Smart positioning: how smart technologies can increase the attractiveness of heritage tourism destinations? The case of a small-scale Hungarian heritage city
Ivett Pinke-Sziva, Krisztina Keller, László Kovács
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Small-scale heritage towns usually face fierce competition from surrounding destinations, particularly in peripheral rural areas where tourism holds important possibilities for regional development. This study examines on-site smart tourism technology as a tool to increase attractiveness and differentiation of heritage destinations using examples of Hungarian destinations. The research seeks to answer the question whether a small-scale heritage destination can become a more attractive destination due to technology from the perspective of potential tourists. The paper analyzes quantitative data collected from 537 potential tourists. Principal component analysis was used to identify the factors considering attractive and differential on-site technologies. A regression model was created to examine how these factors affect the potential tourist's decision-making: whether heritage towns with smart on-site tools are too similar to towns that do not use such technologies. Three factors of on-site technologies have been identified: digital sightseeing, smart attractions, and smart infrastructure. According to the regression model, digital sightseeing is the key pull factor, but smart attractions and smart infrastructure also have a positive effect in small towns. The study presents the first empirical research on the effect of smart technology on positioning small-size heritage towns based on demand-side research.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Heritage Tourism ( JHT ) is a peer-reviewed, international transdisciplinary journal. JHT focuses on exploring the many facets of one of the most notable and widespread types of tourism. Heritage tourism is among the very oldest forms of travel. Activities such as visits to sites of historical importance, including built environments and urban areas, rural and agricultural landscapes, natural regions, locations where historic events occurred and places where interesting and significant living cultures dominate are all forms of heritage tourism. As such, this form of tourism dominates the industry in many parts of the world and involves millions of people. During the past 20 years, the study of tourism has become highly fragmented and specialised into various theme areas, or concentrations. Within this context, heritage tourism is one of the most commonly investigated forms of tourism, and hundreds of scholars and industry workers are involved in researching its dynamics and concepts. This academic attention has resulted in the publication of hundreds of refereed articles in various scholarly media, yet, until now there has been no journal devoted specifically to heritage tourism; Journal of Heritage Tourism was launched to fill this gap. JHT seeks to critically examine all aspects of heritage tourism. Some of the topics to be explored within the context of heritage tourism will include colonial heritage, commodification, interpretation, urban renewal, religious tourism, genealogy, patriotism, nostalgia, folklore, power, funding, contested heritage, historic sites, identity, industrial heritage, marketing, conservation, ethnicity, education and indigenous heritage.