Voice assistants in the tourism customer journey : from knowledge and decision-making to ecotourism loyalty in family vacations

Research on consumer interactions with artificial intelligence (AI)-powered voice assistants (VAs) in ecotourism is limited. Grounded in expectation confirmation theory and the post-acceptance model of information systems (IS) continuance, this study explores how VAs influence family ecotourism behavior throughout the tourism customer journey, from decision-making to ecotourism loyalty. The conceptual model introduces the novel concept of family ecotourism engagement, which is tested as a mediator of the relationship between family ecotourism satisfaction and loyalty. For the data, 205 parents who traveled with children to Romanian ecotourism destinations completed online surveys in a three-stage data collection process, pre-, in-, and post-visit. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) were combined in a mixed-methods approach. A key symmetric finding is that VA-driven family ecotourism engagement is likely to mediate the relationship between family ecotourism satisfaction and loyalty. This finding extends research on ecotourism behavior. Asymmetric findings reveal that VA expectations are the most important predictor of family ecotourism loyalty. The study provides practical insights for potential partnerships between key stakeholders to design VAs tailored to ecotourism destinations.