Supporting Mobility: Evaluating Mobile Technology Advances in Tourism

Authors:
  • ACAlan Clarke
    Alan Clarke
  • ÁRÁgnes Raffay
    Ágnes Raffay
  • PBPietro Beritelli
    Pietro Beritelli
  • AWAndreas Wittmer
    Andreas Wittmer
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
This is a product of the work undertaken by the Aladdin consortium to develop mobile support systems for tourists and tour guides to meet the demands for relevant, up-to-date information and problem-solving options in real time in the destination. There are many approaches advocated to evaluation and this article considers the implications of hard and soft approaches, over and under evaluating projects, and the issues of inclusion and exclusion of key actors from the evaluation. A framework for the review of the evaluations undertaken within seven completed projects, critically assessing the methods used, is presented leading to a model of best practice, advocating greater clarity in evaluation, emphasizing the importance of transparency, traceability, and triangulation. The process has been informed by the need to be reflexively critical (taking our own processes through a process of critical examination, evaluation, and reflection) and we have been concerned to ensure that Aladdin learns from and builds on those experiences and that our own development processes are transparent, reflexive, and self-critical.

This publication has 13 references indexed in Scilit: