What constructs affect tourist behaviour in the purchasing process?: Analysis in technological innovation environments

Abstract

As the literature has shown over the years, the consumer is affected by numerous factors in their purchasing process (innovation, technology, price, previous experience, attitude, trust, among others). Similarly, the consumer-tourist buys products with characteristics specific to the service sector (subjectivity, intangibility, expiration, heterogeneity, etc.). The objective of this research is to identify the existing changes in consumer behavior in general, and tourists, in particular. These changes are derived mainly from the technological innovation processes present in cities and smart tourist destinations, since they represent the trend in the configuration of today's cities and tourist destinations. From a qualitative approach to research, the analysis of data is pursued to help draw conclusions that allow a better understanding of one's own reality. The data collection methodology follows a systematic process of analysis beginning with a review of the main models of technological acceptance, as well as the constructs of special interest in the field of consumer behaviour. The study of classic models of technological acceptance together with new research allows us to obtain a theoretical justification of real trends in consumer behaviour. Finally, it is shown how technological innovation in the tourism sector affects tourist perception. In an environment like the current one, where the use of technology is part of the daily lives of companies and users, it is necessary to know if this technology is really accepted by the consumer and to what extent. This study involves a broad review of technology acceptance models from their origin with the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) (Davis, 1985), the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (Davis et. al., 1989) and, finally, the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) (Ajzen, 1991). Furthermore, its use in the justification of current studies and its extrapolation to tourist behaviour provide this research with possible tools for researchers in the area of ​​tourism and technology. This will allow us to associate current constructs in innovation with theories as supported in the literature as is the case of the TAM