Identification of the Pattern of Development of Artificial Intelligence and Smart Technologies in Enhancing Urban Tourism Experience

The aim of the present research was to identify the pattern of development of artificial intelligence and smart technologies in improving urban tourism experience. This research is applied in terms of its objective and was conducted using a qualitative method of thematic analysis. The statistical population of the research included experts and senior managers in the tourism industry, as well as staff and managers of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization of Tehran in the year 1403 (2024/2025). Using purposive sampling, 30 individuals were selected as the sample. To extract the dimensions of the final research model, the systematic method of Strauss and Corbin (1998) was used. The validity of the findings was evaluated using four criteria: credibility, transferability, confirmability, and dependability, as well as the researcher’s self-review and agreement between two coders. The findings were analyzed based on the coding method in MAXQDA software. According to the research findings, 398 basic themes, 33 organizing themes, and 7 overarching themes were identified, which include artificial intelligence, digital tourism marketing, cryptocurrencies and the financial ecosystem in tourism, social media in tourism, branding, the Internet of Things, and technological infrastructure as dimensions of the model for developing artificial intelligence and smart technologies to improve urban tourism experience. Based on the findings of this research, it is suggested that tourism industry managers enhance urban tourism by considering the dimensions of the extracted model.