Personalisation in tourism: The role of mobile technology and AI in enhancing visitor experience - Evidence from Hoi An Ancient Town

Abstract

Mobile technology and artificial intelligence (AI) have become increasingly important in tourism. Their integration allows destinations to better understand tourist needs and deliver more relevant forms of support. This study examines the role of mobile technology and AI in shaping tourist experiences in Hoi An Ancient Town, with particular attention to how personalised travel experiences in a heritage destination are formed, perceived and interpreted. To address these objectives, the research employs a primarily quantitative exploratory-descriptive design informed by a preliminary qualitative phase of expert interviews. Survey results from 144 tourists indicate strong stated interest in AI-supported travel assistance, although this interest was not matched by uniformly high levels of current digital use. The findings suggest that the value of personalisation lies not only in technological responsiveness, but also in its practical relevance, usability and sensitivity to the socio-cultural context of a living heritage destination. The preliminary qualitative phase further provides contextual insight into the cultural specificity of Hoi An and the practical conditions under which personalisation can be understood as an interpretive experiential process embedded within the destination context, thereby contributing to a more cautious and in-depth approach to technology integration in heritage tourism. These findings provide exploratory evidence from Hoi An Ancient Town for future research on AI-supported personalisation in heritage tourism.