Tourism Value Chain Determinants of Destination Competitiveness in Tanzania: Mediating Role of Mobile Application

This study seeks to explain the mediating effect of mobile application usage on the relationship between determinants of the tourism value chain and destination competitiveness. Employing a positivist philosophy, the research utilized an explanatory design based on a deductive approach. Three hundred and twenty questionnaires were distributed to tourists who visited Serengeti National Park, resulting in 238 usable responses for subsequent analysis. Data collection employed non-probability (purposive) and probability (stratified) sampling techniques, relying on primary and secondary data sources. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was conducted using AMOS software to analyze the relationships among the variables and test the mediating effect of mobile application usage on pre-travel, during-travel, and post-travel experiences; Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was conducted using AMOS software. The primary finding of this study indicated partial mediation between mobile application usage and the relationship between pre-travel and post-travel experiences on destination competitiveness. Conversely, a full mediation effect was observed between mobile application usage during travel and destination competitiveness. This research contributes to theoretical discourse by providing empirical evidence on concepts related to pre-travel, during-travel, and post-travel experiences that require further investigation within the Tanzanian context. Implementing an official mobile application is essential to enhance Tanzania's competitiveness relative to other African destinations. Furthermore, this model may be utilized in comparable tourist destinations across Africa, enabling a comparative analysis with existing findings and fostering the development of more robust theoretical frameworks