Role of data safety and perceived privacy for acceptance of IoT-enabled technologies at smart tourism destinations

Smart tourism with the Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled technologies is the future of global tourism. This study examines smart tourism adoption based on trust and risk theories integrated with the technology adoption model (TAM). Perceived privacy and safety-security risks are discussed as key issues that affect the tourists’ level of trust in the technology, which influences perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitudes, and behavioural intention. The study involved collecting data scientifically from 427 tourists to validate the proposed hypotheses using structural equation modelling. All the hypotheses were supported. This work provides a hierarchical model that highlights the intermediary role of trust contingent on perceived safety and security risk and perceived privacy risk, as well as that of ease of use, usefulness, and attitudes as a pathway for shaping the behavioural intention for IoT-enabled technologies at a smart destination. The findings can help develop smart tourism solutions optimized for IoT devices to enthuse trust and in turn, make visitor experiences rewarding.