The impact of smart tourism technologies on tourists’ interest in the hotel sector

Purpose The main objective of this research is to analyze the impact of the perceived smart tourism technology experience, by smart technologies, on tourists and their satisfaction with the service experience, their satisfaction with the travel experience, the image of the tourist destination, its promotion and their intentions to revisit. Design/methodology/approach To achieve the main objective, this study used structural equation modeling with partial least squares to analyze data collected from tourists who visited five-star hotels in smart cities in the Middle East and Europe. Findings The increasing availability and acceptance of smart technologies in the hotel sector demonstrate the role and importance of technology in the hospitality industry. Notably, as observed in current research, this technology offers enhanced services as a dynamic factor in attracting tourists. Furthermore, the hospitality sector is closely linked to tourism, which aims to provide enhanced experiences for tourists through smart technologies. The use of smart tourism technologies (STTs) has been shown to be a critical factor behind the emergence of the concept of smart hotels and destinations. Originality/value The results of this study contribute to the formalization of hotel establishments’ new vision and strategies to encourage tourist satisfaction with their establishments and the destination through STTs. Furthermore, this research allows determining the importance of using STTs by hotels on aspects such as the destination’s image, word of mouth or revisit intention.