An Examination of Information Services and Smartphone Applications

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An Examination of Information Services and

Smartphone Applications

Dan Wang

National Laboratory for Tourism & eCommerce

School of Tourism & Hospitality Management

Temple University

Sangwon Park



Temple University

and

Daniel R. Fesenmaier



Temple University

ABSTRACT

In recent years, smartphone applications have emerged as a new tool helping travelers

create experiences. Considering the potential impact of the smart phones and smart

phone apps, it is posited that is extremely important to understand how the mobile

applications enable travelers to construct their travel experience. To achieve this goal,

the first step is to understand the nature (i.e., number and range of funcations) of apps

available for smartphones. Through the content analysis of basic information of iPhone

applications, this study identified a wide variety of information services enable

smartphones to break the spacious and temporal limitations to facilitate tourists pre-trip,

on-the-way, and after trip.

Keywords: information technology, mobile, smartphone applications, tourists

INTRODUCTION

Smartphones (e.g. iPhone, G1, Motorola Droid, Blackberry) have evolved such

that they have stronger input capabilities, larger screens, reliable and unlimited Internet

access, and powerful location awareness (Want, 2009). Importantly, smartphones now

provide access to thousands of mobile applications (apps) (Business Week, 2010) which

offer a wide range of services such as communication, entertainment, news, social

network and travel. The benefits of smartphone stimulate its adoption; indeed, by the end

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of April 2010, there are 45 million smartphone users in the United States (comScore,

2010).

Smartphones and their applications (apps) appear to offer great potential to assist

tourists by providing access to online information at anytime and anywhere (Brown &

Chalmers, 2003). A series of studies have been done to identify the mobile services

valued by tourists (Rasinger, Fuchs, & Hopken, 2007; O’Brien & Burmeister, 2003) and

indicate that travelers’ choices can be changed by the use of smartphone applications

(Kramer, Modsching, Hagen, & Gretzel, 2007). With the increasing number of users and

greater penetration into people’s life, smartphones appear to have substantial influence on

the travel process. It is now important to examine how innovations such as smartphones

affect tourist behavior. To achieve this goal, first step is understand the nature (i.e.,

number and range of funcations) of apps available for smartphones.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Tourism is an experiential product whereby travel activities are “embedded within

the totality of lived experience” (McCabe & Foster, 2006, p. 194). Additionally, different

from tangible products (e.g. TV, shoes etc.) which usually require a single “decision” (i.e.,

purchase vs. not purchase), tourism is a consumption system whereby travelers are

continuously involved in multi-faceted decision process (Jeng & Fesenmaier, 2002;

Woodside & Dubelaar, 2002). Thus, travelers constantly search information to reduce the

uncertainty and support their decisions (Bettman, 1998; Bieger & Laesser, 2004; Gursoy

& McCleary, 2004). Recently, Gretzel, Fesenmaier and O’Leary (2006) identified

information processing activities within three stages of tourism consumption i.e., pre-

consumption stage, information is used for planning, expectation-formation, decision-

making, transactions and anticipation. In the consumption stage, information is used for

connection, navigation, decision-making, and on-site transaction. In the post-

consumption stage, information is used for sharing, documentation, external memory and

re-experiencing.

Smartphones, with their ubiquitous nature (Ling, 2004), appear to offer

substantial potential in assisting tourists in all phases of information search (Kenteris,

Gavalas, & Economou, 2009; Brown & Chalmers, 2003). A smartphone is a mobile

phone that offers more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a basic mobile

phone (Charlesworth, 2009) and have emerged as a powerful tool because of their

portability and local tracking can provide highly personalized and localized services (Sun,

Su, & Ju, 2006; New York Times, 2010). Also, smartphone developers such as the Apple

Inc. provide an open platform for mobile apps developers (Cusumano, 2010) to

encourage the creation of smartphone apps; thus, not only the smartphone devices

developers can anticipate the applications users might value, but also third-party

developers can create any kind of applications and provide to users directly through the

device. As a result, an “apps world” with thousands of smartphone apps is created to

provide a variety of information services (Business Weekly, 2010).

The results of these studies indicate that smartphones can assist tourists in all

three stages of tourism consumption (see Figure 1). The use of smartphone and apps may

change tourists experience by changing the timing and pattern of information search of

tourists (Kramer et al, 2007). Thus, based upon this literature, the goals of this study are

to identify the nature (i.e., number and range

provided by smartphones and

Figure 1 Information search and

Sample and data collection

The mobile applications

by Apple Inc. because they are

According to Gartner ( 2010)

Touch users account for more than 90

use of the apps was collected through a program designed to “scrap

information about each app (e.g. release date, version, developer, function descriptio

and all customer reviews posted for that app from the iTune app store.

By the end of July 2010, there were 14,107 applications included in the travel

category in the app store. Considering the purpose of this study, only applications having

customer reviews are considered as the

approximately 20 percent of the applications in the travel category.

was reduced further based upon

number of customer reviews is a reasonable proxy for the number of downloads

Preliminary analysis of the distribution of customer reviews

2,857 applications (see Figure 2)

hundred applications (32,601

considered the top one hundred apps

nature (i.e., number and range) of tourism – related information services

smartphones and to understand the impact of smartphones on travel process.

Information search and mobile information service in travel process

METHODS

The mobile applications considered in this study were selected from the app store

by Apple Inc. because they are regarded as the most active mobile applications.

2010), the applications in the app store for iPhone, iPad, and iPod

ch users account for more than 90 percent of mobile app sales in 2009. Data on the

use of the apps was collected through a program designed to “scrape” basic descriptive

information about each app (e.g. release date, version, developer, function descriptio

customer reviews posted for that app from the iTune app store.



are considered as the focus of this study; thus, 2,857 apps, representing

of the applications in the travel category. This number of apps

was reduced further based upon Hu, Pavlou, & Zhang (2006), where they found

number of customer reviews is a reasonable proxy for the number of downloads

distribution of customer reviews indicates that among

Figure 2), 67 percent of the reviews focused on the first one

red applications (32,601 reviews out of 49,357 reviews). Thus, this study

the top one hundred apps for further investigation.

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information services

understand the impact of smartphones on travel process.

mobile information service in travel process

study were selected from the app store

the most active mobile applications.

, the applications in the app store for iPhone, iPad, and iPod

of mobile app sales in 2009. Data on the

descriptive

information about each app (e.g. release date, version, developer, function description),



2,857 apps, representing

This number of apps

, where they found that the

number of customer reviews is a reasonable proxy for the number of downloads.

among the

first one

Thus, this study

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Figure 2 The Cumulative Percentage of Customer Reviews for iPhone Applications in

Travel Category of App Store

Data analysis

Content analysis was used to identify the functions and customer evaluations of

the respective smartphone applications. Content analysis is a “research technique for the

objective, systematic, and quantitative description of the manifest content of

communication” (Berelson, 1952, p.18). There are two general classes of content analysis

in social science: quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative content analysis refers to

methods that are capable of classifying many words of text into much fewer content

categories, which then can be counted for their occurrences and provide statistical

inferences from text populations (Hopkins, 2010). On the other hand, qualitative content

analysis refers to non-statistical and exploratory methods which are guided by qualitative

epistemology in that “reality”, a social and cultural creation, only can be accessed by the

detailed investigation (Berg, 2001). The selection of quantitative and qualitative content

analysis depends on the purpose of study and styles of textual data (e.g. appropriate for

summarization, similarity of different files, etc.) (Newbold, Boyd-Barrett, & Van Den

Bulck, 2002).

In this study, the quantitative content analysis was used to classify the smartpone

apps within the context of their functions and required two steps. First, we classified the

apps according to the information services they provide and then summarized the

information services by each category. Wordstat, a computer text analysis (CATA)

software for text mining, was used to analyze the text corpus provided by apps

developers. More specifically, the “automated text categorization” function in Wordstat

was used to assist the classification of apps. Automated text categorization is a supervised

machine-learning task by which new documents are classified into one or several

predefined category labels based on an inductive learning process (Sebastiani, 2002). The

Wordstat program classifies the apps based on naive Bayesian classifiers whereby the

classifiers were first obtained by using a set of discriminate functions and then estimated

using the relevant probabilities derived from a set of previously classified documents

(Domingos & Pazzani, 1997). This text classification method has been widely applied to

document categorization and news filtering (Forman, 2004). The automated text

categorization based on naive Bayes algorithm is appropriate for this study because the

0.0%

20.0%

40.0%

60.0%

80.0%

100.0%

1

25

50

75

10

0

20

0

30

0

40

0

50

0

60

0

70

0

80

0

90

0

10

00

15

00

20

00

28

57

The Cumulative Percentage of Customer Reviews

for iPhone Applications in Travel Category of App Store

Number of

Applications

terms describing the information services of apps (e.g. hotels, restaurants, flights) are

useful to differentiate the apps

of automated text categorization of

to ensure the accuracy of classification, the results were reviewed by

out of fifty apps were deemed “

to appropriate categories.

Second, the information services provided by each category of apps are

summarized using Wordstat.

scan the textual corpus of descriptions and

the functions of the apps. Then, the average

used to identify the semantic relationships among the p

Figure 3. Procedures of Auto Text Categorization by Wordstat

The smartphone apps in the iTune

based on the information services they provide. Table 2 describes each category and

provides examples. Four categories, “Flights information manager”, “Destination guides”,

“Online travel agency”, and “Fac

In the category “Attractions guides”

United States. However, the apps in the category of “Facilitator” provide

information services for tourists

bathroom locations, packing list, Wi

airport maps, and Catholic Mass times church directory.


rentiate the apps, and thus are appropriated to be classifiers. The procedure

of automated text categorization of the smartphone apps is described in Figure 3. In order

to ensure the accuracy of classification, the results were reviewed by the authors. Eig

deemed “misclassified” and were subsequently manually

ond, the information services provided by each category of apps are

Wordstat. Speficically, the phrase finder in the Wordstat was used to

scan the textual corpus of descriptions and to identify the phrases and idioms illustrating

apps. Then, the average-linkage hierarchical clustering analysis was

used to identify the semantic relationships among the phrases (Krippendoff, 2004).

. Procedures of Auto Text Categorization by Wordstat

RESULTS

apps in the iTune app store are categorized into twelve categories



“Facilitator”, accounts for 53% apps considered in this study

In the category “Attractions guides” all nine apps are about Walt Disneyland in the

the apps in the category of “Facilitator” provide a variety of

tourists including GPS thief tracker, cheap gas stations,

bathroom locations, packing list, Wi-Fi spot, mobile battery life, times in different places,

airport maps, and Catholic Mass times church directory.

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and thus are appropriated to be classifiers. The procedure

apps is described in Figure 3. In order

authors. Eight

manually assigned

ond, the information services provided by each category of apps are

rdstat was used to

identify the phrases and idioms illustrating

linkage hierarchical clustering analysis was

hrases (Krippendoff, 2004).

app store are categorized into twelve categories



considered in this study.

all nine apps are about Walt Disneyland in the

a variety of

including GPS thief tracker, cheap gas stations,

Fi spot, mobile battery life, times in different places,

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Table 1.

The Categories of Apps

ID Category name Definition

No. of

Apps

Percentage

(%) Examples

8

Flights

information

manager

Apps for searching and tracking

flights 17 17%

Flighte Tracker; TripIt -

Travel Organizer

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Destination

guides

Apps for providing various

information about a particular place

such as New York 15 15%

Vegas Mate; NYC Way;

GayCities - Your Gay City

Guide

4

Online travel

agency

Apps for searching and reserving

transportation tickets/hotels/cars 11 11%

Travelocity; Kayak flight ,

hotel search; Avis

Reservation App

7 Facilitator

Apps for providing quick facts

such as Wi-Fi spot, cheap gas

stations, local times. 10 10%

Cheap Gas; Wi-Fi Finder;

SitOrSquat: Bathroom

Finder

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Attractions

guides

Apps for providing travel tips

within an attraction or a resort such

as Walt Disneyland theme park 9 9%

Disney World Dining;

Disneyland MouseWait

Social Wait Times FREE

1 Entertainment Apps for the purpose of fun 7 7%

Sodasnap Postcards; Talk

Radio; Trip Journal

3 Food finder Apps for searching restaurants 7 7%

Urbanspoon; Localeats;

Happy Hours

5

Language

assistant Apps for translation 7 7%

Lonely Planet Mandarin

Phrasebook; Translate with

Voice

10

Local

transportation

App for searching and reserving

local transportations such as buses,

subways and taxi. 7 7%

PDX Bus; Metro Paris

Subway; Taxi Magic

12

Augmented

reality

Apps for viewing live situations in

other places through webcams 5 5%

WorldView; Times Square

Live; Google Earth

2

Currency

converter Apps for calculating exchange rates 3 3%

ACTCurrency _Universal

Currency Converter

6 Tips calculator Apps for calculating tips 2 2% Tipulator

Note: N=100

The details of information services provided by the apps are summarized in Table

2. The extracted phrases are organized into 36 categories and each category represents

one kind of information service. The list of information services indicates that the apps

can provide a wide range of services that may assist tourists in many “micro-moments” of

the travel process. Besides the main elements of travel process such as flight status (1),

car rental information (6), decide where to eat (9), hotel information (16), driving

direction (23), and travel guides (36), the apps also provide services including exchange

rates (14), packing list management (20), translator (24), tip calculator (25), dog park

finder (30), and roadside assistance (33). Additionally, the apps provide some services

only for entertainment. For example, the “live camera views” (13) provides the live view

of destinations, and tourists can see the places before they get there. The function of “plot

pics on the route” (27) pinpoints tourists on the map and allows tourists to insert pictures

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in the maps right after they took pictures. The function of “talk radio” (32) enables

tourists to listen to their favorite radio programs anywhere and anytime.

Table 2.

The List of Information Services of Smartphone Apps

Phrases ID Frequent phrases (Information services)

No.

Cases

%

Cases Frequency

1 Flight_status 17 17% 44

2 Live_flight_tracking 10 10% 19

3 Live_weather_report 10 10% 16

4 Attraction_wait_times 8 8% 19

5 Flight_alert 8 8% 12

6 Car_rental_information 8 8% 12

7 Share_with_family_and_friends 7 7% 14

8 Map_views 7 7% 9

9 Decide_where_to_eat 7 7% 9

10 Guest_reviews_and_ratings 7 7% 7

11 Alternate_flight 6 6% 8

12 Interactive_trip_map 6 6% 6

13 Live_camera_views 5 5% 20

14 Exchange_rates 5 5% 10

15 Restaurant_menus 5 5% 5

16 Hotel_information 4 4% 6

17 Augmented_reality 4 4% 5

18 Contact_information 4 4% 4

19 Travel_route_maps 4 4% 4

20 Packing_list_management 3 3% 6

21 Manage_trip_itinerary 3 3% 6

22 Travel_tips 3 3% 3

23 Driving_direction 3 3% 3

24 Translator 2 2% 7

25 Tip_calculator 2 2% 4

26 Discount_attraction 2 2% 4

27 Plot_pics_on_the_route 2 2% 4

28 Baggage_claim_information 2 2% 3

29 Information_about_truck_stops 1 1% 17

30 Dog_park_finder 1 1% 6

31 Diesel_fuel_stations 1 1% 6

32 Talk_radio 1 1% 4

33 Roadside_assistance 1 1% 3

34 Car_reservation 1 1% 3

35 Voice_translation 1 1% 3

36 Travel_guides 1 1% 3

Note: N=100

Specifically the 36 information services were clustered analyzed based on their

co-occurance in the textual corpus of each app’s description. The dendrogram (see Figure

3) summarizes the results of this analysis. As can be seen, the information services about

car and hotels are usually linked together; additionally, flight information and weather

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reports are provided together. Some applications cover all the information services about

flights, car rental, and hotels. However, some apps specifically help tourists track travel

routes and make trip diary (e.g. Trip Journal, Every Trail) and usually provide services

for experience sharing. Another main cluster of information service focused on

restaurants where guest reviews/ratings and restaurants menus are provided together with

other information about restaurants to help the selection of eating places. The cluster

analysis findings are corresponding to the classified twelve categories of apps. For

example, the first cluster including services of car, hotel and flight information services

are the main functions of category eight “Flights information manager” and four “Online

travel agency”.

Figure 4. The Dendrogram of Information Services

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DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The information services provided by smartphone applications identified in this

study facilitate tourists experience in many ways. First, the twelve categories of

smartphone apps demonstrate that the range of mobile information services goes beyond

the destination guides, which were the focus of previous studies and commercial

applications (Rasinger, Fuchs, & Hopken, 2007; O’Brien & Burmeister, 2003). The

smartphone apps can not only support tourists’ information processing activities such as

connection and navigation in the tourism consumption stage, but also the activities in the

pre-consumption and post-consumption stages. For example, the online travel agency

apps can support tourists to plan trips and complete online transactions as desk-top or

laptop computers do. The integration of experience sharing function in most of apps

enables tourists to share and document their experience anytime and anywhere. Second,

the information services of smartphone apps are personalized so that they can support

many micro-moments in the travel process. For example, smartphone apps can help

tourists find dog parks, restrooms, and cheapest gas stations. Such kinds of information

services are minor but considerate so that tourists can get a better travel experience. With

the personalized services of smartphone apps, tourists feel like they stay with a “perfect

concierge” (from one of customer reviews).

The information services of smartphone apps indicate the potential of smartpones

to change tourists’ behavior. One is that smartphones reform the way to search and

provide information. Smartphones provide a personalized mobile portal by providing

focused information services through apps. Each app is created to address a limited

number of information services. Thus, tourists can plan trips and make decisions

efficiently without overloaded information. Smartphone apps also customize the

information search with the location-awareness function. Based on the locations and

context that tourists stay in, the smartphone apps provide more relevant recommendations.

Another change can be that tourists may substitute other tools for smartphones in travel

planning, because smartphones with powerful computing capability can provide

personalized information service anytime and anywhere. As a consequence of the devices

substitution, the timing of travel planning can be changed. For example, the activities

such as hotel booking, restaurants selection which are usually done before departure may

be planned on the way. Also, the location-based service may distract tourists from the

original plans and encourage more unplanned travel behavior. Finally, with more

experience, surprises, and exciting moments, tourists satisfaction may be improved. All

these potential behavioral changes indicate the necessities and opportunities for scholars

and industry professionals.

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An Examination of Information Services and Smartphone Applications

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