This document presents an explorative study on the use of ubiquitous services for electronic customer relationship management (e-CRM) in tourism, specifically focused on a Swedish mountain destination. It discusses various mobile applications aimed at gathering contextual customer data to enhance tourists' experiences and improve businesses' service offerings. The study evaluates the feasibility and potential benefits of implementing services like e-customer cards, social media guides, and location-based services to better understand and meet tourists' needs on-site.

1. ENTER 2015 Research Track Slide Number 1
Information gathering by ubiquitous services
for CRM in tourism destinations: An
explorative study from Sweden
Nina Kolas1
, Wolfram Höpken1
, Matthias Fuchs2
, Maria Lexhagen2
University of Applied Sciences, Germany
wolfram.höpken@hs-weingarten.de
Mid Sweden University, Sweden
matthias.fuchs@miun.se

2. ENTER 2015 Research Track Slide Number 2
• Introduction
• Study background
• Collecting information by ubiquitous services for
e-CRM
– Electronic customer card
– Social media guide
– Location-based services
• Explorative Evaluation
• Conclusion & outlook
Agenda

3. ENTER 2015 Research Track Slide Number 3
Introduction
• CRM vital for T&T (Vogt 2011)  ubiquitous (mobile) technologies
– respond to travellers’ communication and service needs (Sinisalo et al. 2007)
– enhance tourists’ experience quality (Wang et al. 2012)
• e-CRM uses IT to understand and effectively fulfil changing customer needs (Park &
Kim 2003; Sigala 2011)
– Front-end focus
– Designed on basis of customer needs and for customer-use
– Integrates organization resources and intra-organizational collaboration
– Interact with data warehouse systems and ERP (Pyo et al. 2002; Höpken et al. 2013)
• Research problem: Lack of contextual customer info at destinations (Pyo 2005; Pike et
al. 2011)
• Solution: Ubiquitous (mobile) final-user apps provide contextual info during
tourists’ stay (Rasinger et al. 2009; Fuchs et al. 2012)
• Research goal: Conceptualize, prototypically visualize (Mock-Ups), evaluate
ubiquitous tourist services (E-Customer Card, Social Media Guide, LBS), regarding
their potential to gain info on tourists’ needs on-site (Canadi et al. 2011)

4. ENTER 2015 Research Track Slide Number 44
Study Background
• Part of pilot project developing & prototypically implementing a Destination DW serving as homogenous
data source for Business Intelligence-based destination management information system (DMIS) at
Swedish mountain destination Åre (Höpken et al. 2011; 2013; Fuchs et al. 2013; 2014)
Knowledge
generation layer
Knowledge
application layer
The Knowledge Destination Framework (Höpken, Fuchs & Lexhagen 2011)

5. ENTER 2015 Research Track Slide Number 5
Study Background
Unused customer data
-Data bases: transaction, CRM, survey,
- Web: Web navigation & search words, UGC
The Knowledge Destination Framework Architecture (Höpken, Fuchs & Lexhagen 2011)

6. ENTER 2015 Research Track Slide Number 6
Study Background
Data source specific analyses
Cross-partner analyses
Cross-process analyses

7. ENTER 2015 Research Track Slide Number 7
Study Background
Data source specific analyses
Cross-partner analyses
Cross-process analyses

8. ENTER 2015 Research Track Slide Number 8
Study Background
Data source specific analyses
Cross-partner analyses
Cross-process analyses

9. ENTER 2015 Research Track Slide Number 9
Study Background
Data source specific analyses
cross-partner analyses
Cross-process analyses

10. ENTER 2015 Research Track Slide Number 10
Dynamic need fulfilment and enhanced experience quality…
Real-Time BI  On-site Processes: Stay, Consumption, Location
Customer and Supplier Data
Digital destination eco-system info on
product profiles (web-sites), availability
(booking engines), offer complementarity
(market basket analysis)
M-CRM Apps: automated detection of
experience opportunities, promising
social matches; RT-service recovery
Enhanced DMIS: Quicker reaction on
customer needs; RT insights in supply
shortages  query redistribution
E-customer card for RT data
generation: QR Codes on POIS, Ad-
hoc feedback
Study Background

11. ENTER 2015 Research Track Slide Number 11
Information gathering by
Ubiquitous Services
• Focus of e-CRM study
– Customer needs, consumption behaviour, movement patterns
– Data sources: tourists’ Transactions (T), Navigation & web-search (N), and
Feedback (F) via surveys & social media
Indicators in DMIS prototype & manager’s assessment of feasibility to gain this data during
tourists’ stay before conceptualizing ubiquitous services (Ø < 50%)
Feasibility Feasibility
Indicators T N F Indicators T N F
Future turnover of the
destination
52% 20% 20%
Type of travel (travel
group)
52% 20% 60%
Sources of information
requests during stay
20% 20% 20% Purpose of visit 68% 68% 68%
Cross-sales potentials 68% 20% 36% Main/Transit destination 20% 20% 20%
Type of transportation 20% 20% 36% Social Media Presence 20% 20% 36%
Visitation week number 68% 20% 36%
Knowledge about the
destination
20% 20% 36%
Type of accommodation 68% 20% 36% Travel motivation 20% 20% 52%
Length of stay (Ø
overnights/visitor)
52% 20% 20% Non-ski winter activities 20% 20% 36%
Customer movement &
place attachment
20% 20% 20% Summer activities 20% 20% 20%
Home region 68% 52% 28% Quality of services 20% 20% 52%
Age 36% 20% 52% Atmosphere 20% 20% 36%
Gender 52% 20% 52% Social environment 20% 20% 52%
Skiing behaviour 36% 20% 36% Overall guest satisfaction 20% 20% 52%
Customer life time 60% 20% 36%
Loyalty of customers reg.
destination
68% 20% 52%
Through proposed ubiquitous applications, values should be increased after repeated final
evaluation

12. ENTER 2015 Research Track Slide Number 12
• Requirements for generation of customer data during tourists’ stay are mapped
for an E-Customer Card, a Social Media Guide, and Location-based services
• Ubiquitous services are subsequently evaluated in terms of technical feasibility
Information gathering by
Ubiquitous Services
Requirements
Electronic
Customer Card
Social Media
Guide
Location-based
Services
Guest count x x
Factors affecting turnover x x x
Information sources during stay x x x
Activities x
Type of accommodation x x
Type of events x x x
Pattern of movement & place attachment x x x
Destination image and quality x x
Overall satisfaction/loyalty x x
Behaviour on slope x x x
Customer life time x x x
Length of stay x x x
Brand awareness/promise x x
Winter and non-winter activities x x x
Social interaction x x
Country of origin, region, age, gender x x
Social media x x
Attractiveness of various services x x

13. ENTER 2015 Research Track Slide Number 13
Electronic Customer Card
•Business card, based on QR-code or NFC (Canadi et al, 2011; Höpken et al., 2012)
•On-site info about customers
– Consumer profile: Tourists register/create user profile (interests, planned activities…)
– Consumption behaviour: Feedback, redeeming coupons & bonuses, discounts on
purchases
– Movement patterns: Paying minimal amounts in shops, using card as a ski pass,
getting free entrance to special areas
Information gathering by
Ubiquitous Services
GPS-based map with
coupons

14. ENTER 2015 Research Track Slide Number 14
Social Media Guide
•App for tourists’ mobile device promoted at web of DMO, suppliers, e-billboards, printed
brochures  Connects guests with peers  profile can be complemented by social media
accounts
– Localisation & communication: Buddy & Date Finder (messaging, dating/chat function)
– Position sharing & textual/visual feedback: Check-in function (GPS/WLAN-based)
Information gathering by
Ubiquitous Services
Guests find peers on interactive map showing
ski area and relevant destination facilities

15. ENTER 2015 Research Track Slide Number 15
Location-based Services
•Integrate (current, past, future) location with additional info to add value to users (Chang et al.
2006)  positioning technologies  QR codes/NFC tags (Höpken et al. 2012)
•Map-based slope info: position and avalanche warnings/predictions
•QR codes & NFC tags:
– Restaurants receipts/menus….  instant feedback, info request
– POIs/suppliers’ content, at ski-lifts (e.g. opening, reservation…)
– Geocaching: customers find QR codes on maps; NFC tags on POIS to complete route
– Virtual Shopping: grocery products, ski equipment bought/rented/delivered
Information gathering by
Ubiquitous Services

16. ENTER 2015 Research Track Slide Number 16
Evaluation
Explorative customer evaluation
•Quantitative assessment through potential users  student sample (n=21) at Business
Informatics Department at University of Applied Science Weingarten, Germany (86% male,
age range 21 - 25 years) Nov - Dec 2012
•Students would use services in destination context (unless Buddy & Date-Finder, Check-in
service, Geocaching )
•All services could be easily/intuitively understood (Ø = 4.30)
•Technical implementation is feasible
•E-Customer Card & Buddy & Date finder generate (too) much private info
Mobile Services Usage Support Understanding
Implemen-
tation
Anxiousness about
information collection
Electronic
Customer Card
3.37 3.14 4.33 3.95 4.14
Buddy- & Date-
Finder
2.97 3.00 4.33 3.57 4.10
Check-in 3.00 3.14 4.38 3.86 3.71
Feedback 3.25 3.24 4.43 3.90 3.38
Detailed Slope
Information
3.30 3.19 4.48 3.86 3.24
Avalanche
Warning
3.37 3.29 4.38 3.71 2.86
QR codes/NFC tags
in the destination
3.08 3.19 4.14 3.71 3.24
QR code- & NFC-
Geocaching
2.98 2.76 4.19 3.81 3.24
Virtual Shopping 3.11 3.24 4.00 3.43 3.24

17. ENTER 2015 Research Track Slide Number 17
Evaluation
Explorative supplier evaluation
•Focus group interviews  suppliers from Swedish destination Åre (n = 9) Nov - Dec 2012
– 1 CEO and 7 employees of DMO Åre Destination AB
– 1 CEO of SkiStar (lift operator, provider of accommodation & ski school services)
•Pros and cons to service concepts
Mobile Service Pros Cons
Electronic
Customer
Card
• Useful for micropayments
• Animation for buying s.th. because of
coupons, bonuses, discounts etc.
• Being familiar with the handling
• Durability of the mobile device’s
battery
• Lack of trustworthiness of e-payment
Social Media
Guide
• Seeing the number of checked-in
people in facility
• Easy process checking-in
• Coupling with social media channels
• Marketing activities are necessary
• Implementation of Wi-Fi Hotspots
Detailed Slope
Information
• Better coordination of the slope traffic • Difficult to collect information
regarding skiing and snowboard
behaviour
• Losing focus on skiing/ snowboarding.
Avalanche
Warning
• Increasing security awareness • Decreasing danger recognition
QR codes &
NFC tags in
the destination
• Alternative to information points,
POIs, restaurants, and tourist
information brochures
• Users have less knowledge of QR
code/NFC technology
• Permanent information update
QR code- &
NFC
Geocaching
• Offering different variants of
geocaching
• Extension of the hiking paths is
necessary
Virtual
Shopping
• Inspection of the customers’ expenses • Differencing the turnover between
suppliers

18. ENTER 2015 Research Track Slide Number 18
Mobile Services General
benefit
Additional
benefit
Usability Implementation Information
collection
Electronic Customer
Card
4.44 4.56 4.22 4.56 4.50
Buddy- & Date-Finder 4.22 4.00 4.33 3.78 4.61
Check-in 4.33 4.22 4.56 4.33 4.44
Feedback 4.39 4.22 4.11 4.00 4.22
Detailed Slope
Information
4.06 4.56 4.33 4.22 4.22
Avalanche Warning 4.28 4.67 4.56 4.22 4.22
QR codes/NFC tags
for the destination
4.33 4.56 4.33 4.33 4.39
QR code- & NFC-
Geocaching
4.28 4.44 4.67 4.33 4.28
Virtual Shopping 3.78 3.89 4.00 3.67 3.61
Evaluation
Quantitative Assesment: rating assessment for ubiquitous services (Five-point Likert scale)
•Suppliers agree: services represent general benefit for destination
•Avalanche Warning, E-Customer Card, Slope Info, QR codes/NFC tags provide benefits to
customers
•Usability of services rated high
•Implementation of services feasible from technical perspective
•Services show potential to gain info on tourists’ behaviour / movement patterns during stay

19. ENTER 2015 Research Track Slide Number 19
Evaluation
Overall results: aggregated opinion of suppliers and potential customers
•Service concepts gain respectable credence (except Buddy- & Date-Finder, Check-in, QR
code/NFC-based Geocaching, Virtual Shopping)
•Samples agree that concepts lead to benefits for destination and customers
•Usability of Mock-Ups was high and comprehensible
•Implementation is realistic
Mobile Services
Suppliers
General
Benefit
Additional
Benefit
Usability
Implemen-
tation
Information collection
Customers
Usage Support
Under-
standing
Implemen-
tation
Anxiousness about
information collection
Electronic
Customer Card
3.80 3.68 3.68 4.06 3.63
Buddy- & Date-
Finder
3.47 3.50 4.33 3.67 4.44
Check-in 3.53 3.68 4.47 4.10 4.20
Feedback 3.71 3.73 4.27 3.95 3.94
Detailed Slope
Information
3.60 3.87 4.40 4.04 3.89
Avalanche
Warning
3.73 3.98 4.47 3.97 3.77
QR codes & NFC
tags in the
destination
3.58 3.87 4.24 4.02 4.01
QR code- &
NFC-Geocaching
3.50 3.60 4.43 4.07 3.93
Virtual Shopping 3.38 3.56 4.00 3.55 3.49

20. ENTER 2015 Research Track Slide Number 20
Evaluation
• Indicators’ & feasibility assessment (in %) of generating Transaction (T),
Navigation (N), Feedback (F) data after conceptualizing & assessing services by
suppliers (n = 9)
• Especially customer-based transaction (T) and feedback (F) data will lead to an increase of
info about tourists’ needs during stay (max. 80%)
• Navigation (N) data can only be marginally gained
Feasibility Feasibility
Indicators T N F Indicators T N F
Future turnover of the
destination
8% 0% 0%
Type of travel (travel
group)
8% 0% 40%
Sources for information
requests during stay
50% 0% 0%
Purpose of visit
12% 0% 32%
Cross-sales potentials 12% 0% 4% Main/Transit destination 0% 0% 0%
Type of transportation 40% 0% 64% Social Media Presence 80% 0% 44%
Visitation week number
12% 0% 64%
Knowledge about the
destination
60% 0% 44%
Type of accommodation 12% 0% 64% Travel motivation 40% 0% 48%
Length of stay (Ø
overnights/visitor)
28% 0% 80%
Non-ski winter activities
80% 0% 4%
Customer movement &
place attachment
80% 0% 0%
Summer activities
80% 0% 20%
Home region 32% 0% 72% Quality of services 60% 0% 48%
Age 64% 0% 48% Atmosphere 60% 0% 64%
Gender 48% 0% 48% Social environment 60% 0% 48%
Skiing travel behaviour 64% 0% 0% Overall guest satisfaction 20% 0% 48%
Customer life time
20% 0% 44%
Loyalty of customers reg.
destination
80% 0% 48%
Feasibility Feasibility
Indicators T N F Indicators T N F
Future turnover of the
destination
52% 20% 20%
Type of travel (travel
group)
52% 20% 60%
Sources of information
requests during stay
20% 20% 20% Purpose of visit 68% 68% 68%
Cross-sales potentials 68% 20% 36% Main/Transit destination 20% 20% 20%
Type of transportation 20% 20% 36% Social Media Presence 20% 20% 36%
Visitation week number 68% 20% 36%
Knowledge about the
destination
20% 20% 36%
Type of accommodation 68% 20% 36% Travel motivation 20% 20% 52%
Length of stay (Ø
overnights/visitor)
52% 20% 20% Non-ski winter activities 20% 20% 36%
Customer movement &
place attachment
20% 20% 20% Summer activities 20% 20% 20%
Home region 68% 52% 28% Quality of services 20% 20% 52%
Age 36% 20% 52% Atmosphere 20% 20% 36%
Gender 52% 20% 52% Social environment 20% 20% 52%
Skiing behaviour 36% 20% 36% Overall guest satisfaction 20% 20% 52%
Customer life time 60% 20% 36%
Loyalty of customers reg.
destination
68% 20% 52%

21. ENTER 2015 Research Track Slide Number 21
• Customer info from tourists’ during stay…
– Valuable input for e-CRM at destinations (Park & Kim 2003; Sigala 2011; Vogt 2011)
– Info gathering through mobile services (Pyo et al. 2002)
• Explorative evaluation: visualized concepts of ubiquitous services
– Technology affluent users evaluated services positively
• Implementation & operational feasibility
• Potential final user acceptance
– E-Customer Card, Detailed Slope Information, Avalanche Warning, QR
codes/NFC tags strongest benefits for destination suppliers/potential
customers
• Future research: ubiquitous services prototypically implement to validate
– Final user acceptance
– Info gathering potential for BI-based knowledge creation
– Provision of knowledge to customers & suppliers in a real-time e-CRM context
at tourism destinations
Conclusion and outlook

22. ENTER 2015 Research Track Slide Number 22
Thank you!
Acknowledgements
This research was financed by the KK-Foundation
The authors thank the partners
TO TT HO TELL