Typology of people-process-technology framework in refining smart tourism from the perspective of tourism academic experts

Smart tourism is receiving growing attention among scholars and practitioners as it advances tourism development and enhances travel experience. Existing research focuses on various technological applications and opinions from users and suppliers. However, discussions from the perspective of academic experts on smart tourism are scarce. In addition, most studies focus on only a single aspect of either people, planning process, or technological components of smart tourism. On the basis of the people-process-technology (PPT) framework and in-depth interviews with tourism academic experts, this study argues that the successful development and implementation of smart tourism involves the integration of and interactions among people, process, and technology. Such insights can contribute to the current literature in understanding smart tourism management and the relevant practices with a collaborative mechanism combining all these components.