The Role of Experiential Marketing in the Context of Smart Tourism in Influencing Tourists’ Intention to Write Word-of-Mouth and Revisit the Destination—The Case of Da Nang City

Abstract

The integration of Smart Tourism Technology (STT) into destination development has become increasingly critical, yet its effective application remains a challenge in enhancing destination competitiveness. This concern serves as the primary impetus for investigating the attributes of STT and their influence within the framework of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), specifically examining their impact on tourism performance with experience marketing as a mediating factor. The study focuses on Danang, Vietnam, where data were collected from 302 tourists to evaluate these dynamics. Findings substantiate that STT attributes—namely accessibility, personality, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use—significantly contribute to creating memorable experiences, subsequently fostering tourists’ intentions to revisit Danang and engage in positive electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). However, the interactivity attribute did not demonstrate a significant influence. These results offer valuable theoretical insights and practical implications for tourism stakeholders, including government bodies and enterprises, despite limitations related to sample size and variations in tourists’ utilization of smart systems across different travel stages.