This document presents a research study investigating how Tunisian travelers manage their online and offline presence while traveling using mobile technologies. The study uses qualitative interviews with 18 young Tunisian travelers to understand their experiences with connection and disconnection when using mobile devices during travel. The results found that Tunisian travelers eagerly use mobile technologies to stay connected through communication and information access while traveling, but this constant connectivity can also lead to feelings of disconnection from the present travel experience or a sense of rupture from everyday life at home. The study aims to contribute new insights about digital technology use during travel for Tunisian travelers in particular.

1. Inès Mestaoui
Mourad Touzani
Investigating Travelers’ dilemma in managing
their online/offline presence on travel
experience

2. Nugget
(A puzzle to
solve)
Phenomenon
Context
Theories
Methodology
The research design

3. Motivations (The puzzle to solve)
• The malaise felt by travelers when they experience
disconnection during travel

4. Phenomenon
• The ambivalent behavior of the contemporary
Tunisian traveler modeled as a result of mobile
technologies use.

5. Context
• Tunisian traveler experience context

6. Research Question
How Tunisian travelers are managing their
connection and disconnection experiences
when they use mobile technologies during
travel?

7. Theoretical convesation
• Mobile technologies facilitate the travel experience
(Tussyadiah and Fesenmaier, 2009; Gretzel, 2010; Wang, Park, and Fesenmaier,
2011; 2012; 2014; Liu and Law, 2013; No and Kim, 2015;
• Social media enhanced the sharing and exchange between
users in order to facilitate the construction of the travel
experience (Xiang and Gretzel, 2010; Sigala, Christou and Gretzel, 2012;
Munar and Jacobsen, 2014; Kim and Fesenmaier, 2017)

8. Theoretical convesation
• Mobile technologies are intrusive (Turkle, 2011; Przybylski,
Murayama, DeHaan, and Gladwell, 2013)
• Travel is a simple continuity of everyday life (Lachance,
2014; 2016; Neuhofer and Ladkin, 2017)

9. Theoretical convesation
• Mobile technologies change travel experience and
traveler behavior (Tussyadiah, Fesenmaier, 2009; Wang, Park, and
Fesenmaier, 2011; 2012; 2014; Tussyadiah and Zach, 2012; Liu and Law,
2013; Tussyadiah, 2013; Tussyadiah and Pesonen, 2016).

10. Theoretical convesation
• In post-revolutionary context, the usage for young
Tunisian travelers is more than a mere Facebook use

11. Methodology
• Qualitative research
• In-depth: Unstructured Interviews
• 18 young Tunisian travelers
• 1 to 2 hours; recorded
• Wholly transcribed
Thematic analysis

12. Results & Discussion
• Young Tunisian adopted mobile technologies and used
them always on travel
• Mobile technologies use enhance autonomy
• Tunisian travelers are eager for communication and
information

13. Results & Discussion
Emotional
disconnection
Symbolic disconnection
Real disconnection
Rupture
Attachment
Fusion
Seperation
Disconnection
attempts
Physical
departure

14. Contibutions
• To overlap a gap in the literature because no previous
work investigated mobile technologies use for
Tunisian travelers
• Digital experts and marketing deciders may reach
online travelers and interact with them

15. Thank you