DETERMINANTES DA CRIAÇÃO DE VALOR EM APLICAÇÕES MÓVEIS NA EXPERIÊNCIA TURÍSTICA: ESTUDO EXPLORATÓRIO NA PERSPETIVA DO TURISTA EM GUIMARÃES

• Autor(a) principal: Martins, Ana Margarida Pinto Rego
• Data de Publicação: 2018
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/11110/1520
• topic: Aplicações móveis; dispositivos móveis; experiência turística; etourism; mtourism

With the possibility of accessing internet anywhere and anytime, the use of smartphones and other mobile devices to use mobile applications is increasing. Thus, this study focuses on the use of mobile applications in tourism context, and its importance for its development. This research seeks to understand the user's view of technologies, namely mobile applications in a tourism context, understanding which features and characteristics that the mobile user considers most relevant to be integrated into a mobile touristic application. It is also sought to understand the perceptions about the price in the use of an application and the difference of importance between the usefulness of the application and its ease of use. For this research was used a questionnaire survey applied in an hotel in the city of Guimarães, a reference for the tourism in the north of Portugal, located in the centre of the city, with a sample of 98 people, hosted in the same, in order to be considered tourists. Of the respondents, 94 reported using mobile devices in their travels, being the smartphone the most used and accessing social networks, taking photos and videos and using GPS the most accomplished tasks. The research has revealed that the price has an influence on the decision to buy a mobile travel application, and it is verified that users have a preference for free applications. Regarding the functionalities integrated in the mobile applications, the creation of itineraries proved to be the most important, verifying also the influence of the functionalities in the use of applications in a tourist context. The use in offline mode is the most valued feature, along with the use throughout the year and the availability of up-to-date information. Thus, the characteristics revealed to exert influence in the adoption of mobile applications in tourist context. Regarding utility and ease of use, it has been found that the most important factor is the usefulness of the application and not the ease of its use, demonstrating that tourists prefer to face difficulties, nevertheless, to obtain more useful information.