Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are regarded as smart and digital technologies that made their impact in many industries and settings. On the other hand, the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 raises a series of issues and challenges for the tourism education, one of the main being the shift from the conventional/face-to-face to digital/hybrid learning forms and tools. The adoption and usage of these digital technologies raise a series of challenges for all stakeholders involved. The research question and study's aim were the influencing factors that determine the acceptance of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality applications in the tertiary tourism education within the context of current pandemic. To address this aim, the study was drawn on the theoretical basis of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). It takes a students' perspective to suggest a research model that was empirically investigated within the Chinese context (tourism departments in Chinese universities). The sample population consisted of 604 Chinese students and data was collected during February 2021. The data were analyzed using PLS-SEM. Findings indicated that perceived usefulness, hedonic motivation and price value are important predicting factors for Chinese students' adoption and use of these applications. These findings contribute to the extension of the TAM theory and the effective implementation of digital technologies in university settings. The study is completed by summarizing theoretical and practical implications of findings.

A key strategic aim of tourism destinations within the smart tourism paradigm is to achieve efficient, responsible and sustainable use of tourism resources. This aim can be achieved by promoting the appropriate practices and making tourists co-managers, co-designers and co-creators of tourism experiences. This paper argues that smart tourism destinations should manage their resources in a sustainable way and that smart technologies can make their contribution. Could a smart technology such as social media/social networking sites make a contribution to sustainable tourism within the smart tourism paradigm? To address this research question, a project was carried out to explore the perceptions and attitudes of Chinese tourist consumers about the contribution of social networking sites to adopting a sustainable and responsible behavior within the context of a smart tourism framework. First a research framework encompassing three hypotheses related to the influence of social networking sites at the three main stages of the travel cycle/tourist journey was designed. An exploratory quantitative research was then carried out using the online survey technique. The study's findings indicate that the use of social networking sites influences the smart tourists at all three stages on adoption of sustainable and responsible behavior, the most significant influence is at the first two stages. The article is completed by discussing the related conclusions and management implications in the smart tourism management framework. Author Contributions: The authors' contributions were as follows. Conceptualization: S.S. and M.S.; Methodology: M.S. and Q.Z.; Software, Q.Z.; Validation, S.S. and M.S.; Formal analysis, S.S., M.S. and Q.Z.; Investigation: S.S. and Q.Z.; Resources: S.S.; Data curation: Q.Z.; Writing-original draft preparation: M.S.; Writing-review and editing: S.S. and M.S.; Project administration and supervision: S.S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Funding: This research received no external funding. Conflicts of Interest:The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Nowadays, smartness and smart management of tourism destinations and suppliers are becoming a top priority and big challenge. This article focuses on tourist attractions and aims at exploring how smart technologies influence the customer journey. The main research question is how smart technologies are influencing the tourists’ visit experience. The study takes a consumer behavior perspective with a specific focus on the visit cycle (prospective, active, and reflective phases), based on the theoretical foundations of customer journey process model. First, a research framework was elaborated, encompassing three hypotheses. Then, this model was empirically tested and validated by means of a quantitative research using as a study site the Ningbo Museum, Ningbo, China. This investigation allows us to get insights into consumer behavior, which is useful for tourist attraction to become ‘smarter’. The study’s findings indicate that smart technologies have an influence on the customer journey at all three phases, the most significant being at the prospective and active phases, without neglecting the reflective one. This article extends our knowledge by providing new insights into the influence of smart technologies that have theoretical and marketing implications for tourist attraction.

The adoption and implementation of smart technologies in tourism destinations and visitor attractions to enrich tourists’ experiences and improve their satisfaction has become a new trend. The main purpose of this study was to explore the influence of the dimensions/attributes of smart technologies on tourism experience in the context of visitor attractions and related outcomes (satisfaction and post-consumption behavioral intentions). The Liangzhu Museum, Zhejiang Province, China, was used as the study area, and data were collected from 486 visitors and analyzed with a regression model. The results show that accessibility and interactivity affect smart technology-enhanced experiences. Tourists’ perceived value of smart technologies is significantly related to their satisfaction. Smart technology positively impacts word-of-mouth recommendations, revisit intention, and willingness to pay a price premium. Therefore, visitor attractions could improve tourists’ experiences by designing better infrastructure and services that incorporate the key dimensions of smart technologies, which would also improve their competitiveness.

This study has conducted two rounds of interviews at the Four Great Buddhist Mountains (FGBMs) in China mainland to explore spiritual values and relevant influencing factors of religious visitors. The results analysis has categorized seven themes of spiritual values. It reflected that visitors were trying to seek a balanced life status through maintaining good relationships with their inner selves, other people, and all forms of life. The identified spiritual values were simultaneously influenced by visitors' religious belief, cultural values, and environmental elements. The findings contribute to the existing knowledge about values and provide implications for developing religious tourism sustainably.

A very good understanding and knowledge about the tourists’ perceptions are of critical importance for the management and marketing of tourism destinations and sites of all types. The aim of this study was to investigate the perceived authenticity and its relationship with perceived value and loyalty of tourists in the context of marine tourism. First, the study proposed a research model based on the conceptual foundations of authenticity, perceived value and loyalty. The suggested model was then tested by means of a quantitative survey conducted in Zhoushan, one of the most popular Chinese marine tourism destinations. The study’s findings revealed that the object-based authenticity and interpersonal authenticity significantly affected perceived value and loyalty of tourists, and the perceived value partly mediated the relationship between authenticity and loyalty. The article is completed by discussing the theoretical and managerial implications.

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The aim of this study is to suggest a framework for performance evaluation of smart tourism initiatives/projects implemented in tourist attractions. The suggested tool is based on the theoretical foundations of Service-Dominant Logic and the Balance Scorecard framework, an established strategic management framework that maps an organization’s strategic objectives into performance indicators. The suggested template for performance evaluation was tested and validated within the context of China, and 30 interviews were conducted with managers of tourist attractions rated the highest quality level in Zhejiang Province, China. The empirical study’s results indicated that (i) the crafted Balance Scorecard template is implementable and of high utility; (ii) a volume of 8 Critical Success Factors and 22 Key Performance Indicators constitute an integrated set to monitor and assess the performance in a comprehensive manner; (iii) the key factors and indicators should be the same regardless of the type of ownership and management (public or private); and (iv) technological infrastructure and services are evolving; however, the principles and tools remain the same regardless the advent of smart paradigm.