Tourism Mobile Application Usability

Abstract

Mobile communication is experiencing significant growth: the domain has been completely reshaped since the launch of the Apple iPhone (June 2007) and the ensuing development of so-called “smart phones”. Furthermore, together with the expansion of new mobile artifacts, mobile application markets (such as Apple iTunes Store and Android Google Play market) have contributed to the diffusion of new forms of communication within different sectors and domains. Tourism is being very much exposed to the advent of mobile applications as tools for communication and assistance during the consumption of touristic experiences. By examining a case from the tourism industry, this research highlights the importance of the usability of mobile communication in this mobile tourism (mTourism) context. mTourism usability can be achieved by emphasizing the importance of fast and reliable access to content, as well as the quality – particularly conciseness, accuracy and coverage – of the relevant information.