3.1. Study Design
342,273
As we wanted to measure the specific and direct effects of conversational recommender systems and the information therein on vacation behaviors and experiences, we used a an experimental design with random assignment to intervention conditions, which is the only research design that supports conclusions about an intervention Popularity-driven information via a conventional passive map app;Policy-driven information via a conventional passive map app;Popularity-driven information via a personalized conversation on WhatsApp;Policy-driven information via a personalized conversation over WhatsApp;Given that DMOs have traditionally informed tourists about attractions based on feedback about attraction popularity, and that numerous larger DMOs boast a passive map-based app as one of their information channels, the popularity-driven passive condition approximates a control condition in our design. It is challenging to study interventions on tourism experiences in the field with meaningful control conditions, as the experience must remain intact. As tourist experiences without information interventions, such as the use of a conversational recommender or purely policy-driven attraction information, still often feature passive map-based apps with destination information, we argue that this condition comprises a plausible control condition.Information about attractions in the region were based on a database of approximately 400 attractions provided by Marketing Oost, the DMO for the province of Overijssel. Marketing Oost categorized the attractions based on priority. The best attractions were to be highlighted as having priority, while other attractions were displayed to participants without distinction. Which attractions were considered ‘best’, however, differed in location based on experimental condition. A different, mutually exclusive set of attractions was given priority in the popularity-driven conditions and in the policy-driven conditions. For popularity-driven participants, attractions judged by Marketing Oost as relatively higher quality, and located in the As a region benefiting from tourism, but also facing intense tourist flows in a handful of heavily visited areas, Overijssel is an ideal context for the present study. This province of 1.16 million inhabitants is located in the northeast of The Netherlands, and borders Germany to the east and other Dutch provinces to the north, south, and west. The province covers a total of 342,273 hectares, of which 6773 (1.98%) are covered by recreational areas and 34,474 (10.07%) by forest. While existing discourse about overtourism largely concerns cities, especially large, internationally famous historic city centers such as Venice or Amsterdam, the situation is somewhat inverse in Overijssel. While there are several Hanseatic historic city centers which attract tourists, such as Zwolle (2021 population 129,840) and Deventer (2021 population 101,236), these cities are considered relatively less-visited areas by Marketing Oost for the purpose of the present study. In contrast, the town of Ootmarsum (2021 population 4460), the village of Giethoorn (2021 population 2805), and several natural and agricultural landscapes such as the Vecht valley and the Sallandse Heuvelrug National Park comprise the heavily visited areas of Overijssel. Thus, the policy to spread tourists away from heavily visited areas in Overijssel corresponds with the goal to increase visits to urban areas. In contrast, a region such as Amsterdam might indicate fewer tourists in urban areas as a policy goal to reduce crowding.The experiment featured a during- and post-intervention measurement design. Participants were asked to fill in an intake questionnaire, including demographics and informed consent, approximately one month before their vacation. Location and emotions were measured daily during the vacation. Finally, on the last day of their vacation, participants were asked to evaluate the information source to which they were assigned (passive app or conversational recommender) and their vacation as a whole.