On the post-pandemic travel boom : How capacity building and smart tourism technologies in rural areas can help - evidence from Iran
(2023) In Technological Forecasting and Social Change 193.- Abstract
While there have been numerous studies investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism, few research projects have examined the impact of the outbreak on using smart tourism technologies (STT), especially in developing countries. This study adopted thematic analysis, with data collected using in-person interviews. The participants for the study were selected using the snow-balling technique. We explored the process of developing smart technologies during the pandemic and its impact on smart rural tourism technology development upon travel restart. The subject was investigated by focusing on five selected villages in central Iran which have tourism dependent economies. Overall, the results indicated that the pandemic... (More)
While there have been numerous studies investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism, few research projects have examined the impact of the outbreak on using smart tourism technologies (STT), especially in developing countries. This study adopted thematic analysis, with data collected using in-person interviews. The participants for the study were selected using the snow-balling technique. We explored the process of developing smart technologies during the pandemic and its impact on smart rural tourism technology development upon travel restart. The subject was investigated by focusing on five selected villages in central Iran which have tourism dependent economies. Overall, the results indicated that the pandemic partially changed the government's resistance towards the fast development of smart technologies. Thus, the role of smart technologies in curbing the virus spread was officially recognized. This change of policy led to the implementation of Capacity Building (CB) programs to improve digital literacy and minimize the digital gap that exists between urban and rural areas in Iran. Implementing CB programs during the pandemic directly and indirectly contributed to the digitalization of rural tourism. Implementing such programs enhanced tourism stakeholders' individual and institutional capacity to gain access to and creatively use STT in rural area. The results of this study improve our understanding and knowledge of the impact of crises on the degree of acceptability and use of STT in traditional rural societies.
(Less)
- author
- Torabi, Zabih Allah ; Rezvani, Mohammad Reza ; Hall, C. Michael LU and Allam, Zaheer
- organization
- publishing date
- 2023
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Capacity building, COVID-19 pandemic, Individual and institutional capacity, Smart rural tourism technologies, Tourism management, Travel restart
- in
- Technological Forecasting and Social Change
- volume
- 193
- article number
- 122633
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:37223653
- scopus:85159562128
- ISSN
- 0040-1625
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122633
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- ce0483ba-9f88-41f2-ba20-641accb7e07b
- date added to LUP
- 2023-08-17 10:51:32
- date last changed
- 2024-04-20 00:53:55
@article{ce0483ba-9f88-41f2-ba20-641accb7e07b,
abstract = {{<p>While there have been numerous studies investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism, few research projects have examined the impact of the outbreak on using smart tourism technologies (STT), especially in developing countries. This study adopted thematic analysis, with data collected using in-person interviews. The participants for the study were selected using the snow-balling technique. We explored the process of developing smart technologies during the pandemic and its impact on smart rural tourism technology development upon travel restart. The subject was investigated by focusing on five selected villages in central Iran which have tourism dependent economies. Overall, the results indicated that the pandemic partially changed the government's resistance towards the fast development of smart technologies. Thus, the role of smart technologies in curbing the virus spread was officially recognized. This change of policy led to the implementation of Capacity Building (CB) programs to improve digital literacy and minimize the digital gap that exists between urban and rural areas in Iran. Implementing CB programs during the pandemic directly and indirectly contributed to the digitalization of rural tourism. Implementing such programs enhanced tourism stakeholders' individual and institutional capacity to gain access to and creatively use STT in rural area. The results of this study improve our understanding and knowledge of the impact of crises on the degree of acceptability and use of STT in traditional rural societies.</p>}},
author = {{Torabi, Zabih Allah and Rezvani, Mohammad Reza and Hall, C. Michael and Allam, Zaheer}},
issn = {{0040-1625}},
keywords = {{Capacity building; COVID-19 pandemic; Individual and institutional capacity; Smart rural tourism technologies; Tourism management; Travel restart}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Technological Forecasting and Social Change}},
title = {{On the post-pandemic travel boom : How capacity building and smart tourism technologies in rural areas can help - evidence from Iran}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122633}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122633}},
volume = {{193}},
year = {{2023}},
}