Approach using social media assisted by a recommender system : a prototype implementation in tourism

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to gain insight into the utilisation of a mobile augmented reality app within the Maltese tourism industry along with the related benefits of social media intelligence and recommender systems. The objectives were achieved through an online distributed survey. The target population was aimed to be 384 respondents but the acquired sample size was that of 246 respondents. The study provides evidence that smartphone owners are a large majority and that social media is an extremely important aspect and component for the respondents. The proposed mobile app appears to be a valid solution which meets most of the requirements needed by a holiday traveller while providing a new existing feature of augmented reality. The study concludes with the actual development of the proposed mobile app - GO! Valletta. This app managed to combine the important factors of augmented reality, social media, smartphone usage, tourism in Malta and recommender system This study increases awareness on the utilisation of new emergent technologies such as augmented reality along the popularity of smartphone ownership and social media intelligence recommendations within one of the largest economy incomes for the Maltese island; the tourism industry.