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Towards a Conceptual Model of Intelligent

Information System for Smart


Tourism Destinations

Tomáš Gajdošík ✉
( )

Faculty of Economics, Matej Bel University, Tajovského 10, 975 90 Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
tomas.gajdosik@umb.sk

Abstract. Smart tourism destinations represent a new concept of application of


information technologies and information sharing in destinations, leading to the
higher competitiveness and satisfaction of all relevant stakeholders, including
tourists as tourism product co-creators and co-promoters of a destination.
Although the use of information technologies in tourism destinations is well
analyzed, the requirements on information system integrating all relevant tech‐
nologies have not been conceptualized so far. Therefore the aim of the paper is
to propose a conceptual model of intelligent information system for smart tourism
destinations based on the state-of-the art technologies applied in tourism desti‐
nations. The selected smart destinations are analyzed together with the use of
information technologies during the travel behavior. The proposed model consists
of three layers – data collection, processing and exchange. The article contributes
to the new paradigm research – the management of smart destinations and use of
big data in tourism development.

Keywords: Big data · Information technology · Intelligent system


Smart tourism destination

1 Introduction

The concept of smart tourism destinations is nowadays a well discussed topic in the
scientific literature [1], leading to fruitful discussions not only in the field of tourism,
but also in the computer science and data processing. This concept is mainly connected
with the rise of new information technologies, leading to the change in the buying
behavior of tourists and thus forcing destination management organizations (DMOs) to
adopt new information systems in order to properly govern the destination. The chal‐
lenge is to provide real-time personal services to visitors and interconnect all stake‐
holders in order to share information and knowledge.
The idea of smart tourism destination is derived from the concept of smart city, where
smartness is incorporated in mobility, living, people, governance, economy and envi‐
ronment [2]. It is a city with knowledge center that manage information, technology and
innovation, trying to reach efficient management, sustainable development and better
quality of life for residents [3]. Since the inception in the urban environment, the smart

© Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2019


R. Silhavy (Ed.): CSOC 2018, AISC 763, pp. 66–74, 2019.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91186-1_8
Towards a Conceptual Model of Intelligent Information System 67

approach has been applied also in tourism and the term smart tourism destination has
arisen [4]. Implementing the smart concept in a tourism destination has been crucial
since the connected, better informed and engaged tourist is dynamically interacting with
the destination, leading to the need of co-creating tourism product and adding value for
all tourism stakeholders [5].
In smart tourism destinations, it is important to stress the network system of stake‐
holders delivering services to tourists, complemented by a technological infrastructure
aimed at creating a digital environment which supports cooperation, knowledge sharing
and open innovation [6].

2 The Role of Information Technologies in Tourism Destinations

Due to the fragmented nature of tourism supply, the penetration of information tech‐
nologies to tourism destinations was, comparing with other areas, very slow. The first
sophisticated information system started to be used in the 1980s, when first destination
management system (DMS) was introduced [7] as a database system allowing distribu‐
tion of tourism products and information for visitors. Later, the geographic information
systems (GIS) started to be used in destinations to support the overall sustainability of
resources [8]. With the emergence of the Internet and web-based systems in 1990s, there
has been a qualitative as well as quantitative boost in the use of information technologies
in tourism destinations [9].
Nowadays tourism destinations can profit from a wide variety of information tech‐
nologies that are applicable for their management and for co-creation of tourism expe‐
riences. From the management point of view, information technologies should allow
destination management organizations and stakeholders to decide and act on the basis
of collected and processed data. Stakeholders should be dynamically linked with infor‐
mation technology which enable them to create, collect and exchange real-time infor‐
mation in order to meet customer needs.
For managers there is a challenge for the implementation of open data, the application
of big data analysis techniques in real-time databases, incorporating recommender and
context aware systems, as well as supporting decision-making and the exchange of
information between the stakeholders [4].
From the tourist point of view, information technologies should enhance experience
by giving all the related real-time information about the destination and its services in
the planning phase, enhance access to real-time information to assist tourists in exploring
the destinations during the trip and prolong the engagement to relive the experience by
providing the descent feedback after the trip [10].
In order to stimulate information sharing, automation, control and connectivity,
destinations should take advantage of three technological components: cloud
computing, Internet of things and end-user internet service systems [11]. Cloud
computing allows the data to be accessible and ready to use anytime and anywhere with
the use of the Internet. Internet of things allows the connection of everyday objects, and
to collect, process and share data with minimum human intervention. End-user internet
service systems comprise all the application and hardware that enable to use these other
68 T. Gajdošík

two technological components. They can include destination apps, augmented reality,
sensors, NFC, QR codes or Wi-Fi. Interoperability and ubiquitous computing should
ensure that everybody and everything is interconnected and processes are integrated
towards generating value, through dynamic co-creation, sustainable resources and
dynamic personalization.
Therefore there is a need for a technological platform on which information relating
to tourism activities could be exchanged instantly and which will dynamically inter‐
connect destination stakeholders [10]. This kind of information system should be able
to obtain information from physical and digital sources and with the combination of
advanced technologies be capable of transforming the data into experiences and business
value propositions focused on efficiency, sustainability and experience enrichment [12].
It should also facilitate the touch points with the tourists by allowing the connection
through a wide range of end-user devices supporting tourism experiences [13].
Despite the recognized need for an information system for smart tourism destination,
there has been a little attempt to conceptualize the requirements into one model. There‐
fore the new horizon for the conceptual model of intelligent information system for smart
destinations arises.

3 Materials and Methods

The aim of the paper is to propose a conceptual model of intelligent information system
for smart tourism destination based on the state-of-the art technologies applied in tourism
destinations.
The paper deals with secondary data sources of using the information technologies
in selected smart tourism destinations. The research sample of best practices include
destinations as Barcelona, Amsterdam, Helsinki, Singapore and Salzburg. The data are
enriched with the study Intégration des technologies smart par les organisations touris‐
tiques en Suisse [14] and author’s own research [15] on information technologies used
in Slovak destinations. Based on the used technologies a conceptual model is proposed.
The proposed model of intelligent information system is created using MS Power Pivot
software.

4 Results

4.1 Information Technologies Used in Smart Tourism Destinations

There are several tourism destinations that are claiming themselves as “smart”. The best
case studies can be found in Europe and Asia, where smartness is oriented towards
technological infrastructure and end-users application leading to the better satisfying
the needs of tourists and more sophisticated destination management (Table 1).
Besides these state-of-art technologies, it is also important to consider technologies
used during all phases of tourist buying behavior. In searching for information about
attractions in the destination, accommodation, gastronomic and ancillary services, and
when deciding to participate in tourism, tourists often use national travel portals, official
Towards a Conceptual Model of Intelligent Information System 69

Table 1. The use of state-of-art information technologies in selected smart tourism destinations
Destination Example of information technologies
Barcelona - sensors to monitor traffic
- smart streetlight
- air quality monitoring
- electronic complaints system
- Wi-Fi in public places
- digital bus stops
- car and bike sharing systems
Amsterdam - sensors for density of crowds
- beacons based on BLE for translating signs
Helsinki - real-time databases for energy monitoring
- open data initiative
- mobile apps with active use of geolocation
Singapore - sensors and cameras for cleanliness, density of crowds and movement of vehicles
- big data and analytics to improve planning
- road sensors and smart parking
- mobile app monitoring behavior
Salzburg - traffic sensors
- energy monitoring
- tourist smart card
- mobile apps

webpages of destinations or search using search engines (e.g. Google) and meta search
engines (e.g. Trivago). An important source of data when deciding to participate on
tourism are also review sites, where tourists can find reviews from other tourists.
Booking is most often done through the internet distribution systems (e.g.
Booking.com), online travel agencies (e.g. Expedia) and the official web page of a
destination using DMS. The advantage of these electronic booking systems is the possi‐
bility of booking from home 24/7. Due to the expansion of smart phones, information
technologies are frequently used during the stay in the destination. Orientation and
clarity of all the important information about the destination and its attractiveness is
facilitated by mobile applications, based on geolocation. The integration of maps to
mobile apps, along with the use of location-based services have created useful electronic
tour guides. During and after travel, visitors are happy to share their experiences. They
use social media to a large extent. They most frequently express their views on the review
sites (e.g. TripAdvisor) or social networks (e.g. Facebook). A large increase has recently
been reported by sites with the possibility of sharing media content where visitors
publish their photos (such as Instagram, Pinterest) or videos (e.g. YouTube).
Based on the review of using of information technologies in selected smart tourism
destinations and the available knowledge, the use of information technologies applicable
in tourism destination concerning the frequency of use and phases of buying behavior
is graphically designed (Fig. 1).
70 T. Gajdošík

managers
FREQUENCY OF USE
tourists

searching booking on site services post-trip experiences

BUYING BEHAVIOR

Fig. 1. The use and importance of information technologies in tourism destination

The x axis represents the stages of buying behavior of tourists, starting with infor‐
mation search, booking, using on site services and post-trip experiences sharing. The y
axis represents the frequency of use of information technology, indicated separately for
tourists and destination managers. The data on frequency of use of information tech‐
nologies from the tourist point of view were obtained from Eurostat Preferences of
Europeans Towards Tourism, while the sources of data from the view of destination
managers are from the study Intégration des technologies smart par les organisations
touristiques en Suisse [14] and author’s own research [15]. These data are baseline for
the conceptual model of intelligent system for smart tourism destinations.

4.2 Conceptual Model of Intelligent Information System for Smart Tourism


Destinations
The conceptual model is based on state-of-art technologies focusing on their connection
and contribution to smart destination concept. The intelligent information system for
smart tourism destinations should contain three layers focusing on collecting data, their
processing and exchange (Fig. 2).
Towards a Conceptual Model of Intelligent Information System 71

Fig. 2. Conceptual model of intelligent information system for smart tourism destination

The data collection layer of intelligent information system is composed of personal,


behavioral, geographical and other data. The personal data contain name, age and gender
72 T. Gajdošík

of tourists obtained from social media (social networks, blogs, media-related pages),
mobile apps of a destination and destination smart card. Moreover, it comprises booking
ID (or newsletter subscriber ID) of a tourist from internet distribution systems, online
travel agencies, destination web page and DMS. This personal database leads to better
targeting of marketing management of a destination.
The behavioral data are of quantitative and qualitative matter. The source of quan‐
titative data is web page and mobile app analytics or external systems. These can include
bounce rate, page time view, page duration view and click path from destination web
page, frequency of use as well as number of users of mobile app. The traffic sensors and
cameras can provide information on number of vehicles or overcrowding in tourist
attractions. Information about tourists’ consumption in a destination can be derived from
credit card payments or payments via NFC. Social media provide mainly the qualitative
information of preferences, comments and reviews made by tourists. These data can be
obtained by web scraping and crawling. These data are valuable in smart destination
concept as they allow the personalization of destination product.
Geographic data give information on tourist origin, such as IP address geolocation,
or tourist movement thanks to active location based services in a smartphone launched
by a mobile app, or passive mobile localization via GSM data obtained from mobile
operators. Moreover Bluetooth low energy (BLE) used in beacons, used mainly inside
the tourist attractions, can provide useful information about tourists flows inside a
building. GPS coordinates of tourism attractions and infrastructure, as well as digital
map layers from desktop GIS are also important sources of geographic data for further
analysis. The other collected data may include information on CPC and CPM search
engine advertising, mobile device and its screen size and other useful data for manage‐
ment of smart tourism destinations.
The data processing layer is based on real-time processing of all collected data. The
size, heterogeneous nature and complexity of these big data put a pressure on the auto‐
matic treatment and analysis. Therefore the traditional methods should be enriched with
new ones to contribute to intelligent system. Except of actual data, the database of intel‐
ligent information system contains also historical data in order to apply revenue manage‐
ment concept and forecast demand, as well as apply dynamic pricing. The geo-localized
data allow the identification of tourists’ flows and therefore to identify the zones dedi‐
cated to tourism and density of tourists. The textual data from social media are analyzed
by text and opinion mining as well as sentiment analysis to find out the emotions, opin‐
ions and attitudes of tourists. The cross-referencing of all data provides an automatic
classification of destination zones, tourist typologies and customer relationship manage‐
ment leading to provision of highly customized destination product and thus better
satisfying of tourist’s need. The application of business intelligence (BI) allows not only
data preparation and modelling, but also their storage in data warehouse (DWH) and the
application of online analytical processing (OLAP) and data mining procedures.
The data exchange layer is composed of open data, in order to stimulate information
sharing among tourism stakeholders. All collected and processed data are available
through extranet and support the “soft smartness” of a destination. Intelligent informa‐
tion system provides interactive dashboards for managers and stakeholders leading to
provision of real-time reports. These reports enable more effective and efficient
Towards a Conceptual Model of Intelligent Information System 73

destination and visitor management as well as they contribute to management of stake‐


holders’ businesses. Recommendation system allows to perform right decisions, while
marketing system automatically sends newsletters and push notifications to tourists and
uses channel manager to adjust availability and prices of bookings.

5 Discussion and Conclusion

The proposed model of intelligent information system is a conceptual one, not taking
into account the difficulties in obtaining, processing and sharing the data. The data
acquisition may face certain problems such as ethical questions of involuntary tracking
the tourists or time and money dedicated to collect data (e.g. fees to mobile operators
for aggregated mobile positioning GMS data). However as [16] claim, one of the greatest
difficulties in the analysis of digital trails is the incomplete character of the data. There
is no access to complete picture of tourist’s behavior but, rather, a collection of fragments
that can be combined to produce valuable information.
Moreover another challenge is the interoperability and compatibility of technologies
using various data formats and communication protocols. The willingness of stake‐
holders to share the data is also very low, as the competition is strong and fear from the
misusing the data for own business purposes is very high.
Some destinations, e.g. Swedish Åre [17] have implemented information systems
that have the features of an intelligent system. However the application of real-time
intelligence, knowledge sharing and open innovation have been rather limited so far.
Nevertheless, the added value of the intelligent information system for smart tourism
destinations is in the provision of useful information on behavior, movement, timetable
and visitation of tourist attractions; real-time processing of all collected data and offering
a platform for open data exchange and decision making. Its application in the praxis
contributes to the new paradigm – the management of smart destinations and use of big
data in tourism development.

Acknowledgments. The research was supported by the research project VEGA 1/0809/17
Reengineering of destination management organizations and good destination governance
conformed to principles of sustainable development.

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