The tourist experience in the digital era: the case of Italian millennials
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7433/s113.2020.10Keywords:
tourism experience; digital traveler; millennials; digital tourism; tourist journeyAbstract
Purpose of the paper: The digital revolution is producing several economic and societal changes. The tourism sector, which is characterized by products with high information content and intangible value, is one of the main industries involved in these changes on both the supply side and the demand side. This paper examines how digital technologies impact tourists’ consumption experiences throughout the entire customer travel journey (planning, booking, experiencing, and sharing), with a special focus on millennials.
Methodology: On an empirical level, this research study aimed to describe the tourism-related buying and consumption behaviors of a sample of approximately 700 Italian consumers.
Results: The results of this empirical study highlighted that new technologies are used in all stages of the digital customer journey. Most of the respondents were experts in travel planning through digital technologies. The smartphone is mainly used by younger millennials, while the computer is mainly used by older millennials. With respect to social media, millennials prefer Instagram and Facebook for sharing content during and after trips.
Research limitations: This research study focused on the center of Italy, and the sample was not representative. Another limitation of this study was that the sample was made up of students, who do not have secure jobs and mainly depend on their parents’ incomes.
Practical implications: The practical implications that emerged from this study specifically related to attracting and retaining tourists and increasing their overall customer experience.
Originality of the paper: This study contributes to deepen the knowledge of millennials’ behaviors as tourists.
References
AMARO S., DUARTE P., HENRIQUES C. (2016), “Travelers’ use of social media: A clustering approach”, Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 59, n. C, pp. 1-15.
BARILE S., CIASULLO M.V., TROISI O., SARNO D. (2017), “The role of technology and institutions in tourism service ecosystems: Findings from a case study”, The TQM Journal, vol. 29, n. 6, pp. 811-833.
BARILE S., TOMMASETTI A., TROISI O., VESCI M. (2016), “Le destinazioni balneari: un modello integrato per lo studio della fidelizzazione del segmento turistico giovanile”, Sinergie Journal of Management, vol. 34, n. 99, pp. 293-319.
BARTON C., KOSTOW L. BEAUCHAMP C. (2014), “How Millennials Are Changing the Face of Marketing Forever. The Reciprocity Principle. BCG, The Boston Consulting Group. Retrieved from: http://marketing-stg.bcg. com/.
BECK J., RAINOLDI M., EGGER R. (2019), “Virtual reality in tourism: a state-of-the-art review”, Tourism Review, vol. 74, n. 3, pp. 586-612.
BENCKENDORFF P., MOSCARDO G., PENDERGAST D. (2010), Tourism and Generation Y. CABI
BETHLEHEM J. (2010), “Selection bias in web surveys”, International Statistical Review, vol. 78, n. 2, pp. 161-188.
BLUMENBERG E., TAYLOR B.D., SMART M., RALPH K., WANDER M., BRUMBAGH S. (2012), What’s youth got to do with it? Exploring the travel behavior of teens and young adults. Los Angeles: Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California at Los Angeles.
BOES K., BORDE L., EGGER R. (2015), “The acceptance of NFC smart posters in tourism”, in Tussiadiah I., Inversini A. (edited by), Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism, Springer, Cham.
BOLTON R.N., PARASURAMAN A., HOEFNAGELS A., MIGCHELS N., KABADAYI S., GRUBER T., SOLNET D. (2013), “Understanding generation Y and their use of social media: a review and research agenda”, Journal of Service Management, vol. 24, n. 3, pp. 245-267.
BORDONABA-JUSTE M.V., LUCIA-PALACIOS L., PÉREZ-LÓPEZ R. (2020), “Generational differences in valuing usefulness, privacy and security negative experiences for paying for cloud services”, Information Systems and e-Business Management, vol. 18, n. 1, pp. 35-60.
BRASINI S., FREO M., TASSINARI F., TASSINARI G. (2002), Statistica aziendale e analisi di mercato, Il Mulino, Bologna.
BROSDAHL D.J.C., CARPENTER J.M. (2011), “Shopping orientations of US males: A generational cohort comparison”, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, vol. 18, n. 6, 548-554.
BUHALIS D., LAW R. (2008), “Twenty years on and 10 years after the Internet: the state of Tourism research”, Tourism Management, vol. 29, n. 4, pp. 609-623.
CAVAGNARO E., STAFFIERI, S. POSTMA, A. (2018), “Understanding millennials’ tourism experience: values and meaning to travel as a key for identifying target clusters for youth (sustainable) tourism”, Journal of Tourism Futures, vol. 4, n. 1, pp. 31-42.
CHEN H., BEAUDOIN C.E., HONG T. (2017), “Securing online privacy: an empirical test on internet scam victimization, online privacy concerns, and privacy protection behaviors”, Computers in Human Behavior, vol.70, pp. 291-302.
CHOUDHARY P., GANGOTIA A. (2017), “Do travel decision-making styles and gender of generation Y have any association with travel information share on social networking sites?”, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, vol. 8, n. 2, pp. 152-167.
COSHALL J.T. (2009), “Combining volatility and smoothing forecasts of UK demand for international tourism”, Tourism Management, vol. 30, n. 4, pp. 495-511.
COX C., BURGESS S., SELLITTO C., BUULTJENS J. (2009), “The Role of User-Generated Content in Tourists' Travel Planning Behavior”, Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management, vol. 18, n. 8, pp. 743-764.
CRONBACH L.J. (1951), “Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of a test”, Psychometrika, vol. 16, pp. 297-334.
CUTLER S.Q., CARMICHAEL B.A. (2010), “The Dimension of the Tourist Experience”, in Morgan M., Lugosi P., Ritchie J.R.B. (edited by), The Tourism and Leisure Experience: Consumer and Managerial Perspectives, Bristol, Channel View Publication.
DEBEVEC K., SCHEWE C.D., MADDEN T.J., DIAMOND W.D. (2013), “Are today’s Millennials splintering into a new generational cohort? Maybe!”, Journal of Consumer Behavior, vol. 12, n. 1, pp. 20-31.
DELLAROCAS C. (2003), “The digitization of word of mouth: Promise and challenges of online feedback mechanisms”, Management Science, vol. 29, n. 10, pp. 1407-1424.
DI FRAIA G. (Ed.) (2004), E-research. Internet per la ricerca sociale e di mercato, Laterza, Rome.
DORCIC J., KOMSIC J., MARKOVIC S. (2019), “Mobile technologies and applications towards smart tourism-State of the art”, Tourism Review, vol. 74, n. 1, pp. 82-103.
EJARQUE J. (2015), Social media marketing per il turismo. Come costruire il marketing 2.0 e gestire la reputazione della destinazione, Hoepli, Milano.
FEMENIA-SERRA F., PERLES-RIBES J.F., IVARS-BAIDAL J.A. (2019), “Smart destinations and tech-savvy millennial tourists: hype versus reality”, Tourism Review, vol. 74, n. 1, pp. 63-81.
FENG Y., XIE W. (2014), “Teens’ concern for privacy when using social networking sites: an analysis of socialization agents and relationships with privacy-protecting behaviors”, Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 33, pp. 153-162.
FORLANI F., PENCARELLI T. (2018), “The Tourist Offer of the Destination in an Experience Logic Perspective”, in Pencarelli T., Forlani F., (edited by), The Experience Logic as a New Perspective for Marketing Management, Springer, Cham.
FOTIS J., BUHALIS D., ROSSIDES N. (2012), Social media use and impact during the holiday travel planning process”, in Fuchs M., Ricci F., Cantoni, L., eds. Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism, (pp 13-24), Springer-Verlag, Vienna, Austria.
GABBIANELLI L., PENCARELLI T. (2019), The role of the electronic word-of-mouth in the hotel industry, in Loureiro S.M., Kaufmann H.R., (edited by), Exploring the power of the electronic word-of-mouth in the services industry, IGI Global.
GARIKAPATI V.M., PENDYALA R.M., MORRIS E.A., MOKHTARIAN P.L., MCDONALD N. (2016), “Activity patterns, time use, and travel of millennials: a generation in transition?”, Transport Reviews, vol. 36, n. 5, pp. 558-584.
GELTER H. (2017), Digital tourism. An analysis of digital trends in tourism and customer digital mobile behaviour, Interreg Nord.
GIANNINI M. (2019) “Industria 4.0, evoluzione della logistica e applicazione del Knowledge Triangle: la centralità delle competenze professionali e il progetto Framelog”, Sinergie Journal of Management, Vol. 37, n. 3, pp. 171-184.
GLOVER P. (2009), “Generation Y’s Future Tourism Demand: Some Opportunities and Challenges”, in P. Benckendorff, G. Moscardo, and D. Pendergast (Eds.), Tourism and generation Y, (pp. 155-164). Cambridge, MA, CAB International
GRETZEL U., YOO K.H. (2008), “Use and impact of online travel reviews”, in Information and communication technologies in tourism, (pp. 35-46), Springer-Verlag, Vienna, Austria.
GRONROOS C., VOIMA F.P. (2013), “Critical Service Logic: Making Sense of Value Creation and Co-Creation”, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 41, n. 2, pp. 133-150.
GUERRA J.P., PINTO M.M., BEATO C. (2015), “Virtual reality-shows a new vision for tourism and heritage”, European Scientific Journal, vol. 11, n. 9, pp. 49-54.
HONG J., MC ARTHUR D.P. (2019), “How does internet usage influence young travelers’ choice?”, Journal of Planning Education and Research, vol. 39, n. 2, pp. 155-165.
HUANG Y., PETRICK J.F. (2009), “Generation Y’s Travel Behaviours: a Comparison with Baby Boomers and Generation X”, in Benckendorff P., Moscardo G., Pendergast D. (Eds.), Tourism and generation Y, (pp. 27-37). Cambridge, MA, CABI International.
KANNAN P.K., LI A. (2017), “Digital marketing: A framework, review and research agenda”, International Journal of Research in Marketing, vol. 34, n. 1, pp. 22-45.
KATTIYAPORNPONG U. (2009), “Profiling generation Y - Where do they travel?” Proceedings of the Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy Conference, ANZMAC (pp. 1-7). Melbourne, Victoria: Monash University
KETTER E. (2020), “Millennial travel: tourism micro-trends of European Generation Y”, Journal of Tourism Futures, In print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JTF-10-2019-0106.
LAW R., BUHALIS D., COBANOGLU C. (2014), “Progress on information and communication technologies in hospitality and tourism”, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 26, n. 5, pp. 727-750.
LAW R., CHAN I.C.C., WANG L. (2018), “A comprehensive review of mobile technology use in hospitality and tourism”, Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management, vol. 27, n. 6, pp. 626-648.
LEASK A., FYALL A., BARRON P. (2014), “Generation Y: An agenda for future visitor attraction research”, International Journal of Tourism Research, vol. 16, n. 5, pp. 462-471.
LI X., LI X., HUDSON S. (2013), “The application of generational theory to tourism consumer behavior: An American perspective”, Tourism Management, vol. 37, pp. 147-164.
MANG O.F., PIPER L.A., BROWN N.R. (2016), “The Incidence of Smartphone Usage among Tourists”, International Journal of Tourism Research, vol. 18, n. 6, pp. 591-601.
MEIER J., AUSTIN S.F., CROCKER M. (2010), “Generation Y in the workforce: managerial challenges”, The Journal of Human Resource and Adult Learning, vol. 6, n. 1991, pp. 68-79.
MILTGEN C.L., PEYRAT-GUILLARD D. (2014), “Cultural and generational influences on privacy concerns: a qualitative study in seven European countries”, European Journal of Information Systems, vol. 23, n. 2, pp. 103-125.
MONACO S. (2018), “Tourism and the new generations: emerging trends and social implications in Italy”, Journal of Tourism Futures, vol. 4, n.1, pp. 7-15.
MOQBEL M., BARTELT V., AL-SUQRI M., AL-MASKARI A. (2017), “Does privacy matter to millennials? The case for personal cloud”, International Journal of Information Security and Privacy, vol. 13, n. 1, pp. 17-33.
MOROSAN C., DEFRANCO A. (2016) “Modeling guests’ intentions to use mobile apps in hotels: The roles of personalization, privacy, and involvement”, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 28, n. 9, pp. 1968-1991.
MOSSBERG L. (2007), “A Marketing Approach to the Tourist Experience”, Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, vol. 7, n. 1, pp. 59-74.
NEUHOFER B., BUHALIS D., LADKIN A. (2014), “A typology of technology-enhanced tourism experiences”, International Journal of Tourism Research, vol. 16, n. 4, pp. 340-350.
NEUHOFER B., BUHALIS D., LADKIN A. (2012), “Conceptualizing technology enhanced destination experiences”, Journal of Destination Marketing Management, vol. 1, n. 1-2, pp. 36-46.
NEUHOFER B. (2016), “Value co-creation and co-destruction in connected tourist experiences”, in Inversini A., Schegg R. (edited by), Information and communication technologies in tourism, Springer, Bilbao.
NUNES M.D.O., MAYER V.F. (2014), “Mobile technology, games and nature areas: The tourist perspective”, Tourism and Management Studies, vol. 10, n. 1, pp. 53-58.
NUNNALLY J.C., BERNSTEIN I.H. (1994), Psychological theory, MacGraw-Hill, New York, (pp. 131-147).
ORTEGA B., FRANCO J.L. (2019), “Developing a new conceptual framework for experience and value creation”, Service Business, vol. 13, n. 2, pp. 225-248.
PAIOLA M. (2017), “Digitalization and servitization: opportunities and challenges for Italian SMES”, Sinergie Journal of Management, vol. 36, n. 107, pp 11 - 22.
PARASKEVAS A. (2005), “The impact of technological innovation in managing global value chains in the tourism industry”, in OECD Conference on Global Tourism Growth: a Challenge for SMEs.
PARISE S., GUINAN P.J., KAFKA R. (2016), “Solving the crisis of immediacy: How digital technology can transform the customer experience”, Business Horizons, vol. 59, n. 4, pp. 411-420.
PARRA-LÓPEZ E., GUTIÉRREZ-TAÑO D., DÍAZ-ARMAS R.J., BULCHAND-GIDUMAL J. (2012), “Travellers 2.0: Motivation, opportunity and ability to use social media”, in Sigala M., Christou E., Gretzel U. (Eds.), Social media in travel, tourism and hospitality: Theory, practice and cases, (pp. 171-187). Surrey, UK, Ashgate.
PENCARELLI T. (2019), “The digital revolution in the travel and tourism industry”, Information Technology and Tourism, vol. 22, n. 3, pp. 455-476.
PENCARELLI T., TAHA V.A., VERONIKA Š., TOMÁŠ V. (2018), “Generational differences in CSR perception: focusing on Italian e-commerce market”, in Management and the world in motion, challenges, opportunities and threats, Bookman sro for University of Presov in Presov, Faculty of Management.
RICHARDS G., WILSON J. (2004), “The international student travel market, travelstyle, motivations, and activities”, Tourism Review International, vol. 8, n. 2, pp. 57-67.
RITA P., BROCHADO A., DIMOVA L. (2018), “Millennials’ travel motivations and desired activities within destinations: A comparative study of the US and the UK”, Current Issues in Tourism, vol. 22, n. 16, pp. 2034-2050.
SALAZAR A. (2018), “Hospitality trends: opportunities and challenges”, Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, vol. 10, n. 6, pp. 674-679.
SARI A.A., KUSUMA H.E., TEDJO B. (2015), “A strategic planning for a college student-segment shopping mall”, International Research Journal of Business Studies, vol. 4, n. 2, pp. 157-169.
SAXENA P., JAIN R. (2012), “Managing career aspirations of generation Y at workplace”, Education Training, vol. 2, n. 7, pp. 114-118.
SCHEWE C.D., DEBEVEC K., MADDEN T.J., DIAMOND W.D., PARMENT A., MURPHY A. (2013), “If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all!” are young millennials the same worldwide?”, Journal of International Consumer Marketing, vol. 25, n. 1, pp. 3-15.
ȘCHIOPU A.F., PĂDUREAN A.M., ȚALĂ M.L., NICA A.M. (2016), “The influence of new technologies on tourism consumption behavior of the millennials”, Amfiteatru Economic Journal, vol. 18, n. 10, pp. 829-846.
SCHOLZ J., SMITH A.N. (2016), “Augmented reality: Designing immersive experiences that maximize consumer engagement”, Business Horizons, vol. 59, n. 2, pp. 149-161.
SCIARELLI F., DELLA CORTE V., DEL GAUDIO G. (2018), “The evolution of tourism in the digital era: the case of a tourism destination”, Sinergie Journal of Management, vol. 36, n. 105, pp 179-199.
SHAO G. (2009), “Understanding the appeal of user-generated media: A uses and gratification perspective”, Internet Research, vol. 19, n. 1, pp. 7-25.
SHEN Y., HWANSUK C.C., JOPPEM., YI S. (2020), “What motivates visitors to participate in a gamified trip? A player typology using Q methodology”, Tourism Management, vol. 78, 104074, pp. 1-15.
SOULEZ S., GUILLOT-SOULEZ C. (2011), “Marketing de recrutement et segmentation générationnelle: regard critique à partir d’un sous-segment de la génération Y”, Recherche et Applications en Marketing, vol. 26, n. 1, pp. 39-57.
XU F., TIAN F., BUHALIS D., WEBER J., ZHANG H. (2016), “Tourists as mobile gamers: Gamification for tourism marketing”, Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, vol. 33, n. 8, pp. 1124-1142.
WANG D., FESENMAIER D.R. (2013), “Transforming the Travel Experience: The Use of Smartphones for Travel”, in Cantoni L., Xiang Z. (edited by) Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism, Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
WANG D., PARK S., FESENMAIER D.R. (2012), “The role of smartphones in mediating the touristic experience” Journal of Travel Research, vol. 51, n. 4, pp. 371-387.
WANG D., XIANG Z. (2012), “The new landscape of travel: A comprehensive analysis of Smartphone Apps”, in Fuchs M., Ricci F., Cantoni L. (edited by), Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism, Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
WANG D., XIANG Z., FESENMAIER D.R. (2014), “Adapting to the mobile world: a model of smartphone use”, Annals Tourism Research, vol. 48, n. C, pp. 11-26.
WEILER A. (2005), “Information-seeking behavior in generation Y students: motivation, critical thinking, and learning theory”, The Journal of Academic Librarianship, vol. 31, n. 1, pp. 46-53.
WILLIAMS K.C., PAGE R.A. (2011), “Marketing to the generations”, Journal of Behavioral Studies in Business, vol. 3, n. 1, pp. 37-52.
WOZNIAK T., SCHAFFNER D., STANOEVSKA-SLABEVA K., LENZ-KESEKAMP V. (2018), “Psychological antecedents of mobile consumer behaviour and implications for customer journeys in tourism”, Information Technology and Tourism, vol. 18, n. 1-4, pp. 85-112.
YOUN S., KIM S. (2019), “Newsfeed native advertising on Facebook: young millennials’ knowledge, pet peeves, reactance and ad avoidance”, International Journal of Advertising, vol. 38, n. 5, pp. 1-33.
ZENG B., GERRITSEN R. (2014), “What do we know about social media in tourism? A review”, Tourism Management Perspectives, vol. 10, pp. 27-36.
