Constructivist Research in Smart Tourism

Smart tourism is a social phenomenon arising from the convergence of information technology with the tourism experience. New ways of doing business, new patterns of experience and new problems concerning tourism destination image management and marketing are emerging due to the ubiquitous presence and influence of the internet and mobile devices. New conceptual tools are also available to enable researchers to further understand the social implications as well as the practical implementation of these new virtual and augmented smart tourism ecosystems. To this effect this paper introduces the constructivist paradigm and associated research methodologies as another toolbox for interpreting how smart tourism works as a form of soft power. The implications revealed by constructivism are that through smart tourism ecosystems, destination commodification and commoditization, experience and image formation are increasingly self-perpetuating, autonomous and organic social constructions. Researchers in information technology can use constructivist research to further explore these dynamic developments in smart tourism.