Does self‐service technology impact destination image and customer delight?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study customer delight in tourism as influenced by destination image and perceived value, in the context of Tirupati Thirumala Balaji Devasthanam, the most visited temple in the world. Further, the role of self‐service technology in enhancing destination image is also discussed. Design/methodology/approach – The paper employs a causal research design and convenient sampling techniques. The target population of this study is the visitors who visited Thirumala temple during the past year. A self‐administered questionnaire including both structured and open‐ended questions and interviews schedules were employed. Factor and regression analysis have been used to explore the tourist's attitude towards self‐service technology interfaces, in the context of Thirumala Thirupathi Devasthanam (TTD). Findings – The self‐service technology channels such as the web site and the television channel had an impact on the customer delight element and these online channels need to be explored and utilized to create a superior experience. Practical implications – The information obtained will help policy makers to design a more comprehensive marketing mix, to enhance tourist experience. Moreover, the role of technology in the field of tourism will provide valuable insights as to how best to reach the target audience. Originality/value – Very few studies have explored destination image, customer delight, value dimensionality as well as SST interventions‐destination image in a tourism context.