, University of Mississippi, USA

Co-Editors

• Dr. Cihan Cobanoglu, University of South Florida, USA• Dr. Seden Dogan, Ondokuz Mayis University, Turkey• Dr. Katerina Berezina, University of Mississippi, USA• Dr. Galen Collins, Northern Arizona University, USA

Editorial Assistants

• Luana Nanu, Auburn University, USA• Khuraman Shahtakhtinskaya, University of South Florida, USA• Gamze Kaya, Mersin University, Turkey• M. Omar Parvez, Eastern Mediterranean University, Turkey

ADVANCES IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

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Chapter

Wearable Technologies: Kinesthetic Dimension in Enriching Tourist Experience

Güzide Zeynep Egeli

Dokuz Eylül University, Turkey

Hülya Kurgun

Dokuz Eylül University, Turkey

SUMMARY

Wearable technologies started to play an important role within the tourism ecosystem. These technologies open up new possibilities for all types of tourism operators such as Destination Management Organizations (DMOs), airlines, hotels, cruise lines, theme parks, museums and other attractions in terms of offering competitive advange and assuring a sustainable offer. In this context, tourism-related companies and destinations, in particular, need to employ new strategies and be innovate in order to meet the demand of sophisticated consumers, improve the satisfaction of the tourist and increase the overall tourism experience. Although the role of this technology is still very much a developing one within tourism at present, it is likely that over the coming years, this theme will grow in popularity to ultimately aid the traveler experience. This chapter aims to provide a better understanding of how future WT could move beyond digital technology and become wearable laboratories on our bodies, by combining both literature review of best practices from scientific articles and insightful examples of business practices on WDs. The first part of the chapter provides the key concepts about WTs, their evolution process, contributions and advantages and disadvantages to several sectors. The second part provides a basis for a deeper insight into the implications of tourism marketing and management by providing examples from the industry and look at the ways of transformation from tourists to smart travelers. In conclusion, this chapter aims to provide a better understanding of WTs and help students, academics, and practitioners consider wearable devices and their importance in the tourism industry.

Recommended Citation: Egeli, G. Z., & Kurgun, H. (2021). Wearable technologies: Kinesthetic dimension in enriching tourist experience. In C. Cobanoglu, S. Dogan, K. Berezina, & G. Collins (Eds.), Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Information Technology (pp. 1–31). USF M3 Publishing. https://www.doi.org/10.5038/9781732127586

Egeli and Kurgun: Wearable Technologies: Kinesthetic Dimension in Enriching Tourist Experience

Learning Objectives

After completing this chapter, the student will be able to:

• Know the definition of wearable technology devices and their evolution process by shedding light on the history,

• Understand the purpose and uses of wearable technologies, • Understand the growth speed of the wearable technology and possible future contributions to

various sectors, • Compare and contrast advantages and disadvantages of the wearable devices for both

businesses, consumers and travelers, • Identify the role and application areas of wearable technologies in the tourism industry, • Explain the implications of wearable technologies in tourism marketing and know the concept

of smart travelers.



Introduction

The exponential technological progress experienced today brings a number of opportunities as well as uncertainties for various sectors, particularly the tourism industry. We see evidence in the literature that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have drastically transformed the way tourism products are developed, presented, and offered (Buhalis & Law, 2008) and applications of wearable devices (WDs) in tourism has been evidently reported (Tom Dieck et al., 2016; Conyette, 2015). ICTs create more accessibility and enjoyment for both residents and tourists through interactive service and interconnectivity (Buhalis & Amaranggana, 2014). This ever-chancing context forces business to constantly re-design their practices and strive to understand the relationship between companies and destinations with their customers and visitors.

Wearable technologies (WTs) that come into our lives together with technological developments, internet, and intense competition environment, play an important role in the digital transformation of the tourism sector, which employs 1 out of 10 people in the world and constitutes 10% of global GDP (UNWTO, 2018). Wearable technology, which creates interaction between people and computer, can be described as application enabled computing devices which accept and process inputs (Jhajharia et al., 2014). Wearables are being widely researched for monitoring an individual's health and wellbeing. With the advancement of the novel brain and body sensors and stimulation techniques, future wearable technology will be able to closely monitor cognitive states and intervene to enhance cognitive functions (Pataranutaporn et al., 2019). By doing so, it will not only help practitioners to analyze physiological signals of the tourist and offer personalized experiences; but also tourists for increasing their satisfaction.

The research carried out with Rackspace and Center for Creative and Social Technology (CAST) predicts that consumer preferences will continue to accelerate with technology and the number of wearable technology initiatives will increase in the coming years (McKendrick, 2013). Furthermore, a research conducted by Statista (2019) shows that the total number of WDs worldwide are expected to reach from 526 million in 2016 to 1.1 billion in 2022, while the telecom technology changes from 4G to 5G (Statista, 2019). This fast pace of growing industry highlights the importance of continuous growth in demand for WDs. Given this rationale and the changing roles that WTs might play in the future of tourism, this chapter aims to shed light on the role and applications of WTs.

Overview of the Wearable Technology Devices

The 2000s was predicted a future where robots and smart applications became a part of our daily lives by futurists of the past. Although the year prediction is delayed, the number of initiatives such as artificial intelligence, smart cities, space tourism and especially WTs, are increasing day by day. It is possible to see many technological devices designed in the The Jetsons cartoon series (e.g., GPS technology, smart watch, drone, robot assistant) or Back to the Future film series (e.g., Tablet, video glass, smart clothing, video phone calls). The increase in these technologies has accelerated with the development of the Internet of Things (IoT), which is defined as devices that can send and receive


information using the internet. Accordingly, wearable technology devices (WTDs) have emerged with the integration of these objects with each other and the human body (Çakır et al., 2018: 85).

As in all industries, different kind of WDs or computers, which are characterized by different names such as "Wearable technology", “Hearable technology”, “Smart Clothing”, “Wearable computing”, “Body-Borne Computing” or “Bearable Computing”, are used in many areas in the tourism industry. In our study, although there are differences in terms of technique, purpose and usage, all devices will be discussed in terms of their roles with the common name “Wearable Technologies”.

The definition and product form of WTs has varied over time due to the development of existing technology. Therefore, it has a dynamic structure that changes constantly. It is necessary here to provide several definitons and clarify exactly what is meant by researchers before and after millennium. Rogers et al. (1997) defined wearable devices as a technology that “allows humans to take their information spaces with them, and to perform their information processing anywhere and anytime.” (p. 3199). The concept perceived was far away from being high technology as it is understood today. The main idea behind the emergence of wearable computing was the enhancement of human capabilities by wearing devices. Later, the concept has been clarified as a shift from digital simulation (replication) to digital augmentation (responsiveness and connectivity) (Viseu, 2003).

Therefore, wearable technology can be defined as “Wearable devices that merge wireless connectivity for the aim of seamlessly accessing, interacting with and exchanging contextually relevant information.” in modern world (Nyan & Tay, 2008). As it is clear from the above definitions, the ultimate goal of WTs is to integrate advanced electronic devices so that individuals can easily interact with their environment in their daily lives at anytime and anywhere (Dehghani & Dangelico, 2017: 1571).

However, it is important to indicate that, every technological product is not considered within the scope of wearable technology. To be classified as a wearable technology, two basic elements are required. Firstly, it must have hands-free operation and be worn on the users’ body for an extended period of time. Secondly, it must comprise advanced circuitry, wireless connectivity and at least a minimal level of independent processing capability in order to directly transfer the data by the help of sensors (IHS Electronics & Media, 2020). Park et al. (2014) suggested a more comprehensive taxonomy for classifying WTs based on features such as functionality (single vs. multiple), type (active vs. passive), deployment mode (invasive vs. non-invasive), communication mode (wired vs. wireless), field of use, and reusability (disposable vs. reusable).

Smartwatches and glasses are likely the best-known wearables products, but it describes many different forms of body mounted technology. It can range from smart clothing (e.g., smart pants, smart shirts, smart socks) or smart jewelry (e.g., smart ring) to body sensors. Furthermore, these technologies that are mostly designed in the wearable form which can be paired with a phone currently, started to emerge as a type that could be implanted within the body or brain. For instance, smart tattoos that combine art and medicine are a good illustration of these implantables, which



contact with the user’s body from the inside, rather than on the skin. With this method, it is planned to help individuals with chronic illness or senior patients by captivating and sending signals to any device via touch (MIT Media Lab, 2017).

Compared to other technological products, they provide benefits in terms of convenience by being portable and providing chance to use during mobility to the users. WDs are constantly tried to be transformed into a shape which is suitable for daily use in order to increase this benefit. Consequently, the effort to integrate them into a part of everyday life, leads wearable products to be perceived not only as high-tech functionality, but also luxury fashion product (Hein & Rauschnabel, 2016). Therefore, the aim of the WT companies is not only increasing the quality of life of consumers by integrating devices into daily life, but also making a big difference among competitors by producing high value-added products.

Historical Context

WT, which is more widely used today, is a concept that has attracted the attention of humanity for centuries. Although it is perceived differently from its current meaning, the term can be traced back to 13th century. An eye glass, which is believed to be invented in Italy, was known as one of the first wearable device that helped to correct vision loss (Rhodos, 1998). The invention is followed by The Nuremberg Egg, which is a portable mechanical timekeeping device in 16th century. Later, abacus ring made during the Qing dynasty era (1644-1912) in China, used especially by traders for quick calculations, without having to use any writing implements. At the beginning of the 19th century, during the period of Queen Victoria, air-conditioned top hat was invented to prevent sweating in United Kingdom (Desjardins, 2015). Unfortunately, this invention fell into the background in those years, when Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, George Stephenson interested in first steam engine and engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel designed the first propeller transatlantic steamship.

Although various initiatives continued until nineteenth century, WTs resonated as it was produced for the military and later marketed as a commercial product. The first military wristwatch was created by Girard-Perregaux in 1880, after a naval officer complained that timing bombardments were too difficult to use a pocket watch. During the war, coordination between soldiers and using time correctly was vital both for the victory and survival. However, taking the watch out of their pockets while their hands were full of weapons could lead to a lack of coordination between soldiers and military officers. Thus, demand by front line in the battle led to invention of wristwatches, which is widely used today. Page (2015) explains how the war turned into a marketing tool to drive sales as: “These watches were often sold as ‘trench watches’ and described in such a way as to suggest they would help keep your loved one safe while away fighting for their country. As overstated as these claims were, wrist watches finally started to become popular with consumers.” (p. 2).

These are only few proofs that WTs have been around longer than expected. These inventions, which were pioneers in early wearable technology, differed from the concept of WDs associated with today's technology. During the 1950s wearable technology started to become more high-tech and there has


been a significant improvement in the concept of WDs over the past seventy years. Today, the term “wearable technology” is related to the advance state of wearable computers which enables omnipresent computing.

Therefore, the first wearable computer, which can be defined as a high-end technology in the modern sense, was designed by Edward O. Thorp in 1955 and later invented by Claude Shannon in 1961. This WD invented by two mathematicians included show mounted roulette wheel prediction system and the main purpose was to cheat at gambling (Rhodos, 1998). These timing devices were hidden into shoes enabling the wearer to analyze the characteristics of a roulette wheel and predict the ball’s position. A belt mounted camera, which can transfer the images of other dealer’s hole cards via satellite, has been developed in the following years. As a result of this being discovered by the authorities, the Nevada devices law was signed in 1985. All kinds of cheating devices, such as allowing users to predict outcomes or keeping tract of cards, were outlawed in casinos in 1987 (Randell, 2005: 2).

In contrast to developments in 1950s and 60s, advances in smart technologies were not always designed for gambling games. Pulsar calculator wristwatch, which was released to the market in 1975, was one of the first widespread modern bits of wearable tech. Two years later, a WD has been designed for the visually impaired people that convert images into touch guidance format. Then in 1979, The Sony Walkman - portable cassette player - revolutionized the way the world listens to music and dominated market until 2010 (Rhodos, 1998). Although WTs started to develop gradually in the market in the 1970’s, it is possible to say that their market share still stayed limited.

The 1980s can be stated as the main years when the foundations of the wearable technological devices used today were formed. A notable example of this is “Digital Eye Glass (EyeTap), which can relatively be seen as the forerunner of Google Glass Glass (Jiang et all, 2015: 592). In 1981, Steve Mann, who has been recognized as the father of wearable computing and wearable augmented reality, designed a wearable computing device that is worn in front of the eye to operate both a monitor and camera. To illustrate this with another example, "Electric Girls" ballet performance in 1884 can be regarded as the pioneer of modern-day LED illuminated clothing (Çakır, 2018).

Therefore, in the period from the 1980s to the early 1990s, wearable computing was a hobby for small amount of people in a few universities and institutes. From the mid-90s, various institutions, especially European and Japanese universities, started to have internet connection and website (Malmivaara, 2009). With the development of technology in the mid-1990s, Mike Rucci and Edgar Matias developed computers in the form of a wristband that can be worn on the user's arm (Rhodos, 1998). Thus, the concept of wearable computing became a practical possibility for the first time in the mid-1990s, with carrying an always on computer with a head-mounted display and control interface.

In 1996, a workshop titled "Wearables in 2005" was sponsored by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for delivering computing to the individual. Additionally, for the



first time, an international symposium called "Smart Wearable Computer" was organized jointly by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University and Georgia Institute of Technology in 1997. The main purpose of these organizations was bringing together opinion leaders from various sectors such as industry, university and military in order to shaping the future. Since then, smart wearable computers and smart WTs had great attention both in academia and industry indeed Jiang et all, 2015: 592).

With the contribution of these collaborations, the most crucial developments have started to occur in the 21st century. The U.S. National Science Foundation published a report titled Converging Technologies for Improving Human Performance (2002) and predicted that, within the next two decades, “Comfortable, wearable sensors and computers will enhance every person’s awareness of his or her health condition, environment, chemical pollutants, potential hazards, and information of interest about local businesses, natural resources, and the like” (Roco et al., 5). It is clearly seen that the future that is predicted was starting to emerge.

In the late 2000s, technologies such as Bluetooth hidden microphones, iPods, smart jewellery or smart watches were gradually taking place in the daily lives of the consumers. In 2013, Google launched prototype of smart glasses called “Google Glass” creating such a buzz around wearable technology. It has been named as "Wearable Technology Year" by several media organizations in 2014 Desjardins, 2015). WTs allow expanding the virtual world of digital networking and computing into the physical world of daily life. Therefore, with a wide range of day-to-day objects, including garments, accessories, and vehicles, wearable technology has become one of the newest and coolest trends today.

The Rise of Wearable Technology Devices

Although WTDs have existed for decades, even centuries; there has been an explosion in the market within the past few years. Therefore, wearable technology received attention from various sectors such as health, sport, gaming, military, jewelry, medical, clothing, entertainment and tourism. A report conducted by IdTexEx mentions the significant success that WT products have seen in the last decade, with a total market worth nearly $70 billion in 2019, having more than doubled in size since just 2014 (Hayward, 2020). According to Statista, the smart watch market, with global sales expected to exceed $100 million in 2020, is currently the leader in the WDs market. Apple, who has held a share of around 45% since 2018, currently dominates the smart watch market (Statista, 2020).

Tim Cook, who is the CEO of Apple until 2011, mentioned that it was crucial to persuade people to buy a wearable technology before the release of the Apple watch. Additionally, he replied to the question of why we need these technologies with a statement that “Honestly, I don't think anything revolutionary that we have done was predicted to be a hit when released. It was only in retrospect that people could see its value.” Therefore, consumers prefer devices not only because of their technological features, but also to match them with their personality characteristic (e.g., active lifestyle).


Various crises, such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), can also be a pushing factor in the increasing need of smart technologies for destinations, businesses or individuals. For example, LG multinational electronics company is planning to introduce wearable air purifying Mask (PuriCare). The mask allows users to inhale clean and filtered air while the sensor strives to make breathing effortless (LG, 2020). Especially, health and medicine sector benefits from wearables in terms of detecting and controlling patients and helping healthcare workers. Additionally, during the period when people were quarantined at home, various locations such as Gobeklitepe, which is an archaeological site in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey and called “zero point in time” with its oldest temple in the world, offered the opportunity to visit through wearable virtual reality (VR) gear.

As a result, WTDs aim to improve the overall satisfaction of individuals by providing personalized experiences. This offers destinations and businesses both the opportunity to transform their traditional marketing strategies into creative methods, and to strengthen their brand image through word-of-mouth marketing. It should not be forgotten that innovative and creative companies stand one step ahead in the competition. Therefore, it is inevitable that wearable technology will continue to revolutionize the way humans interact with the world around them.

Figure 1. A boy wearing a wearable VR device. Source: Juliamcameron/pexels.com.



Advantages and Disadvantages of the Technological Wearable’s

Technological wearables provide a wide range of applications both for destinations, enterprises and individuals. These applications are likely to change the landscape of societies and businesses. For example, wearable technology contributes to profitability by helping businesses improve core business processes and increase efficiency in manufacturing, service industries, and retail. They do not only provide a sustainable competitive advantage to businesses, but also enables individuals to make their decisions more consciously. A wearable technology, which provides hyper-personalized and unique experiences, improves the quality of life of both individuals and travelers. Despite such benefits, however, there are crucial challenges related to the WTs. The most important of these challenges are mainly due to data privacy, security, and cost of the technologies. Therefore, the advantages and disadvantages of these wearables will be evaluated below.

Communication

Technology is considered to be wearable technology when “not only it can be worn, but also has the capability of incorporating information technology in order to be able to communicate autonomously and process information on the go” Park et al. (2014). This capability is basically what makes these technologies ‘smart’. Therefore, any person in possession of these devices can communicate with their enterprise information systems without suspending his/her routine work. Additionally, wearables can create more multi-sensory ways of interacting with each other that bring empathy. According to research conducted by Price Water Coopers, 72% of the participants stated that WTs strengthen communication with their families and friends. These respondents' rates are measured by over 80% for the millennial and early adopters (PwC, 2014).

Information Search

WTs provide users to track large amounts of information (e.g., heart rate, steps, locations) that are not easily captured. It helps to transform the collected data into useful information for businesses. Especially traveling involves some of the most difficult tasks and wearables are intended to simplify the experience. For example, it is not always easy to visualize historical events or architectures while visiting museums. Therefore, they give chance to analyze and understand information better with the help of virtual reality applications.

On the other hand, just having an informative data is useless. It should also be prescriptive by making a clear understanding of action steps and creating a simplified user experience. Therefore, it is important to use meticulous methodological techniques in order to gather and provide information accurately (Lizzio et al., 2020). WTs must be driven by human centric approach provide a value-add that cannot be derived easily or effectively through alternative methods.


Multi-Tasking

WTs provide support even when the user’s hands, voice, eyes, or attention is actively engaged with the physical environment. In addition to completing more than one task easily, it also helps users in terms of following their habits or warning them not to skip their daily tasks (Jhajharia et al, 2014: 5703). These all-in-one devices, for example, lets parents send text messages, receive phone calls, check social media applications, or make payments easily while wrestling with their children. Although wearables provide great benefits for families and the disabled community in term of and multi-tasking, especially in the case of the elderly, who are not used to the technology that surrounds them, might feel physically and mentally depressed due to feeling of being inadequate.

Flexibility

Mobile devices and technologies provide opportunites to individuals such as staying connected with their network from everywhere or providing information about various subjects. WDs are expected to enable our daily life to be even more practical and useful. For example, users can check the incoming call through their smart watch, even their phone is far away. This gives them the opportunity to save time by only answering important calls without interrupting their work each time. Similarly, some of the participants of a research emphasized that WTs are more useful for specific situations or professional groups. They use the example of their guide during a dog sledding trip. Accordingly, if their guides had a WD like a smart watch, it would be possible for him to answer the call only when the weather forecast warning came, rather than removing the glove and looking at it every time the phone rings. In contrary to this view, there are also participants who stated that the guide had to pick up the phone again to make a transaction and therefore, found the smart watch useless as it only adds an additional step (Page, 2015).

Security, Confidentiality, and Legal Issues

As technology and its capabilities advance, security and legal issues increases. If the owner of the data between the technological devices is left unprotected, the possibility of the information being stolen or used for other purposes (e.g., marketing) increases. However, most of the privacy issues can be solved via laws and legislations and security precautions (e.g., firewall, anti-virus software) exclusively designed for WTs. Apple, for instance, uses a payment method called “tokenization”, which provides an extra level of security of the users' information by using a unique series of numbers to validate the customer’s identity (PwC, 2014).

Another privacy issue that people can confront is secretly videotaping or capturing the people, private properties, places, products. However, this issue may differ in various crisis situations. For instance, coronavirus pandemic is perceived as a life-or-death issue for many. Therefore, individuals demanded their data to be observed and shared to prevent the spread of the virus. Of course, database and privacy issued need to be examined in order to benefit from existing surveillance networks even when there aren’t any crises. Finally, the limits of what people can do to their own bodies come up as an ethical



debate. According to Garreau (2005), if enough people are attempting to modify their bodies or enhance various human capabilities, it may become very difficult for the law to keep up.

Costs

WTs become expensive and unaffordable for many people as they are high-tech and one of the most advanced products. Therefore, one challenge that should be taken into consideration is the level of cost effectiveness for businesses in the adoption of WDs for use in their operations or service deliveries, especially the small- and medium-sized enterprises.

Nielsen (2014) carried out a survey that gathered responses about people's knowledge, motivation and attitude towards WT. Although half of the American respondents showed interest in purchasing WTs in the near future, 72% mentioned that it would be impossible for them to purchase WTs unless they become more affordable. According to PWC (2016), consumers were considerably more willing to adopt technology if an institution paid for it, despite concerns around privacy and security (PwC, 2016). Today, WDs are using a price-skimming strategy, which is a pricing strategy wherein the firm set a high price for the product in its introduction stage so as to receive maximum profit. Therefore, it is possible to anticipate that the devices will become more affordable for everyone with the increase of the products offered to the market in the future.

Future Contributions to the Sectors

“Every person takes the limits of their own field of vision for the limits of the world.” is the quote of Arthur Schopenhauer, who was a German philosopher. However, the speed of the technology sometimes moves faster beyond our imagination and changes human life irreversibly. Kurzweil (2020) states that the overall rate of shifting to new paradigms halves every decade. In fact, the global wearable technology market size is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.9% from 2020 to 2027 (Hayward, 2020). Although it cannot be classified as utopian or dystopian, it is likely that this growth will continue to add new meanings to our lives, from the human life cycle to our business models.

As a matter of fact, WTDs are being designed to help businesses for their daily operations, as they increase the productivity and overall efficiency of workplaces. According to research, two-third of employees - particularly millennial - wants their company to pay for wearables rather than bring your own device model. Increased efficiency is among the main objectives of the employees, who stated that they expect devices that can work in harmony with the currently used technology (PwC, 2016). Therefore, the rise of WDs is expected to create new avenues for businesses.

Adidas, for instance, offers Football teams’ undershirts with devices that monitor exactly how fast they’re moving and how hard they’re exerting themselves. It helps team coaches to reconsider their training plans through analysis, such as heart rhythm rates and performance indicators and improve the players' condition (Svetlik, 2020). Similarly, smart swimsuits with UV sensors send alerts when


children should apply sunscreen. Demand for innovation is expected to be continuous, especially in the field of textile and fashion. Abseilon, who provides rope-access solutions, can be given as another example. It offers a wearable camera to technicians in order to document the work. Thus, wearables guide them in specific situations, functioning as a helpful set of eyes on the project (https://www.abseilon.com/). Similarly, workers are getting smart wristwatches in order to measure stress levels at meetings. Consequently, companies that pay attention to employees are expected to both increase overall productivity and reduce turnover rates in the short term.

It is forecasted that WTs will contribute to the marketing strategies of businesses in order to generate brand loyalty. More targeted advertisements or personalized recipes can be offered through AR by receiving data (e.g., low blood sugar) from the sensors that consumers have on their bodies. Tommy Jeans Xplore line, for instance, enabled the clothing to track how frequently the customer wore it in order to reward frequent wearers (Fagan, 2018). The main aim of these wearables is to increase customer service quality with integrated shopping experience and fast payment methods. Although these raise ethical questions, technologies are expected not only to benefit company employees, but also to enrich the customer experience.

In addition, technological developments in the field of health are increasing day by day. Rising concerns of obesity and other chronic diseases have led to the adoption of wearable products such as body monitors and activity trackers, which offer real-time information about the overall health. These technologies that are wearable today are expected to be swallowed or implanted within the body or

Figure 2. Businessman paying contactless with smart watch. Source: Designed by whatwolf / Freepik.com.



brains in the future. With the help of these Microchips inserted, it is possible to monitor via remote wireless and diagnoses more accurately without physically going to the doctor. It is predicted that fitness and medical sectors will dominate the wearable technology market by 2024, with the effect of the increase in the need for healthy lifestyle and the rapid initiatives of famous visionary brands (Hayward, 2020).

In the field of entertainment and media, higher sophistication of games and more immersive and fun experience are expected with the development of WTs. Individuals' desire to avoid stress and monotony can be listed among the main motivations of this. Especially hedonic consumption and perceived enjoyment of users’ plays an important role in the adoption process of devices that are associated with fun and entertainment (e.g., Apple watch, Google Glass) rather than devices that are mainly adopted for their functionality and utilitarian benefits such as health and wellness WDs (Kalantari, 2018: 298).

The usage of WDs paves the way to revolutionize both tourist’s behaviors and the tourism industry by creating added value for both suppliers and consumers. Augmented reality integrated WTs, for instance, enable people to visit cities, tourist attractions or hotels virtually 3D format without going there. Emergence of the new virtual tourism companies are expected in the near future. Therefore, the number of smart technologies is predicted to increase in the future for several reasons such as attracting younger individuals to museums or helping hotel customers to save time by using wearable wristbands. Tourism stakeholders need to start increasing cooperation and communication from today in order to ensure the satisfaction of the so-called "sophisticated" tourists of the future.

It should be noted that, some consumers may want to stay aware from the technology and virtual world in order to relax during on vacation. Although technologies are planned to facilitate the decisions of tourists and enrich their experiences, detailed examinations should be conducted according to tourism types and consumer demands. In this context, certain types of tourism (e.g., nature tourism) can be excluded instead of covering the whole destination full of wearable technology (Jovicic, 2017: 281).

As a result, WT has just begun its impact on enterprises from various sectors. As the demands of consumers are increasing, industries are constantly striving for new strategies and infusing WTs into their businesses to remain competitive in the future and increase the customer satisfaction. As with any digital strategy, adopting WT requires taking the long view. Until this part of the chapter, theoretical explanations about WTs, their advantages and disadvantages are presented with the help of examples from various sectors. In the following section, smart technology applications in the tourism industry and examples of wearable technology will be discussed in detail.

Wearable Technology Devices Used in the Tourism Industry

In the first film of the Star Wars film series in 1977, the suit that Dart Wader wore and kept him alive looks set to happen in the near future. In fact, the watches used by the character in the movie Dick


Tracy, which was released in 1980, are already on our wrists. Of course, it is clear that the WTs in the Iron Man and Tron movies will take some time to be included our daily lives. In the real world, there was a leap from wristwatches with calculators in the 1970s to Google Glass in the 2000s.

It can be said that WTDs, which have different usage purposes on the basis of tourism types, create an important added value for the tourism industry. These tools are used for purposes such as getting information, entertainment, sports and socializing in travel and accommodation areas. In addition to these general areas of use in the tourism industry, it can also be stated that it is used within the scope of tourism types such as medical (health) tourism or adventure tourism.

The value of WTDs during their use in the tourism industry is closely related to the function of the device and its use for the correct action. In other words, the WDs used by the tourists should be effectively integrated with the touristic service they are using and should be facilitating, enriching, attractive and increasing the pleasure. WTDs may be provided by the tourism business or the tourist may be using their own vehicles.

In most cases, businesses choose solution partnerships with technology companies. For example, Starwood's solution partnership with Apple enables the doors in the hotel to be opened automatically with the help of Apple Watch. However, some touristic businesses offer their own WTDs to their guests. The watch called TapuTapu at the Universial Orlando Resort and the wristband offered by Disney to be used in its parks are among such examples. These WTDs are used to personalize the experience, access tourist information, maximize the integration of the park and tourist, and improve service quality. In order to provide all these, the infrastructure and qualities in the service process must be compatible with the WTD used.

WTDs serve a very important information-based purpose besides increasing the quality of touristic service in the tourism industry. These devices provide the opportunity to collect data from the consumer. In fact, it seems possible to talk about the existence of a WTDs ecosystem based on the entire tourism ecosystem in the world.

Considering the types of WTDs, it can be seen that each device is important at certain points in touristic service processes due to its nature. Some tools can be used more easily, frequently and willingly than others. It can be thought that this is mostly related to the ease of carrying, aesthetics and the relevance of the device to the service it provides. These devices also perform tasks such as following or reminding daily work. However, one point should not be overlooked. The success of WTDs in the tourism industry will depend on the benefits they provide for the tourist as well as their ability to transform the way tourism businesses do business and their business models.

It is not difficult to predict that in the near future, almost every object that the tourism consumer will interact with will be equipped with sensors and the effectiveness of WTDs will increase significantly. WTDs will be among the technologies that shape the future in terms of experience enrichment, efficiency, convenience, speed and business model innovation.



It is important that WTDs can meet some basic conditions in order to benefit both touristic businesses and tourists. These are as follows: improving business processes, creating communication opportunities that provide stronger integration with the tourist and lower costs. As the costs of WTDs used in the tourism sector decrease, their use will increase. As the capabilities of the devices increase, the chance to communicate with tourism consumers will increase, the tourist experience will be enriched, and loyalty will be positively affected.

Transformation from Tourists to Smart Travelers

At the consumer level, increased perception of value and willingness to engage in wearable tech apps and services is building as new forms of communications, content, applications, and commerce become available (ResearchAndMarkets, 2021). There are many WTDs available to tourists. These include: smart watches, wristbands and headbands, electronic tattoos, adhesive body bands, smart jewelry, smart clothing and body implants.

However, when WTDs are offered to tourists, it is very important to understand their relationship with this technology and how they experience it. For smartwatches and armbands, there is a WD that evokes old habits. However, smart glasses or implants create a new situation. Adoption of these new situations by tourists is of critical importance in the formation of smart travelers. As the integration of WTDs with the hand and wrist spreads to the whole human body, the transformation of tourists into smart travelers is accelerating.

Wearable Devices Used During Travel

WTDs are used extensively in the travel process. Considering the limited travel time and possible travel stress, WTDs play an important role. The fact that the tourist uses WTDs that will allow the process to become almost autonomous during travel will significantly improve the quality of the trip. In addition, during business trips, staying in touch with business and easy access to information will be critical for a stress-free travel experience.

WTDs should enrich and facilitate tourist experiences. It also means to simplify the travel for the tourism consumer. For example, if a tourist waiting at the airport can learn about the door change from his smart watch, it can be stated that an added value is offered for his travel.

WTDs promise great freedom of movement, including for tourists with sensory disabilities. Very simply, there is a chain of possibilities extending from the balance support that prevents falling under various conditions to the extremes. Sensors that act as a replacement for the senses allow a very precise perception of the environment. This is not only an opportunity for the visually handicapped tourists but also a chance to explore the dark caves that cannot be visited.

Aira fuses mobile and WTs and a distributed network of trained human assistants to provide people with vision loss the same or greater assistance they would receive from a sighted person next to them. Aira enhances independence with real-time access to visual, digital and environmental information.


With real-time access to this information people who are visually impaired are able to more confidently navigate, freely explore and complete virtually any task. (https://www.flymemphis.com/aira) These glasses used at Memphis International Airport are based on WT, such as Google Maps or Uber, where global ecosystem information can be easily accessed and professional real Aira Agents provide real-time narration and assistance.

VR (virtual reality) IFE (in-flight entertainment) is one of the latest trends being explored throughout the industry. Given its inherent value in a context of limited personal space and long waiting times, it is often touted to be the future of entertainment in flight (SkyLights, 2018). SunExpress offers in-flight entertainment with its virtual reality glasses. This technology, developed by the Inflight VR Company, is offered in many flights. From thrilling blockbuster movies that feel like a private cinema, to fun destination clips and meditative relaxation videos, there are many options (SunExpress, 2019).

Another WTD used in airlines is Microsoft HoloLens. HoloLens is a self-contained, mixed reality device that allows the wearer to engage with digital content and interact with holograms in the real world around them (Future Travel Experience, 2017). HoloLens 2 offers the most comfortable and immersive mixed reality experience available, with industry-leading solutions that deliver value in minutes—all enhanced by the reliability, security, and scalability of cloud and AI services from Microsoft (Microsoft, 2020). Using HoloLens, Air New Zealand gathers key customer information and displays it in front of the crew. Hololens can also display data such as a customer's preferred meal and beverage selection, future travel plans, and loyalty membership details (Future Travel Experience, 2017). SITA Lab utilized HoloLens to visualize and interact with the airport's operational data, including aircraft movement, passenger movement and retail analytics at Helsinki Airport. Using HoloLens, operators were able to analyze the events at the airport in 3D view, associating them with an immersive real-time model (SITA, 2017).

Another WTD used in airlines is BONX. BONX is a new kind of communication tool that combines the proprietary earphone and app to let you talk freely at any distance, in any environment. (https://bonx.co/en/) The device will take the place of the airlines’ current intercom set-up to provide communication between flight attendants on the Airbus A380. The increased staff required to operate an A380 makes it the perfect case for this promising new technology. This will increase flexibility and give flight attendants more options as they work together to meet passenger needs (Newport, 2019).

Another device used by airlines is SPRYNG. SPRYNG is a device used to relieve calf pain caused by spending a tough day or sitting for long hours. SPRYNG is a wireless WTD that relieves pain, accelerates recovery, improves performance and feels incredible. (https://spryngme.com/) SriLankan Airlines has teamed up with MAS Holdings to elevate their business class passenger experience with SPRYNG, a smart accessory that is guaranteed to rejuvenate transiting passengers or make ready those embarking on long distance flights (SriLankan Airlines, 2019).



Cruise businesses also benefit from WTs in different ways and in accordance with their own conditions. An example is the Princess MedallionClass™ vacations, presented by the Princess Cruise. A Princess MedallionClass ™ vacation takes service to the next level with unique experiences that help one get more from his vacation. It all begins with passenger’s OceanMedallion, a quarter-sized, wearable device that enables everything from faster boarding, to the ability to locate his loved ones around the ship, to whatever he needs, delivered. With the new Ocean Medallion, Princess Cruises starts a new wave of vacation travel (PRINCESS, n.d.). The small accessory in the size of a coin replaces the Cruise Card and will open doors to many amenities on board (PRINCESS, n.d.).

Another important area is the translation service. One of the most important WT tools in this field is Pixel Buds owned by Google. Pixel Buds makes it easier with translation right in your ear while using a Pixel or Android 6.0+ phone. When you want to talk with someone, you can use conversation mode. When you want to follow along and understand what’s being said, transcribe mode lets you hear spoken language translated right in your ear accompanied with a transcript on your phone (https://support.google.com). In addition to these, there are WTDs such as belts or armbands that provide direction with gentle vibrations that allow tourists to easily navigate the city without using maps.

Wearable Devices Used During Accommodation

As wearables become more prolific, hoteliers likely will use them as tracking devices to gain invaluable insights about guests’ behavior and preferences. For example, hoteliers could monitor their use of amenities and services, and even keep tabs of purchases (ORACLE Hospitality, 2017). The following statement is found on the web page of GUESTBAND, which produces bands for accommodation facilities: “Guestband improves guest experiences and increases engagement by measuring and monitoring location and interaction. Guestband is a technology solution that focuses on improving the guest experience at resorts, parks and hotels whilst generating actionable data and valuable insights for the operator.” (https://guestband.com/)

WTDs are an important alternative to effectively interact with tourists and offer value during the accommodation process. These devices also enable to provide personalized service as an output of effective communication with tourists. Thus, direct communication with the business as a result of the high-quality integration of WTDs and service will make the tourist feel special during the stay.

During the accommodation process, tourists can benefit from WTDs for many issues such as payment, ordering, check-in / out operations, in-hotel service requests, reservations and feedback. For example, hotel rooms do not need a key anymore, thanks to the arm bans offered by hotel businesses. When the armband approaches, the door of the hotel room opens automatically. Or a guest sitting in the lobby can place his order on his watch. After having dinner at one of the hotel's restaurants, he can make his payment with the help of the WT band on his arm.


Guests looking for adventure can spend time in virtual amusement parks offered with three-dimensional glasses. Those who are fond of art can participate in the Van Gogh Digital Exhibition in real time with their VR glasses from their hotel rooms or by the poolside. It is possible for families with children to watch their children in the hotel without worrying and to plan and control their activities.

WTDs in the accommodation process offer extremely important benefits for hotel employees. With the help of smart glasses, it is possible to monitor all information and requests of the guests. Service personnel notify their orders to the kitchen with their smart watch and even customize them according to the guests' wishes. This capability reduces both service times and errors. Hotel maids can watch their schedules with the help of their smart watches and learn about the changes simultaneously.

Technical service staff can contact the manufacturer of the equipment and perform various maintenance and repair operations with the help of glasses that provide remote augmented reality interface. The use of WTDs by the staff in the accommodation establishments also activates the communication they establish with each other. The communication between reception and housekeeping or technical service and kitchen is much faster and healthier. This effective communication offers opportunities to prevent some mistakes with effective teamwork before they occur.

WT tools are also used for the safety of hotel staff. Help messages or signals to be sent by WTDs are vital in situations such as injuries, sudden changes in health indicators or guest violence that hotel staff may be exposed to from time to time. The aforementioned devices determine the exact location of the personnel and provide assistance in the fastest and most appropriate way.

ReactMobile is an important example for these systems, which can also be described as the panic button of the personnel. ReactMobile, a wearable panic button, is an effective security solution that enables an employee with a heart attack to be reached within minutes, for example during room cleaning. International hotel chains such as Accor, Hilton, Choice and Wyhndam use this solution. (https://www.reactmobile.com/)

Technology is already making workers more valuable by enhancing their physical and perceptual abilities. A new generation of WTs is giving workers superhuman strength, endurance, vision, hearing, and awareness. Wearables are enhancing workers’ effectiveness and productivity and helping to keep people safe (Schatsky & Kumar, 2020).

At Hotel 2025, an important industry report by Oracle Hospitality exploring consumers and operators about new technologies that aim to reshape the business, Hotel operators' top prediction for WT is set as follows: 71% of hotel operators said WT for staff scheduling and training would be mainstream or in mass adoption by 2025. They specify the areas where the WTDs will be used most as guest ordering and payment and, staff access to hotel and workstation log-in (ORACLE Hospitality, 2017).



Wearable Technologies Used for Tourist Health

New and upcoming health wearables will let consumers take control of their health like never before. Carefully tuned sensors can identify problems before they reach a crisis point, which could very well mean fewer emergencies on tours and other outings (Joyce, 2017). With the explosion in WT, which tracks users’ health data, futurists anticipate hotel fitness centers, spas and retreats will be redesigned to promote interactivity with such devices (ORACLE Hospitality, 2017).

Advances in WT in recent years means that everything from a passenger’s temperature and body clock to hydration and anxiety level can be measured and used by cabin crew to pre-empt specific needs making the flight as comfortable as possible. In a post-pandemic world, these will be critical in making passengers feel safe (Akeroyd, 2020). The mobile health care further innovates into related digitalized products such as wearables, digital sensors and biotelemetry (Wong & Sa’aid Hazley, 2020).

There are also examples of WTs that are being used at airports due to COVID-19. Smart Screening Helmet, for example, is one of them. Smart Screening Helmet is a wearable smart helmet that provides non-contact temperature measurement. The helmet, which has capabilities such as artificial intelligence and augmented reality, performs infrared thermal imaging. It is used in many airports around the world.

Another WT tool related to COVID-19 is BioButton. The BioButton™ system is a scalable and cost-effective solution for COVID-19 symptom monitoring at school, home and work (BioIntelliSense, 2020). The BioButton can also be used for contact tracing, as it monitors which other BioButton wearers a person comes into proximity with and for how long, but it does not track a user's location (Biesiade, 2020). BioButton is a coin-sized, disposable health data tracker tape adhered to the chest of the tourist, offering high data privacy and security.

Another remarkable device in terms of tourist health is BACKtrak. BACtrack reinvents the way people track their alcohol consumption; glance at your wrist at BACtrack Skyn and learn your approximate alcohol level in near real-time (BACKTrack, 2017).

Next, the virtual rehabilitation application will also be benefiting the health tourism industry. It is a system that integrates wearable sensors and records range of motion. The data are analyzed for the therapists to guide the patients in real time via a mobile device such as tablet or smart phone (Wong & Hazley, 2020).

Other Uses (Parks, Museums and Other)

Wearable computing encourages exploration of places supported by the connectivity and possibilities to navigate, retrieve, consume and layer information (i.e., with augmented reality) while exploring tourism destinations. Well-informed tourists (with extended cognitive abilities) will be able to roam


around the destinations independently, enjoy en-route experiences (e.g., road trips, motorcycle trips, etc.), and explore unfamiliar places (Tussyadiah, 2014).

One of the important usage areas of WTDs is parks. When considered in terms of size and density, parks offer many uses for WTDs. Most of the WTDs and usage areas discussed up to this point are valid within the parks. However, there are some WTDs specially developed for parks.

One of the most important examples of WTDs used in parks is the MagicBand used in Disney Parks. MagicBands enrich the holiday experience by offering personalized special surprises throughout the Walt Disney World Resort. MagicBand is an all-in-one device that enables effortless connection to all holiday choices made with My Disney Experience. MagicBand is used to enter parks, unlock Disney Resort hotel room, purchase food and beverage and other items. In addition, MagicBand provides FastPass + access to all selected experiences online (Walt Disney World, n.d.).

Another example is the smartband derivative called Accesso Prism. Accesso's cutting-edge solutions can be found in tourist attractions all over the world. For the latest WTDs, Accesso developed the LoQueue virtual queue solution by creating new ways to connect with visitors. This wristband eliminates the need for visitors to carry cash or keys or queue for attractions, whilst providing automatic photo location tagging and updates on ride times. It also gives operators real-time guest journey data, providing valuable insight for operations, security and marketing (Cambridge Consultants, 2020). Accesso Prism also prevents park visitors from waiting in long queues while using toys or other services. Visitors can watch from their wristbands how many queues are on each toy and what the waiting time will be. This opportunity also supports the park management to achieve a balanced distribution of visitor density.

QING Solutions, on the other hand, is a system that prevents fraud and allows personalized experiences to be designed using WTs, to generate new revenue models and to increase user information. The solution is designed to benefit hotels, festivals, events, theme parks, congresses, fairs and travels. QING offers opportunities for security, cross-selling, audience real-time tracking and implementation of new forms of marketing (Tecnalia Ventures, n.d.).

Arts galleries and museums are precious institutions and heritage centers. Therefore, employing WDs could give new life to museums and galleries through the application of self-voice command audio guide in an interactive and modern manner. The use of WDs in this context could be for access control, ticking, information, and audio tour guide (Atembe, 2015). Another example of WTD is Tactto.Tacttoo is a feel-through interface for electro-tactile output on the user’s skin. It is the thinnest tactile interface for wearable computing to date. Applications in tactile augmented reality and on-skin interaction benefit from a seamless augmentation of real-world tactile cues with computer-generated stimuli. This opens up new opportunities for tactile augmented reality, where real-world objects or tactile body landmarks are augmented with computer-generated tactile stimuli (Withana, Groeger & Steimle, 2018). Tacttoo aims to offer new opportunities for the visually impaired to visit museums and parks (The University of Sidney, 2019).



The findings in the study by Dick et al. (2016) revealed that museum and art galleries have to focus on the provision of high-quality content, instant and personalized information, as well as links to other paintings. Further, if comfort issues are considered, the study revealed that art galleries should provide their visitors with a valuable, educational and enjoyable experience through the implementation of wearable smart glasses AR. A summarized version of the WT applications in the tourism industry discussed in the section is given in Table 1.

Wearable Devices Usage areas / user

businesses What does it provide

During Travel

Aira Memphis International Airport

people who are visually impaired are able to more confidently navigate, freely explore and complete virtually any task

Virtual Reality in-flight entertainment

SunExpress offers in-flight entertainment with virtual reality glasses

Microsoft HoloLens Air New Zealand Helsinki Airport

allows the wearer to engage with digital content and interact with holograms in the real world around them

SPRYNG SriLankan Airlines to rejuvenate transiting passengers or make ready those embarking on long distance flights.

OceanMedallion Princess Cruises replaces the Cruise Card and will open doors to many amenities on board

During Accommodation

ReactMobile Accor, Hilton, Choice and Wyhndam

provides an effective safety solution that enables an employee with a heart attack to be reached within minutes, e.g., during room cleaning

GUESTBAND Resorts, parks and hotels

focuses on improving the guest experience at resorts, parks and hotels whilst generating actionable data and valuable insights for the operator.

Used for Tourist Health

BioButton™ -- a single use health data tracker that offers high data privacy and security.

Screening Helmet Airports provides non-contact temperature measurement BACKtrak -- reinvents the way people track their alcohol consumption

Other Uses (Parks, Museums and Other)

MagicBand Disney Parks offers facilities such as entering parks, unlocking a Disney Resort hotel room, purchasing food and drinks and other items, as well as providing FastPass + access to all selected online experiences.

Accesso Prism LoQueue

Parks provides opportunities such as eliminating the need for visitors to carry cash or keys, providing operators with real-time guest journey data for operations, security and marketing, and preventing park visitors from waiting in long queues.

QING Hotels, festivals, events, theme parks, congresses, fairs and travels

offers opportunities for security, cross-selling, audience real-time tracking and implementation of new forms of marketing

Tactto Museums and parks aims to offer new opportunities for the visually impaired to visit museums and parks.

Table 1. Wearable Devices Used in Tourism Industry.

It is possible to foresee that in the near future, exoskeletons and exosuits will be used significantly in tourism businesses. For example, these reinforced exoskeletons to be worn by the personnel will provide great convenience in the transportation of heavy goods or heavy machinery maintenance in


hotel enterprises and especially in parks. Exoskeletons and exosuits will find important uses in many tourism businesses, thanks to their features such as lifting heavier, safer working with hazardous materials and being able to move faster. This opportunity will not only reduce occupational accidents, but also greatly reduce possible damages.

Implications in Tourism Marketing

Our general evaluation of the usage areas of WTDs in the tourism industry reveals what the aforementioned devices mean in terms of tourism marketing. WTDs have various functions in travel, hospitality, health tourism and other areas of the tourism industry. These functions also point to the values they can actually offer in terms of tourism marketing.

To clarify the matter with a simple example, smart watches or wristbands are an extension of digital competence to simple devices that provide information to the tourism consumer. However, VR glasses aim at a much higher level of experience richness that aims to add value to the interactions that the user will have with the other person and his environment. Therefore, these tools shape different lanes in terms of marketing applications.

Wearables transform enterprises by increasing efficiency, safety, quality, and collaboration; improving productivity; and reducing costs (Opher, Mehr, Onda & Cooper, 2017). WT is also regarded as a transformative business innovation trend, urging more traditional industries (Nagtegaal et al., 2015). The way we perceive, interact with and utilize WTDs brings about a fundamental paradigm shift. Capturing this paradigm change in real time and placing it at the core of its applications seems to be one of the important conditions for success in tourism marketing. Since WTDs define marketing with a new interaction paradigm, marketers need to define this paradigm very well.

The new paradigm is not in the form of "collect data with WTDs and design and transmit brand messages accordingly" in tourism marketing. The new paradigm indicates the real-time and dynamic transmission of these messages to the tourism consumer at moments of interaction in more striking and more personal ways. In the WTD ecosystem, a marketing strategy that can show the attention that makes every consumer feel special and at the same time follow general trends will meet the requirements of this new paradigm. As WDs essentially transform advertising into an efficiency-based form of interaction, brands will need to think about how to actively interact with their users rather than delivering general brand messages.

It is vital to keep up with wearable computing research and market trends, to see how this technology will influence guest usage and business (Aluri, 2015). WTDs transform the understanding of marketing in terms of reaching tourist data, diversifying tourist data, determining the marketing strategy based on the collected data, considering real-time data, dynamically tracking changes and structuring marketing strategies accordingly.



It is possible to explain the role of WTDs in tourism marketing as follows;

a. Presenting the Touristic Product with Enriched and New Experiences

WDs are not encountered as objects in tourism destinations, but the means through which tourists perceive the destinations (Tussyadiah, Jung & tom Dieck, 2018). Marketers now have the luxury of offering tourists a small demo of the vacation experience. So that these demos sometimes have some qualities that will appeal to other senses other than sound and image. These demos are not just high-quality videos or 360-degree photo galleries. The main striking features are that the touristic product created with AR / VR technology offers impressive moments of experience that include the most attractive parts. This kind of marketing opportunity goes one step further and extends to creating demand with highly adrenaline-bearing AR / VR experiences in forest, caves or underwater areas that are extremely difficult or dangerous to enter.

b. Establishing Intensive Communication with Low Cost, User Friendly and Devices Close to Traditional Ones

WT offers tremendous opportunity for companies who want to better connect with customers (PwC, 2016). The use of WTDs, which is spreading rapidly in the global tourism ecosystem, seems to be developing intensively in favor of low-cost, user-friendly and close to traditional usage habits. This includes smart watches, wristbands or various adhesive tapes that can be worn on the body. Such WTDs are those with smaller screens, shorter correspondence areas, and generally do not uses voice communication. However, the fact that tourists carry them with them for a long time makes these devices valuable for intense communication.

Taking these developments into consideration, marketers need to update their strategies and work on shorter, striking, understandable, effective and purposeful texts. They should create marketing messages that appeal to keywords and touristic expectations and continue their intensive communication efforts through the mentioned devices. These both positively affects the communication between suppliers and consumers by creating added value and enhances the decisions and actions of the businesses in order to create a better customer experience (Atembe, 2017: 226).

In addition, it is possible to state that the developing chatbots will support this effort when they mature in the near future. Thus, the limits on the size of the WT device screen, which can be considered as constraints during the intensive communication efforts of the marketers, will be overcome. The most important feature of all these marketing efforts is that their costs are extremely low.


c. Creating Digital Loyalty with Brand Ecosystem

The growth of WT’s virtual communities demonstrates the role technology is playing in connecting users and creating peer-to-peer relationships, which in turn heightens the emotional value of the devices (Outdoor Industry Association, 2014). The desire not to leave the ecosystem established with the use of a wearable digital device, the facilities it provides, and the investment made, over time, turns into an important customer loyalty. Integration of loyalty programs used by marketers and WTDs such as wristbands or watches increases tourist loyalty. The brand ecosystem can be strengthened by taking advantage of forums or communities where users of WDs come together.

With the help of forums and communities, crowdsourcing practices can be realized and data can be obtained for ideas to develop new advertisements. These channels, through which the trends of tourism consumers will be monitored, will also provide insight into the trends towards emerging WTDs. Monitoring these trends and adapting to new WTDs will be of great importance. With these developments, the content management of touristic advertisements will be realized in a more dynamic way, following the changes experienced by tourism consumers.

In fact, the WTDs ecosystem also forms the foundations of a very important brand ecosystem for marketers. These devices, which the tourists use almost every moment of the day and some of them consume the touristic product, keep them constantly in the brand ecosystem. This strong interaction causes the tourist to be constantly exposed to brand-related messages. By taking advantage of the interactions between these two integrated ecosystems, marketers can develop strategies to increase tourist brand loyalty.

d. Creating Added Value from the Consumer Data and Advertising Spiral

The use of WT allows users to leave a large amount of information that are not easily captured and interpreted in such ways that make them useful for the various entities in the tourism ecosystem (Tussyadiah, 2015). All WTDs deliver the data of tourism consumers to marketers in an up-to-date, fast, intense and low cost. This also means that the cumulative data of tourists are available. Thus, tourists can be analyzed individually as well as holistic or partial analyzes. For example, it is possible to monitor the emotional state of tourism consumers with bio WDs. Marketers will thus be able to develop methods to both encourage tourist purchases and increase in-hotel spending.

Wearable sensor devices can provide an embedded user interface and thus an immediate insight into the collected data, too (Pustisek, Beristain & Kos, 2015). Monitoring the behavior and purchasing patterns of the tourist in the in-hotel sales can even enable the production of special instant offers during his stay. In addition to instant offers, with the advantage of the real-time data of WTDs, there will be instant intervention to tourist complaints. Even the



interaction between these devices and the data obtained as a result of this interaction will also be valuable.

It is possible to learn the experiences, habits, trends and preferences of the tourism consumer with the help of other WTDs as well as bio data. This opportunity contributes to the structuring of tourism advertisements in the most appropriate strategy and target. For example, with the help of this data, advertisers can suggest the use of new wearing devices as a complementary accessory in order to design tourism consumers’ thinking about fashion.

e. Following Global Tourism Ecosystem and WTDs Trends

As the wearable market expands, it will become more heterogeneous, and various groups of users will prefer different types of WDs (Kalantari, 2017). The most important strategy of marketers in the tourism sector regarding WTDs is to work with appropriate technology brands or to receive services from suitable solution partners. It would be a huge mistake to limit yourself to the possibilities of one or more WTDs in this rapidly developing field. For this reason, marketers should make the most appropriate choices by monitoring the developments in the WT market and which areas their solution partners are turning to.

Developments in platform economy companies, IoT and industry 4.0 issues and the relationship between WTDs are of great importance. Of course, these investments are not the decisions that marketers will make alone, but it should be remembered that the most critical role will be with the marketers. Considering the types of tourism that tourists will participate in and that this requires some qualifications in WTDs, it is important to contact producers as well as to follow trends. The development of WTDs that are waterproof, heat or pressure resistant, glow at night, or embed radio signal transmitters aesthetically will determine the success of the integration between the global tourism ecosystem and the global WTDs ecosystem.

Monitoring the global tourism ecosystem and WTD trends will also support the development of the empathy needed for a design that will increase user experience. In this way, it may be possible to design WTDs that appeal not only to the technological expectations of the tourist but also to their emotions.

Conclusion

A closer look at the wearable technology reveals that companies utilise this technology to enhance their core business processes such as marketing, product development, management and customer service. The tourism industry is a service-intensive sector; thus, tourism-related companies are always employing new strategies to exceed the demand of sophisticated tourists by improving quality and satisfaction. As a matter of fact, investment in WT has covered all types of tourism operators such as Destination Management Organizations (DMOs), airlines, hotels, cruise lines, theme parks, museum


and other attractions. The main aim of the industry is to create brand loyalty by increasing the overall tourism experience. Additionally, the use of WT allows users to leave a large amount of information that is not easily captured and interpreted in such ways that make them useful for the various entities in the tourism ecosystem.

WTs provides several benefits to businesses such as improving core business process, increasing efficiency, contributing to profitability, providing sustainable competitive advantage, increasing the productivity and overall efficiency of workplace. Additionally, they improve the quality of life of both customers and travelers by providing hyper-personalized and unique experiences, increasing service quality and communication, providing valuable information about various subjects that helps them to make their decisions more consciously. However, there are also some obstacles related to the WTs, such as high price of wearables, concerns about data privacy and security and dependence to existing products.

The market potential of wearable technology is estimated to be immense as it stretches across different departments in the tourism industry. However, adopting WTs and overcoming barriers requires taking the long-term view. For the short term, it is forecasted that the both the widespread use of WTs and competition for the development of technologies with the aim of enriching the consumer experience will increase. WDs, which are currently designed to work as companion devices, will evolve as a stand-alone device in the following years. Moreover, these technologies that are wearable today are expected to be swallowed or implanted within the body or brains in the future. Although today's wearable technologies play an important role in increasing the tourist experience, they appeal to only for a limited group of tourists who are mostly technology oriented. Future wearable devices need to be designed more cost-effective and user-friendly and provide distinctive utility in order to both increase adoption of wearables and enhanced experiences for everyone involved in tourism. Therefore, the role of this technology is still very much a developing one within tourism at present. It is likely that over the coming years, this theme will grow in popularity to ultimately aid the traveler experience, particularly millennials. In this way, it may be possible to design WTDs that appeal not only to the technological expectations of the tourist but also to their emotions.



Key Terms

Augmented Reality (AR): An enhanced version of reality created by the use of technology to overlay digital information on an image of something being viewed through a device. AR integrates and adds value to the user’s interaction with the real world, versus a simulation.

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs): Diverse set of technological tools and resources used to transmit, store, create, share or exchange information.

Internet of Things (IoT): The networking capability that allows information to be sent to and received from objects and devices using the Internet.

Smart Travelers: Smart travelers are active users of smart technologies in order to both enhance their own experience and perform a dynamic, real-time interaction and co-creation with other stakeholders in the tourism ecosystem.

Virtual Reality (VR): The computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional image or environment that can interact with in a seemingly real or physical way by a person using special electronic equipment.

Wearable Technology (WT): Wearable devices that merge wireless connectivity for the aim of seamlessly accessing, interacting with and exchanging contextually relevant information.


Discussion Questions

1. Discuss the evolution process of the wearable technology concept in years.

2. Discuss some of the challenges of wearable technologies for the consumers.

3. Explain the contribution of wearable technology to the marketing strategies of businesses.

4. Give examples of how tourists can benefit from WTDs during the accommodation process?

5. Describe the role of WTDs in tourism marketing

6. What essential conditions must WTDs be able to meet in order to benefit both tourist

businesses and tourists? Why?

7. In your opinion, what does the smart traveler mean?

8. What kind of possibilities can wearable devices used during travel offer to travelers?

9. How WTDs can be used for tourist health?

10. Give an example of WTDs specially developed for parks.

References

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