Smart Tourism Readiness and Visitor Satisfaction: A Study on Digital Infrastructure, Sustainability, and Service Innovation

The transformation of global tourism in the digital age has significantly elevated expectations regarding service delivery and visitor experience, compelling urban destinations to integrate smart technologies and sustainable practices. This study investigated the impact of smart tourism readiness—measured by digital infrastructure, sustainability practices, and service innovation—on visitor satisfaction in Metro Cebu, Philippines. A total of 450 valid responses were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed through Pearson correlation, multiple regression analysis, and one-way ANOVA. Results revealed a high level of smart tourism readiness (overall mean = 3.96, SD = 0.74) and visitor satisfaction (overall mean = 3.98, SD = 0.69). Digital infrastructure recorded the highest influence on visitor satisfaction (r = 0.68, p < 0.01), followed by service innovation (r = 0.64, p < 0.01) and sustainability practices (r = 0.59, p < 0.01). The multiple regression model explained 51.9% of the variance in visitor satisfaction (R² = 0.519, F(3, 446) = 160.64, p < 0.001), with digital infrastructure emerging as the most significant predictor (β = 0.531, p < 0.001). Moreover, ANOVA results revealed significant differences in satisfaction across age groups (F = 3.12, p = 0.026), tourist origin (F = 5.41, p = 0.021), and purpose of visit (F = 4.97, p = 0.008). These findings underscore the critical role of technological accessibility, innovative service delivery, and sustainability in shaping tourist satisfaction. The study contributes to the limited body of empirical research on smart tourism in Southeast Asia by offering evidence-based insights that inform strategic tourism planning, policy formulation, and destination competitiveness.