Purpose: The purpose of this paper is twofold: to perform a synthesis of academic research published between 2009 and 2016 regarding the changes in tourism consumer behavior brought about by the use of social media (SM); and to suggest a set of strategies for tourism businesses to seize opportunities and deal with resulting challenges.Design/methodology/approach: A volume of 146 peer-reviewed journal articles were retrieved from two major databases. Content analysis of this academic research has been performed, exploring the effects of online reviews on tourism consumers and providers.Findings: The content analysis identified three main research themes that were investigated by scholars and classified into two major categories, namely, consumer perspective and provider perspective: the antecedents (factors motivating and influencing tourists); the influence of online reviews on consumer behaviour; and the impact of these reviews on tourism businesses (providers’ perspective).Research limitations/implications: This study is based on a literature review and outcomes reported by previous studies; hence, the suggestions are indicative rather than conclusive. Some publication sources were not included.Practical implications: This paper suggests a range of adequate strategies, along with operational actions, formulated for industry practitioners in the fields of management and marketing.Originality/value: It provides an update of the state of published academic research into SM and an integrated set of management and marketing strategies for tourism providers in seizing the opportunities and dealing with the challenges raised in a digital context.

The adoption and implementation of smart technologies in tourism destinations and visitor attractions to enrich tourists’ experiences and improve their satisfaction has become a new trend. The main purpose of this study was to explore the influence of the dimensions/attributes of smart technologies on tourism experience in the context of visitor attractions and related outcomes (satisfaction and post-consumption behavioral intentions). The Liangzhu Museum, Zhejiang Province, China, was used as the study area, and data were collected from 486 visitors and analyzed with a regression model. The results show that accessibility and interactivity affect smart technology-enhanced experiences. Tourists’ perceived value of smart technologies is significantly related to their satisfaction. Smart technology positively impacts word-of-mouth recommendations, revisit intention, and willingness to pay a price premium. Therefore, visitor attractions could improve tourists’ experiences by designing better infrastructure and services that incorporate the key dimensions of smart technologies, which would also improve their competitiveness.

Nowadays, smartness and smart management of tourism destinations and suppliers are becoming a top priority and big challenge. This article focuses on tourist attractions and aims at exploring how smart technologies influence the customer journey. The main research question is how smart technologies are influencing the tourists’ visit experience. The study takes a consumer behavior perspective with a specific focus on the visit cycle (prospective, active, and reflective phases), based on the theoretical foundations of customer journey process model. First, a research framework was elaborated, encompassing three hypotheses. Then, this model was empirically tested and validated by means of a quantitative research using as a study site the Ningbo Museum, Ningbo, China. This investigation allows us to get insights into consumer behavior, which is useful for tourist attraction to become ‘smarter’. The study’s findings indicate that smart technologies have an influence on the customer journey at all three phases, the most significant being at the prospective and active phases, without neglecting the reflective one. This article extends our knowledge by providing new insights into the influence of smart technologies that have theoretical and marketing implications for tourist attraction.

A key strategic aim of tourism destinations within the smart tourism paradigm is to achieve efficient, responsible and sustainable use of tourism resources. This aim can be achieved by promoting the appropriate practices and making tourists co-managers, co-designers and co-creators of tourism experiences. This paper argues that smart tourism destinations should manage their resources in a sustainable way and that smart technologies can make their contribution. Could a smart technology such as social media/social networking sites make a contribution to sustainable tourism within the smart tourism paradigm? To address this research question, a project was carried out to explore the perceptions and attitudes of Chinese tourist consumers about the contribution of social networking sites to adopting a sustainable and responsible behavior within the context of a smart tourism framework. First a research framework encompassing three hypotheses related to the influence of social networking sites at the three main stages of the travel cycle/tourist journey was designed. An exploratory quantitative research was then carried out using the online survey technique. The study’s findings indicate that the use of social networking sites influences the smart tourists at all three stages on adoption of sustainable and responsible behavior, the most significant influence is at the first two stages. The article is completed by discussing the related conclusions and management implications in the smart tourism management framework.

An increasing number of visitor attractions and monuments are designing and implementing augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies and services to enhance tourists’ experiences and make their visit more attractive and enjoyable. It is essential to acquire an in-depth understanding of AR/VR applications and their influence on consumers’ experience. This paper set to investigate the key factors influencing tourists to adopt and use AR and VR applications by exploring the consumers’ perceptions within the cultural heritage settings, focusing on the use of technological tools during the on-site experience (core service experience). This study applied the Ntheoretical basis of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) and suggested a research model of twelve hypotheses. The latter was empirically investigated within the Chinese context in two cultural heritage monuments. The findings indicated that AR/VR technology plays an important role in influencing the tourism experience. Performance expectancy, price value, habit, personal innovativeness, and involvement significantly positively affect behavioral intention. The most important drivers are price value and facilitating conditions. This study’s contribution is twofold: (i) theoretical, by elaborating an extended framework for digital technologies implemented in a challenging field of visitors’ experience, and (ii) practical, by formulating a set of suggestions for industry practitioners as well as designers and developers of AR/VR applications regarding the effective design and implementation of AR/VR technologies in cultural heritage monuments.