| dc.description.abstract | This study presents a comprehensive model of the tourist flow experience, which includes tourist-related factors, such as skills, challenges, and tourist-to-tourist interaction, and the effect of using mobile technology on these variables. Also, this model investigates tourist personality factors, such as self-efficacy and openness to experience, as well as destination-led factors, such as destination authenticity and destination self-congruence. Additionally, the outcomes of the tourist flow experience, such as tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty, were examined. Data were collected through a cross-sectional and self-reported questionnaire from 669 tourists who had a trip within the past three months at the time of completing the survey and had used their mobile phones during their travels. A convenient purposive sampling method was adopted, and the Prolific platform was used to collect data. The findings of the study revealed significant positive effects of skills, openness to experience, self-efficacy, destination authenticity, and destination self-congruence on the tourist flow experience. However, the effects of challenge and tourist-to-tourist interactions on the tourist flow experience were not significant. The study also examined the moderating effect of mobile technology usage on the tourist flow experience and found that mobile usage for travel-related purposes weakened the relationship between skills and tourist flow experience. Furthermore, this factor moderated the influence of challenge and the tourist flow experience. Lastly, mobile usage for travel purposes weakened the relationship between tourist-to-tourist interaction and tourist flow experience. The findings of this study expand knowledge related to the flow theory in the tourism industry and provide insights into the role of personality traits and destination attributes in shaping the tourist flow experience. The study's results highlight the importance of considering mobile technology usage in understanding the tourist flow experience and have practical implications for destination marketers and tourism policymakers in developing strategies to enhance tourists' experience and satisfaction. | |
