the role of technology in enhancing tourist experience including virtual tours and travel application

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background Of The Study The World Tourism Organisation (WTO), the United Nations agency in charge of tourism operations, defines tourism as "a social, cultural, and economic phenomenon involving people's movement to countries or places outside their usual environment for personal or business/professional reasons. “Tourists or excursionists; residents or non-residents are referred to as visitors, and tourism refers to their activities, some of which entails tourism outgoings" (United Nations World Tourism Organization, 2008). Tourism is a dynamic and rapidly evolving industry that plays a significant role in economic development, cultural exchange, and environmental conservation worldwide. In recent years, the landscape of tourism has been transformed by advancements in technology, leading to innovative approaches in how destinations attract, engage, and retain visitors. The integration of technology into various facets of the tourism experience has become increasingly prevalent, offering new opportunities and challenges for stakeholders in the industry. As the global tourism sector continues to grow and diversify, there is a growing recognition of the importance of enhancing visitor experiences to remain competitive in a crowded marketplace. With the rise of digital platforms, mobile applications, augmented reality, and other technological tools, destinations and tourism businesses are exploring innovative ways to create immersive and personalized experiences for travelers. Wang, D., & Fesenmaier, D. R. (2017). Despite its rapid spread in recent years, the COVID 19 pandemic has a significant impact on tourism and other industry sectors. According to the UNWTO (2021a), COVID 19 threatens 100-120 million direct tourist jobs. This demands new tourist tactics. The goal of introducing a new or improved component into the tourism sector is to provide tangible and intangible benefits to tourism stakeholders and the local community, thereby improving the value of the tourism experience and the tourism sector's core competencies, and thus enhancing tourism competitiveness/or sustainability. Tourism innovation may encompass, among other things, tourism destinations, tourism products, technology, processes, organisations, and business models, skills, architecture, services, tools and/or techniques for management, marketing, communication, operation, quality assurance, and pricing (WTO, 2019). The role of technology in shaping visitor experiences encompasses a wide range of dimensions, including information dissemination, destination marketing, transportation, accommodation, attractions, activities, and visitor services. From pre-trip planning to on-site navigation and post-travel engagement, technology has the potential to influence every stage of the tourism journey, shaping perceptions, behaviors, and overall satisfaction levels of travelers. Wang, D., & Fesenmaier, D. R. (2017). Virtual technologies like Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are novel ways for the tourism sector to stay open throughout this pandemic. Virtual Reality (VR) is a computergenerated 3D environment that simulates the sensations of its user's digital experience in real time (Hollebeek Clark, Andreassen, Sigurdsson, & Smith 2020). Augmented Reality (AR) is a computer-generated data visualisation approach that superimposes text, video, graphics, GPS data, and other multimedia formats on top of a real-world view acquired by a computer, phone, or other device's camera according to Rauschnabel, He, and Ro (2018). Technology helps the tourism industry, as Huang, Backman, Backman, and Chang (2016) pointed out. The introduction of these digital tools, production mechanisation, and computerisations are assisting in the resolution of some of the difficulties highlighted above, allowing businesses to provide a long-lasting client experience. Information is becoming increasingly available to the general public because of technological advancements. Technology is useful to both producers and buyers through online buying of goods and services. Aside from the tremendous advantages of technology, certain sections of the world, such as poor countries, consider it to be prohibitively expensive to employ. With the help of technological innovation, virtual excursions and destinations are now possible in these unprecedented times. Because of modern technology and innovation in the tourism sector, places that used to take several miles, hours, or days to visit now take minutes. This progress has also resulted in an increase in tourism demand due to customer satisfaction. It saves time for customers and improves feedback for a better long-term customer experience in the tourism industry (Sardak & Sardak, 2016). These technologies contribute in generating a great customer experience, which is understandable considering that one of today's top priorities is establishing a compelling customer experience and turning it into a successful service quality plan (Abdul Khader and Madhavi, 2017). The omnipresence of information technology, the domination of brands, and the ubiquity of communication and entertainment, according to Schmitt (1999), are all part of this paradigm transition. Because of its experimental character, marketing is becoming more experiential than the traditional method (Fesenmaier and Xiang, 2017). Customers nowadays are more interested in experiences than in the functionality of products and services. For example, the results of a BBC TV study of 20,000 people, which asked respondents what they wanted to do before they died, revealed that people prefer to do new things or enjoy new experiences above possessing a commodity. See the Northern Lights, swim with dolphins, dive on the Great Barrier Reef, fly on Concorde, whale watching, shark diving, skydiving, and walk the Great Wall of China were among their responses (Fesenmaier & Xiang, 2017). Digital technologies have made it possible for a wide range of people to visit and experience destinations across the globe at a less expensive price as compared to physically being there. However, being physically present at a tourist has an irreplaceable experience as compared to being there virtually (Sussmann & Vanhegan cited in Guttentag, 2010). Understanding customer experience has always been a source of worry for businesses. Customers today find it more enjoyable and convenient to purchase and consume goods and services using modern technology. As a result, the customer experience shifts from physical to virtual, sensory, and digital (Digi-sensual). Mura, Tavakoli, and Pahlevan Sharif (2017) recommended that enterprises should combine sensory and digital aspects to create a genuine and lifetime client experience in their article. Some companies, such as Disney, are already using disruptive technologies to enhance their customers' experiences. These new technologies also aid the tourism industry (Huang, Backman, Backman, & Chang, 2016). According to research, environmental changes such as Covid-19 and the continual customer expectation for a longlasting service experience will boost the customer experience in the years ahead. Companies in the tourism industry also benefit from current technologies in order to survive in these changing times. As a result, tourist locations benefit from economies of scale, increased income, and improved business results (Ilic & Nikolic, 2018). To satisfy the changing environment and constant client expectations, the tourist experience provider has the capacity to expand its services using new technologies. As a result, new technologies will be critical in delivering a lifetime customer experience across the customer journey. It is also clear that the potential for new ideas and technology to be applied in the tourism sector outweighs the associated challenges. This study will therefore examining the role of technology in enhancing tourist experience including virtual tours and travel application 1.2 Statement Of The Problem Technological advancement has put the current form of traditional tourism in jeopardy, the emergence and evolution of new kinds of tourism, since it shifts away from mass tourism. Despite its rich cultural and natural attractions, Kaduna State’s tourism industry faces challenges in providing memorable and engaging experiences for visitors. This shift in tourism behavior and attitudes needs new approaches that employ creative service delivery methods, customers' experiential involvement, customers reaction to items and services that provide pleasurable and emotional experiences, Surprisingly, with the emergence of new technological developments allowing for more virtual experiences, the importance of technology in delivering a successful service in today's business, leading to a high brand and customer loyalty, customer experience lacks clear definition in virtual tourism experience design, implementation, and management. As a result, researchers and marketing experts have yet to identify the impact of technology and how affects the customer experience through virtual touchpoints throughout the customer journey. As a result, it is critical to understand the role of technology on the customer experience throughout the tourist industry's journey, limited awareness and utilization of virtual tours and travel app among the tourism stakeholders, inadequate infrastructure for technology integration, lack of standardized and user friendly travel apps and virtual tour platforms 1.3 Objectives of The Study The objectives of the study are 1. To investigate the role of virtual tours and travel apps in creating memorable customer experience 2. To evaluate the use of virtual tours and travel apps in enhancing tourist experiences 3. To determine the advantages and disadvantages of using virtual tours and travel apps in the tourism business. By achieving these objectives, the study aims to contribute to the development of a more sustainable, technology driven tourism industry in Kaduna state, enhancing the overall tourist experiences and promoting the state unique attractions. 1.4 Significance of the Study This study on the role of technology in enhancing tourist experience in Kaduna state has a lot of significance which include: It help sensitize tourism professionals, stakeholders as well as policy makers in the field on the role of technology with the use of virtual tours and travel apps as a tool for development of tourism in the state to promote sustainable tourism practices as the study’s findings and recommendations can help enhance in the preservation of tourism cultural heritage in the state and the overall tourist experience in Kaduna State. Also, Private sectors, individual, government will also benefit as it will serve as relevant document which will give them more insight the effective use of technology which will contribute to the growth and development of tourism industry in Kaduna state generating revenue and creating more jobs. This research work will also contributes to knowledge which will be of benefit to students and researchers in the field of tourism as it will adds to the existing body of research on the role of technology in the advancement of tourism industry as well as guide in order to carryout research other related to the topic. 1.5 Research Questions 1. What are the role of virtual tours and travel apps in creating memorable customer experience 2. What are the uses of virtual tours and travel apps in the enhancement of tourist experiences 3. What are some of the benefits and emerging challenges of using virtual tours and travel apps in the tourism business.