Biometric technology and privacy: a perspective from tourist satisfaction

Abstract

With the escalating figures of tourists arriving to Malaysia, biometric technology plays a vital role to facilitate identity verification by using a self-service automated fingerprint scanner. Inbound tourists were made compulsory to use the biometric technology at Malaysia's immigration port of entry by providing their fingerprint data to be stored in the database located at the Ministry of Home Affairs. The database is linked to the police's existing Biometric Fingerprint Identification System database to grant immigration officers access to the movements of tourists with criminal records. However, the biggest foe of biometric technology is the issue of privacy. There is limited research engaging biometric technology in the tourism industry and this study becomes imperative and important. Based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, this study was to investigate the constructs' effect on tourist satisfaction. Data was collected from 311 inbound tourists at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. They were tested against the research model using structural equation modelling approach. The results indicate that performance expectancy and physical privacy are not significant with regard to tourist satisfaction. We found that effort expectancy, facilitating conditions and informational privacy were all significant constructs that affect tourist satisfaction. These findings provide several important implications for researchers and designers.

Acceptance and use of ICT in tourism: the modified UTAUT model

“…Performance expectancy is similar to perceived usefulness used in the TAM model (Davis, 1989;Neo et al, 2014). PE can be explained in several dimensions: usefulness, convenience, timesaving and productivity (Gupta and Dogra, 2017).…”

Calm ICT design in hotels: A critical review of applications and implications

“…Despite their multiple advantages, currently, neither guests nor hoteliers are yet fully ready for biometrics (Bilgihan, Karadag, Cobanoglu, & Okumus, 2013), thus preventing it from being considered as an example of calm ICT design. Biometric identification has to overcome such challenges as under-developed national legislation, user privacy and personal concerns, misunderstanding of the system functioning and high costs of deployment, among others (Kang et al, 2007;Kim, Farrish, & Schrier, 2013;Neo, Rasiah, Tong, & Teo, 2014).…”

“…The main advantage of calm ICT transactions for guests is the convenience of use which leaves enough space to enjoy the basic hotel experience, as no additional mental cost is needed to conduct practical operations. Guest-host transactions based on calm ICT design encompass examples of paperless transactions (Neo et al, 2014; The Japan News, 2016), contactless identification and payment (Bilolo, Boeck, Durif, Levesque, & Levesque, 2015), proximity transaction services (Pesonen & Horster, 2012), self-directed experiences (for example, Starwood's keyless mobile entry) (Ting, 2016;Lim et al, 2018).) or indoor/outdoor visitors tracking without their active participation (Williams, 2015).…”

Applying Biometric Technology for Enhancing Airports Efficiency during Covid-19 pandemic: A case study of Egyptian Destination

“…In addition, there are four aspects of biometrics which are; 1. universality: as every traveler has his unique characteristics ,2. distinctiveness: travelers have various characteristics ,3. existence: these characteristics should be existed for a period of time and 4. countability: these characteristics could be quantitively measured. Furthermore, biometrics notably affect traveler's satisfaction of a destination when using biometric passports and finishing journey procedures rapidly with https://ijthsx.journals.ekb.eg/ keeping traveler's information safe and under government's control, travelers will be satisfied and loyal to a destination (Neo et al,2014).…”