The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Tourist Perceptions on Interactions with Personalised Content

Authors

  • Katerina Volchek School of Hotel and Tourism Management The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
  • Rob Law School of Hotel and Tourism Management The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
  • Dimitrios Buhalis Department of Tourism and Hospitality Bournemouth University
  • Haiyan Song School of Hotel and Tourism Management The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Keywords:

personalisation, information system, recommendations, tourism, motivation, technology acceptance

Abstract

Personalisation is a critical factor in superior customer experience and retention. It is also observed to be a cause of user frustration. This paper challenges the assumption that accurate content personalisation always positively affects tourist perceptions on the usefulness and ease of use of the information systems. The study integrates the logic of technology acceptance and the process of human motivation to explain personalised recommender system acceptance. In-depth semi-structured interviews with tourists, industry practitioners, and academic experts were used in research. The findings illustrate that the characteristics of personalised content have double and, sometimes, ambivalent influence on tourist perceptions on system performance. A comprehensive strategy is required to optimise the potential of personalisation. This study expands the understanding of tourist interactions with personalised content and calls for further exploration of the effects of information system components on user experience.

Author Biographies

Katerina Volchek, School of Hotel and Tourism Management The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Katerina Volchek is a PhD Candidate at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University with the expertise in Strategic Management & Marketing in ICTs for Tourism. Her current research focuses on the role of personalisation on tourist experience.

Rob Law, School of Hotel and Tourism Management The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Rob Law is a Professor of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University with the expertise in Information Technology, Internet and E-Commerce, Modelling and Forecasting, Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering and Computer Assisted Education.

Dimitrios Buhalis, Department of Tourism and Hospitality Bournemouth University

Dimitrios Buhalis is a Professor and a Head of Department of Tourism & Hospitality, Bournemouth University with the expertise in Strategic Management & Marketing in Technology Innovation for Tourism & Hospitality. His current research focuses on Smart Tourism and value co-creation.

Haiyan Song, School of Hotel and Tourism Management The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Haiyan Song is a Professor and an Associate Dean and Chair Professor of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University with the expertise in Tourism Demand Modelling and Forecasting, Tourism Impact Assessment, Tourism Satellite Account, Chinese Economy Under Transition and Wine Economics

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Published

2019-01-30

How to Cite

Volchek, K., Law, R., Buhalis, D. and Song, H. (2019) “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Tourist Perceptions on Interactions with Personalised Content”, e-Review of Tourism Research, 16(2/3). Available at: https://ertr-ojs-tamu.tdl.org/ertr/article/view/319 (Accessed: 19 April 2024).

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 2/3 (2019)

Section

Articles

License

e-Review of Tourism Research (eRTR) is an international electronic bulletin for tourism research (ISSN:1941-5842). It comprises current tourism research articles, commentaries and reviews by industry professionals. The materials are provided for the personal noncommercial use of registered users of the eRTR, free to individuals and institutions. Copies of articles may be distributed for research or educational purpose, free of charge and without permission. However, commercial use of the eRTR or the articles contained herein is expressly prohibited without the written consent of the publisher.

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