Flourishing through smart tourism : experience patterns for co-designing technology-mediated traveller experiences

Abstract

Information and communication technologies are major drivers of tourism innovation. Smart tourism, which is supported by ubiquitous technology, has the potential to offer personalized, memorable, and meaningful experiences (MMEs). A growing body of positive psychology research has recognized that MMEs can foster human flourishing when the experiences are related to the individual’s implicit psychological needs and personality traits. However, little research has been conducted on the ways to incorporate MMEs into the co-design process of smart tourism innovation. To do so, researchers must identify the experiential factors that promote MMEs and then incorporate these factors into the innovation process. The goal of this project is to derive a set of ‘experience patterns’ that encapsulate the experiential factors comprising individual cognitive, motivational, emotional, and behavioural traits pertaining to MMEs. Using these patterns in the innovation process, co-design team members can consciously discuss and strategically integrate MMEs in smart tourism innovation.