ABSTRACT

In this chapter, we explore the effect that mobile phone adoption among travelers has had on the hospitality industry and in particular how the introduction of mobile phones has profoundly shifted the “tourist gaze”. Smartphones affect the planning, experiential, and reflective phases; the need for pre-trip planning is reduced, spontaneous exploration of the destination is made easier, and sharing the experience with friends and family is enhanced. Smartphones facilitate the creation of consumer-generated content (CGC), which now plays an important role in travelers’ decision-making processes and reduces the influence of traditional marketing methods. The chapter concludes with a discussion of how hospitality providers have responded to changes in consumer behavior brought about by the smartphone, including promotion of mobile commerce features and augmented reality (AR) applications.