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Abstract |
Mobile Internet connectivity is traditionally seen as an experience enhancer in tourism, and extant research in the context of natural and protected areas show a positive attitude towards such technology. On the visitor experiences side, it enhances safety, information retrieval, connectivity to peers and accessibility (Elmahdy, Haukeland and Fredman, 2017). On the destination managements side, it constitutes a resource for visitor planning, monitoring and engagement (Pickering, Chelsey, Barros and Rossi, 2020; Hausmann et al., 2017).Recent studies are discussing more critically whether ubiquitous connectivity always represents a resource for tourism or conversely a factor that jeopardizes the tourism experience by triggering pressures, discomfort as well as estrangement from local communities and places (Egger, Lei and Wassler, 2020). The issue is particularly important within nature-based tourism, due to its relation to experiential themes of genuineness, detoxification and escapism and its localization in areas where transformational and educational experiences are prioritized (Li, Pearce & Low, 2018). |
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