Researching the Consumer Perception of the Excursion Service Digital Transformations

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The swift evolution of information and communication technologies has radically changed the dynamics and business models of the tourism and hospitality industry [9]. This leads to new levels/forms of competition among service providers and transforms the customer experience through new services. Creating a unique experience and providing convenient services to customers leads to customer satisfaction and, ultimately, customer loyalty to the service provider or brand [1]. In particular, the latest technological push received by the tourism sector is represented by mobile applications and chatbots [2]. Providing tourists with mobile access to many services is of great interest and significant income.

Digital capabilities make it possible to develop relevant and unusual travel products. Technologies integrated into the urban context activate the demand for tourist destinations, thereby expanding the potential of the tourism industry. At the same time, there is a substitution of values, where reality replaces virtuality, where real impressions are replaced, in fact, not by real ones, and, accordingly, not full-fledged [7].

One of the advantages of using digital technologies in tourism is focusing on the individual preferences of tourists in order to further increase sales and profits [3]. The Russian Federation has not formed a strategy for digitalization of the tourism sector, which is the main reason for multidirectional efforts and low productivity in the tourism business [8].

On the one hand, immediate access, automation and ease of use have made digital technology an indispensable part of the daily lives of many tourists. On the other hand, in addition to automation-related functions, there is a need for personalization. To do this, several solutions based on artificial intelligence (AI) are appearing on the market (for example, chatbots).

The origins of chatbots in the travel industry can be traced back to the early 2000s, when these virtual assistants first appeared. They were mainly used for customer service and processing basic requests. At this moment, chatbots have evolved significantly with the development of artificial intelligence and natural language processing technologies. In recent years, travel companies have integrated chatbots with existing systems such as booking systems and customer databases, making them powerful tools for processing complex travel-related queries and transactions.

A chatbot is a computer program that simulates human communication with users through text messages in a chat to respond to requests, provide product information and perform other functions. Many companies are experimenting with digital customer service platforms to replace traditional customer service methods, and they can respond to customer requests and automate routine tasks. Due to their ability to process large amounts of data and quickly respond to online communication between companies and consumers, chatbots are gaining popularity in the digital business.

The purpose of the study (The aim of the work)

The purpose of the work is to explore consumers' perception of the digital transformation of sightseeing services.

Materials and methods of research (Materials and Methods)

In order to investigate consumers' perception of the digital transformation of sightseeing services at the regional level, an online survey was conducted. The survey was conducted using a voluntary anonymous questionnaire. The questionnaire was posted on various social networks (Vk.com, Odnoklass-niki, Telegram). Two focus groups of respondents were selected as the target audience of the study: employees of the tourism sector (specialists); residents and guests of the town of Belgorod. 40 respondents were interviewed in the first group, and 100 respondents of various ages and status were interviewed in the second group. The answers to the questions were evaluated on a scale from 1 to 5 points, where 1 step corresponds to 1 point. 1 point means the minimum value, 5

points means the maximum value.

The sample of respondents to the survey, formed using the "Google Forms" service, occurred randomly, a total of 140 respondents were interviewed. The evaluation was carried out in several stages:

• •    Stage 1 – investigation of the degree of consumer satisfaction with digital exclusive services;

• •    Stage 2 – examination of the quality of the excursion service;

• •    Stage 3 – calculation of the index of digital transformation of excursion services.

The questionnaire questions were focused on identifying:

• –    the priorities of respondents according to the ways of organizing the tour, the place of realization;

• –    channels for the promotion of digital sightseeing services;

• –    the level of penetration of digital technologies into the tourism sector of Belgorod;

• –    the level of interest of respondents in the development of digital technologies in the field of tourism.

Based on the answers, the index of perception of the digital transformation of excursion services was calculated – this is a comprehensive indicator reflecting the attitude towards digital excursion services.

The results of the study and their discussion (Results and Discussion)

Excursion services – tourist services for the development, organization and conduct of excursions. An excursion is a service for organizing visits to the objects of an excursion display (objects of natural, historical and cultural heritage, industrial enterprises, etc.) by individual tourists (excursionist) or tourist groups, consisting in familiarization and study of these objects accompanied by a guide, a guide, a guide-translator, lasting less than 24 hours without an overnight stay. A tour guide (guide) is a professionally trained person who carries out activities to familiarize tourists with the objects of an excursion display in the country (place) of temporary stay (State Standard R 54604-2011).

Excursion services can be provided separately or be an integral part of a tourist product, they include services for organizing and conducting excursions, services of a guide (guide), services of a guide-translator, accompanying services.

Today, the main trend for all markets is the trend towards digitalization. This trend is also obvious in the market of sightseeing services: audio guide services are widespread today, and the use of applications and digital services is increasing. In accordance with the purpose of the study, we will focus on the study of digital excursion services, which, in our opinion, include: audio tours and travel guides, mobile applications and services with excursion content (izi.TRAVEL , Artefact, Smartify, Weatlas, Walkerie, Travel Me, 1000 Guides, Qwixi Tour, WeGoTrip), excursion chatbots (interactive guide "Martin, see you off", tourist chatbot "Trails of the Mironich cat").

Let's look at the dynamics of search queries in a search engine Yandex.ru (word-stat.yandex.ru) according to certain words. Analyzing the history of impressions makes it possible to determine the popularity of an audio tour, while analyzing data in different time periods allows you to identify trends in demand changes in dynamics. The study presents the results of the analysis of queries for the phrase "audio excursion" for the two-year period from 01.01.2022 to 12.31.2023. It should be noted that Yandex's monthly reach in Russia is 99.78 million users, Yandex ranks 1st in terms of average daily coverage in the ranking of the most popular Internet projects in Russi a1.

Fig. 1 – The history of impressions for the word "audio tour" in Yandex Wordstat for the period 01.01.2022 to 12.31.2023

An analysis of the history of requests for the word "audio excursion" shows a decline in the interest of potential tourists during the New Year period and an increase in the number of requests in the summer. This is due to the fact that usually in the summer there is a peak of tourist activity in the Russian Federation and, accordingly, the demand for excursions, including audio tours, increases. If we compare the number of requests in 2022 and in 2023, then in 2022 the maximum number of requests was in August – 71,077 (the average number of requests for 2022 is 37,170), then in 2023, with a slight increase in the average number of requests by 3.1% (38,328), the maximum number of requests was in July – 62,968 (88.6% of the level of August 2022 and 95.6% of the level of July 2022). It can be supposed that the development of domestic tourism contributes to the growth of the popularity of audio tours and smooths out seasonal fluctuations, although only slightly – the summer increase in demand is still pronounced.

The results of the survey showed that individual excursions are more popular. At the same time, according to the form of information submission, tourism industry specialists prefer audio tours (70%), tourists – a slight predominance of a tour guide (52%). It should be noted that every fourth tourist prefers city tours (Fig. 2). In our opinion, this is due to the lack of knowledge about modern digital excursion products (audio tour).

Respondents highlight the need for discipline and a certain tour schedule as disadvantages of a group tour, while using an audio guide makes it possible (depending on the degree of fatigue) to take a break for rest, drink a cup of coffee, take a photo.

According to experts, among the modern information and communication Internet technologies included in the complex of marketing tools that promote tourism services, the most effective are: search marketing; matrix advertising; intra-matrix display advertising; sponsored links; email marketing; hidden (viral) marketing; affiliate (partner) marketing; podcasting; user content; blogging and SMM marketing2. The main sources of information according to the results of the survey are social networks, this is emphasized by specialists of the tourism industry and consumers of excursion services (Fig. 3).

The type of excursions according to the composition of the participants

The location of the excursions

Submission of information

Fig. 2 – Respondents' preferences when choosing an excursion

Fig. 3 – Sources of information about digital sightseeing services

The cognitive value of

The attractiveness of sightseeing sites

Audio recording quality

Fig. 4 – Assessment of the components of the quality of the digital excursion service

Tourists also learn about interesting excursions when purchasing a tour from a travel company, but this channel is losing its importance, as citizens more and more prefer to plan trips around the Russian Federation on their own.

When evaluating the components of the quality of a digital excursion service, the following parameters were considered: the cognitive value of the excursion, the attractiveness of the excursion facilities, the quality of the audio recording, the level of satisfaction with the excursion, ease of use and cost (Fig. 4).

Tourists highly appreciated such parameters of digital excursion services as the cognitive value of the excursion, the attractiveness of sightseeing facilities and the cost. At the same time, the specialists of the tourism industry liked the convenience of use more, which is due to the presence of certain experience in using modern digital products in tourism.

Researchers offer a variety of methods for assessing the level of digitalization, the difference between which lies in a set of groups of indicators, the formation of an assessment (either a simple sum of points or the allocation of assessment levels), methods of assessment (self-assessment, expert assessment, comparative assessment) [5]. We based the calculation of the index of digital transformation of excursion services on sub-indices: the cost of developing digital technologies, digital skills, the use (implementation/application) of digital excursion services, digitalization opportunities, security (Fig. 5).

The conducted research has shown that the possibility of digitalization of excursion services is highly appreciated by both travel industry specialists and consumers of excursion services, while both note the low level of implementation of these technologies in practical activities. We emphasize that the development of digital excursion services is slow and the main difficulties arise at the stage of informing potential consumers.

Digitalization opportunities; 4,8 Using digital sightseeing services;

3,7

Digital skills; 3,9 Digital technology development costs;

4,9

Tourists and residents of the town

Fig. 5 – Index of digital transformation of excursion services

Safety; 4,6

Specialists

The development of digital technologies is also an important direction in the "Strategy for the Development of Tourism in Russia until 2035" approved by the Government of the Russian Federation. In addition, new requirements for the information and communication environment and the formation of a unified information space are being formed in the digital economy [6].

Tourism enterprises digitalize their activities in order to increase revenue by minimizing costs, as well as expand the audience of consumers through monitoring preferences. Tourists get the opportunity to access a wider range of information, increase their tourist literacy, and expand the boundaries of their own choice [12].

For today, there are a large number of mobile applications and services that help tourists navigate in a new environment, make their stay in the town more comfortable and more intense [10].

Let's consider the possibilities of developing digital excursion services (audio tours) on the Telegram platform in the form of a chatbot. The impact of chatbots on the tourism industry is undeniable. Statistics show that the global chatbot market in 2022 was estimated at $0.84 billion in 2022, and is expected to reach about $4.9 billion by 2032 (Fig. 6).

Fig. 6 – Forecast of the dynamics of the chatbot market, billion US D2

In 2022, North America dominated the global chatbot market with the largest market share of about 41%, and it is expected to continue to dominate during the forecast period (Fig. 7). The growth in penetration of mobile and web chatbots on various platforms contributes to this growth. It is expected that the wider adoption of chatbot technologies to effectively interact with customers and improve their service will also stimulate future market demand for chatbots in North America.

Analysts predict that the chatbot market will grow significantly due to the wider adoption of mobile applications. The use of artificial intelligence in chatbots in the tourism se tor is possible in various ways, and its impa on the market is especially noticeable (Fig. There have been big shifts in the industry d to globalization, what travelers like, and n technologies have appeared.

Chatbots have revolutionized the tra industry by providing instant and personaliz customer support. The functionality of ch bots is based on natural language processi (NLP), a technology that uses artificial inte gence-trained models to understand users and accurately respond to them.

Banking, financial

Media and entertainment 19% insurance 15%

Healthcare

19%

Retail trade 6%

Travel and tourism 14%

Other commerce 21%

6%

Fig. 8 – Share of chatbot revenue by industry, 20222

2 Chatbot Market. URL: (Accessed on January 14, 2024).

Artificial intelligence technologies can lead to positive changes in the field of sustainable tourism. Using their already proven applications in the tourism industry, it becomes more possible to rethink and adapt these technologies in accordance with a broader and sustainable vision of tourism. Travelers can access artificial intelligence tools on various devices such as smartphones and computers, regardless of location or time, provided they have an internet connection. In addition, artificial intelligence can improve destination management to optimize visitor flows, reduce congestion and minimize environmental impacts. It will be possible to provide more personalized and exciting experiences, enriching the travel of tourists while preserving the cultural and natural heritage of the destinations.

The creation of an excursion chatbot on the Telegram platform will contribute to solving the following tasks:

• -    meeting the needs of tourists and the local population in organized leisure activities that promote familiarization with cultural and historical values;

• -    increasing the share of mass socially significant services available in electronic form;

• -  development of digital platforms for

• t he promotion of tourism products;

• -  development of excursion programs

• i mplemented on the basis of museums;

• -    providing an opportunity to get acquainted with cultural and natural attractions, museum expositions online;

• -    create an electronic platform for the involvement of self-employed persons in tourism activities.

The choice of the Telegram service as a platform for hosting excursion chatbots is justified by the rapid growth rate of the audience in the Russian Federation – in two years it has grown by more than 30 million people (82.3 million in October 2023 against 50.8 million in October 2021)3.

Tour chatbots are characterized by accessibility and ease of use. The formation and promotion of a tourist destination, improving the quality of a tourist product using modern information technologies is an important and promising direction for the development of domestic tourism and the creation of a tourist image of the territory.

Users who are more comfortable using the application using a mobile phone will also not be limited in using the service, since telegram is supported by the most popular software, and in particular by Android and iOS systems.

The algorithm of the excursion service can be created using online constructors (for example, Robochat, Manybot, Botobot, Bottap, Botmaker).

Digital excursion services will find wide application in the field of domestic tourism and for the development of museum and exhibition activities. Digital sightseeing services can be used for city tours and other destinations, as they offer a variety of content (a variety of topics: history, architecture, lifestyle, mysticism, gastronomy, religion, shopping, etc.) and it can be easily adapted for different categories of listeners and for different localities.

Conclusion

The potential of artificial intelligence and chatbots in the development of sustainable tourism is huge. But responsible use of this technology is extremely important. It can be said that artificial intelligence will become an even more integral part of the tourist landscape in the near future. Advances in natural language processing will further expand the capabilities of chatbots and virtual assistants, making them even smarter and more intuitive.