Description
Technology offers a multitude of ways in which tourism products and experiences can be delivered differently (Cranmer, Urquhart, tom Dieck, & Jung, 2021). These can range from fundamental changes that lead to completely different sets of products and experiences, such as with Virtual and Augmented Reality (Fang, Jiang, & Deng, 2022), to comparatively minor adaptations. Minor adaptations may include, for example, moving traditional products and experiences online (e.g., Zhu & Cheng, 2022), or adding a technical tool or component for use within traditional products and experiences (e.g., use of an iPad to show a video pertaining to a site or attraction) (Benckendorff, Xiang, & Sheldon, 2019).
It is not currently known how and to what extent tourism businesses in New Zealand make use of technological advances to improve or augment the products and experiences they offer. In a similar vein, we know little to nothing about their attitudes towards the relevant technologies that inform their related decision making (or the lack thereof).
Our exploratory research seeks to explore and assess current uses of technology in tourism products and experiences among tourism business representatives in New Zealand’s Lower South Island. The Lower South Island encompasses a number of regions that contribute significantly to New Zealand’s overall tourism offering. For example, in the 12-month prior to October 2023, visitor spend in the regions of the Lower South Island accounted for 15% of all visitor spending in New Zealand (Tourism New Zealand, 2023). More than that, though, the cultural and natural landscapes of the Lower South Island, in particular, have long played a central role in New Zealand’s ‘100% PURE’ image (e.g., Hayes & Lovelock, 2017).
Relatedly, research participants have been purposely selected to represent providers of nature-based as well as cultural tourism products and experiences. The selection of the two study streams is not informed by a wish to compare and contrast, but to elicit a comprehensive set of findings that reflects tourism products and experiences in the Lower South Island, New Zealand. Our research aims are to:
1) obtain an understanding of what technology is used in nature-based and cultural tourism products and experiences, and how,
2) understand assumptions and attitudes behind the choices informing 1).
Data was, and continues to be, collected via semi-structured interviews conducted with tourism business representatives. Data collection began in November 2023 and is ongoing. It is anticipated that our findings will provide a baseline assessment of current technology uses among tourism business in Southern New Zealand. At the same time, it is also anticipated that our findings will shed some much-needed light on current attitudes toward different technologies and their uses. More specifically, our findings will provide a better understanding of the perceived benefits and limitations of different technologies for product and/or experience development. In addition, our findings will also highlight any perceived and actual barriers faced by tourism businesses in relation to the use of technology for product and/or experience development. In so doing, we anticipate that our findings will make a valuable and much needed contribution to the literature on technology use in tourism.
The focus for our conference presentation will be on sharing our findings from the providers of nature-based tourism products and experiences. Specifically, we will discuss how nature-based providers in Southern New Zealand use technology in the development and delivery of experiences of products, along with any challenges faced.
References
Benckendorff, P. J., Xiang, Z., & Sheldon, P. J. (2019). Tourism Information Technology. Cabi.
Cranmer, E. E., Urquhart, C., tom Dieck, M. C., & Jung, T. (2021). Developing augmented reality business models for SMEs in tourism. Information & Management, 58(8), 103551.
Fan, X., Jiang, X., & Deng, N. (2022). Immersive technology: A meta-analysis of augmented/virtual reality applications and their impact on tourism experience. Tourism Management, 91, 104534.
Hayes, S., & Lovelock, B. (2017). ‘Demystifying’ worldmaking: exploring New Zealand’s clean and green imaginary through the lens of angling tourists. Tourism Recreation Research, 42(3), 380-391.
Tourism New Zealand. (2023). Tourism Data. Retrieved on 13th October 2023, from https://www.tourismnewzealand.com/insights/tourism-data/#survey
Zhu, J., & Cheng, M. (2022). The rise of a new form of virtual tour: Airbnb peer-to-peer online experience. Current Issues in Tourism, 25(22), 3565-3570.
