Incentives for Visitor Tracking: Is Gamification the Way to Go?

Data is essential to better understand tourists and visitor flows as well as to better inform and guide tourists and manage visitor flows. In the age of data protection and overtourism, destination management organizations and national tourism organizations are challenged to find ways for consensual visitor tracking via mobile apps. Based on social exchange theory, it can be assumed that people are willing to provide personal location data when being compensated fairly. In this study, we find and explore a selection of potential mobile app features, ranging from utilitarian (personalized content, higher value of services, monetary rewards) to hedonic (gamified features) and social benefits. Based on the Kano model and a representative sample of 2038 panelists, we classify app features according to their ability to make people use a mobile app and thus allow for location-based tracking. Results show that gamification seems appealing to a subset of younger generations, while utility features are more broadly accepted and wanted. Social elements of travel mobile apps seem less attractive and relevant to most people. To convince a representative group of tourists to use a mobile app with tracking capabilities, we conclude that the focus should primarily be on actual utility of the app while gamified features should be implemented with care.