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Digital free tourism–An exploratory study of tourist motivations.

Egger, I., Lei, S.I. and Wassler, P., 2020. Digital free tourism–An exploratory study of tourist motivations. Tourism Management, 79 (August), 104098.

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DOI: 10.1016/j.tourman.2020.104098

Abstract

The problem of technology overuse - and related mental health and addiction issues – has spilled over into the tourism context. Recent literature has also suggested that heavy use of technology while traveling could potentially have negative impacts on the overall tourist experience and that tourists might search for “disconnection” while travelling. As a result, this study focuses on the recently emerged and scarcely understood phenomenon of “digital free tourism” (DFT), exploring participants’ motivations for voluntarily abstaining from or limiting their use of technology on their travels. The findings aid relevant theory by identifying four main factors that motivate tourists to participate in DFT – escape, personal growth, health and well-being, relationships – and highlight several exploratory subthemes underlying these motivators. As such, this study opens the door for a more critical approach towards technology-related studies in the tourism field. Considering DFT not as an inconvenience but a travel choice, this study can finally aid practitioners to better promote DFT as a tourism product; maximizing the participants’ related benefits and positive experiences.

Item Type:Article
ISSN:0261-5177
Group:Bournemouth University Business School
ID Code:33732
Deposited By: Symplectic RT2
Deposited On:09 Mar 2020 15:50
Last Modified:14 Mar 2022 14:21

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