Developing an Internet-of-Things for visitor flow management in rural tourism destinations; A User Design Perspective

Proceedings of The 2nd International Conference on Tourism Management and Hospitality

Year: 2022

DOI:

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Developing an Internet-of-Things for visitor flow management in rural tourism destinations; A User Design Perspective

Ewelina Lacka, Angela Tregear, Jake Ansell, Sarah Cooper

ABSTRACT: 

Rural tourism is becoming increasingly. The influx of visitors to open access locations, however, brings disruptions to the local community, environmental degradation, and dissatisfaction in the visitor experience. Despite the significance of the problem, overcrowding in rural tourism ‘hot spots’ persists and stakeholders continue to search for effective solutions. This project demonstrates a pilot action aimed at the development of an Internet-of-Things (IoT) for visitor flow management in rural tourism destinations. Using the case of Isle of Skye, Scotland as an example of a rural tourism destination, and working collaboratively with the destination management organization for Skye, we demonstrate the process of IoT blueprint development. Guided by the principles of user design, and underpinned by the technology adoption theories, we demonstrate the results of qualitative research which led to the development of an IoT blueprint tailored to the unique context of the Isle of Skye.

keywords: IoT; rural tourism; smart tourism; user design; visitor flow.