Connectivity and Safety: Key Drivers for Tourism Experiences in Remote Regions in the Post-Pandemic Era

Mobile technologies are rapidly growing and shaping the tourism industry. Nonetheless, remote locations have specific characteristics that could restrain the deployment and use of technologies and jeopardize the sense of safety, affecting tourism experiences. There is a lack of empirical research that studies the importance of mobile technologies and security networks in remote destinations. A survey based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was conducted on 738 tourists during their stay in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, a nine-island Portuguese archipelago, to analyze the importance and impact of mobile technologies and security services. Since tourists have a high intensity of smartphone usage during their stay (86% use mobile internet and almost 50% use smartphones once per hour), mobile communication services and technologies need to be in place. Internet access and Wi-Fi are highly important for tourists for browsing and messaging, especially in urban areas, but also in rural and maritime areas. The availability of emergency and security networks is critical for destination selection and to engage in tourism activities. This paper contributes to the study of mobile tourism in remote destinations, with inputs regarding tourists’ behavior, and has implications for governance and industry stakeholders regarding destination management and the creation of meaningful and sustainable experiences with a high value for digital and smart tourists in the post-pandemic era.