Development of a Smart Tourism Service Scale: Focusing on the Airline Industry

Purpose This study aims to develop a reliable and valid measurement scale for smart tourism service experiences in the airline industry. By structuring the concept of smart tourism services, the study seeks to provide a comprehensive tool to systematically evaluate customer experiences in this specific context. Methods A mixed-method approach was employed, combining qualitative and quantitative analyses. Qualitatively, over 1,500 online texts from platforms such as Naver cafes, blogs, and airline review boards were collected through web crawling and analyzed thematically using NVivo9 software to identify key attributes and preliminary dimensions. Quantitatively, survey data were collected and analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to validate the scale’s structure. Results The final smart tourism scale for the airline industry consists of five dimensions: (1) Smart Infrastructure, assessing technological facilities like kiosks and mobile boarding passes; (2) Convenience, referring to ease of use and intuitive service processes; (3) Personalization, evaluating customized services based on user preferences; (4) Interactivity, measuring real-time communication and responsiveness; and (5) Security, focusing on the protection of personal and payment information. Conclusion This study contributed to theoretical advancement by multidimensionally structuring smart tourism services within the airline industry and holds methodological significance in developing a data-driven scale that reflects actual user experiences.