouth and the inclination to return. The correlations between digital services and satisfaction are strongly moderated by digital literacy, suggesting that technologically proficient tourists get more out of smart tourism systems. By offering concrete data from a developing African location, this study adds to the body of knowledge on smart tourism. It emphasises the significance of digital literacy in the adoption of smart tourism and unifies Smart Tourism Ecosystem Theory, Technology Acceptance Model, and Service-Dominant Logic into a single paradigm. The results indicate that while encouraging digital literacy to improve travel experiences, authorities should give priority to investments in digital tourist infrastructure, such as integrated booking platforms, smart mobility systems, and digital gastronomy services.
Keywords: Nigeria, Smart tourism, Tourist satisfaction, destination attractiveness, digital hospitality services, mobile applications
Traditional Vs Modern: Effect of Cultural Dimensions on Tourist Buying Intentions in the Context of Tourism Marketing (Published)
This empirical study delves into the intersection of cultural dimensions and tourist revisit intentions within the green restaurant sector. Leveraging co-variance-based Structural Equation Modelling (CB-SEM) to test hypotheses, the research scrutinizes data collected from 326 tourists who participated in an online survey after visiting green restaurants. The analysis aims to uncover how various cultural dimensional factors—such as collectivism, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance—play a crucial role in shaping tourists’ decisions to revisit environmentally friendly dining establishments. Preliminary findings suggest that cultural dimensions significantly influence revisit intentions, with particular nuances that could inform targeted marketing strategies for green restaurants aiming to enhance customer loyalty and promote sustainable dining practices. This study not only contributes to the broader understanding of consumer behaviour in the context of sustainable tourism but also offers practical insights for restaurant managers and marketers seeking to align their offerings with the cultural preferences of their clientele.
Keywords: Cultural Values, Structural Equation Modelling, Tourism, Tourist satisfaction, revisit intention
Tourists’ Satisfaction With A Destination: An Investigation On Visitors To Langkawi Island (Published)
This study attempts to investigate the antecedents of tourist satisfaction.The focus of the study is Langkawi Island, a well-known tourist destination in Malaysia. Questionnaires were distributed to 500 tourists in Langkawi island. Descriptive statistic, factor analysis and multiple regressions were run on the 482 useable data. The results indicate that 295 (61.2%) of the respondents were repeat visitors and the remaining 187(38.8%) were first-timers. More than half (56.8%) of the respondents had high levels of satisfaction with the mean items score of 3.90 and above. When factor analysis was run, seven factors emerged from the 33 items used to measure the contructs. Apart from tourist expectations, perceived quality, destination image, cost and risks, and perceived value, a new variable known as social-security was identified as a predictor. Regression analysis revealed that destination image, tourist expectations, costs and risks, and social-security have positive and significant influence on tourist satisfaction. Social-security was found to be the most important predictor of tourist satisfaction, followed by tourist expectations, destination image, and costs and risks. The findings of this study could provide guidelines for tourism managers and destination operators to further develop better strategies to satisfy travellers to Langkawi.
Keywords: Antecedents, Langkawi Island, Malaysia, Tourist satisfaction