AN ECOSYSTEM APPROACH TO CREATING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE IN TOURISM: THE ROLE OF DIGITAL PLATFORMS

Nina Petrichsheva

VAK Russia 5.2.3 UDC 338.48

2 more Collapse

AN ECOSYSTEM APPROACH TO CREATING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE IN TOURISM: THE ROLE OF DIGITAL PLATFORMS

Published in Trade, service, food industry · Volume 6, Issue 4, 2026 · Pages 504–518 · Rubric: Tourism

EDN: OFNSLI

Received: 08.05.2026 Accepted: 26.06.2026 Published: 30.10.2026

Authors

Nina Petrichsheva

University of International Business Kazakhstan · Almaty

Siberian Federal University Russian Federation · Krasnoyarsk

ABSTRACT

This article analyzes the role of digital platforms in shaping the customer experience in tourism from an ecosystem approach. With the digitalization of the tourism industry, platform solutions are beginning to fulfill not only an intermediary function but also become a mechanism for coordinating interactions between tourism ecosystem participants. The study pays particular attention to the influence of the digital environment on the perception of the quality of tourism services, the formation of digital trust, and the transformation of consumer behavior among various user groups. The theoretical basis of the study is formed by works devoted to the ecosystem approach, the platform economy, the digitalization of the service environment, and issues of shaping the customer experience. The empirical part of the study is based on the results of an online survey of residents of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation analysis, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to process and interpret the data. This allowed us to identify the relationship between users' level of digital competence and their perception of digital services, as well as to determine the presence of generational differences in the assessment of digital aspects of the tourism experience. The study's findings demonstrate that digital platforms are becoming a significant element of the modern tourism ecosystem, influencing not only service delivery processes but also the formation of customer experiences, digital trust mechanisms, and perceived quality of tourism services. It was found that the most pronounced generational differences are manifested in attitudes toward digital aspects of tourism interactions, including the convenience of online booking, trust in user-generated content, and the influence of digital skills on perceived service quality. It is concluded that, in today's environment, digital platforms serve as an infrastructural element of the tourism ecosystem, ensuring the integration of services, coordination of interactions, and the consistent formation of customer experiences.

KEYWORDS

tourism ecosystem, digital platforms, customer experience, digitalization of tourism, platform economy, user-generated content, digital trust, ecosystem approach

Text

Text (RU) (PDF)

Read Download

1. Petrichsheva, N. Ye. (2025). An ecosystem approach to tourism services development: Conceptual foundations and application features in the regional economy. Trade, Service, Food Industry, 5(4), 401–415.

2. Kuimov, V. V. (2019). Economics of cooperative and network interactions. Theory. Practice. Opportunities: a monograph. Moscow: INFRA M; Krasnoyarsk: Siberian Federal University, 220.

3. Adner, R. (2017). Ecosystem as structure: An actionable construct for strategy. Journal of Management, 43(1), 39–58.

4. Jacobides, M. G., Cennamo, C., Gawer, A. (2018). Towards a theory of ecosystems. Strategic Management Journal, 39(8), 2255–2276.

5. Hein, A., Schreieck, M., Riasanow, T., et al. (2020). Digital platform ecosystems. Electronic Markets, 30, 87–98.

6. Baggio, R., Del Chiappa, G. (2014). Tourism destinations as digital business ecosystems. Information Technology & Tourism, 14(2), 139–157.

7. Gretzel, U., Sigala, M., Xiang, Z., Koo, C. (2015). Smart tourism: Foundations and developments. Electronic Markets, 25(3), 179–188.

8. Almeida-Santana, A., David-Negre, T., Moreno-Gil, S. (2020). New digital tourism ecosystem: Understanding the relationship between information sources and sharing economy platforms. International Journal of Tourism Cities, 6(2), 335–345. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1108/IJTC-09-2019-0173.

9. Pine, J., Gilmore, J. (1999). The experience economy. Harvard Business School Press, 254.

10. Lemon, K. N., Verhoef, P. C. (2016). Understanding customer experience throughout the customer journey. Journal of Marketing, 80(6), 69–96.

11. Neuhofer, B., Buhalis, D., Ladkin, A. (2014). A typology of technology-enhanced tourism experiences. International Journal of Tourism Research, 16(4), 340–350.

12. Xiang, Z., Gretzel, U. (2010). Role of social media in online travel information search. Tourism Management, 31(2), 179–188.

13. Filieri, R., Alguezaui, S., McLeay, F. (2015). Why do travelers trust TripAdvisor? Tourism Management, 51, 174–185.

14. Bondarenko, S., Kalaman, O., & Danilova, O. (2025). Digital transformation of the tourism business in an open economy: A comprehensive approach to travel planning and partnerships. Social Development: Economic and Legal Issues, 4. DOI:https://doi.org/10.70651/3083-6018/2025.4.17. [Electronic source] URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/391998015_DIGITAL_TRANSFORMATION_OF_THE_TOURISM_BUSINESS_IN_AN_OPEN_ECONOMY_A_COMPREHENSIVE_APPROACH_TO_TRAVEL_PLANNING_AND_PARTNERSHIPS/ (Date of access: 03.04.2026).

15. Zeqiri, A., Ben Youssef, A., Maherzi Zahar, T. (2025). The role of digital tourism platforms in advancing sustainable development goals in the Industry 4.0 era. Sustainability, 17(8), 3482. DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/su17083482.

16. Tan, Y., Jiang, G., Merajuddin, S. S., Zhao, F. (2025). Analyzing the impact of digital technology on consumers’ travel intentions. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 10(2), Article 100685. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2025.100685.

17. UNWTO. (2023). World tourism barometer and statistical annex. [Electronic source] URL: https://www.unwto.org/unwto-world-tourism-barometer (Date of access: 03.04.2026).

18. Statista. (2024). Online travel booking statistics worldwide 2024. [Electronic source] URL: https://www.statista.com/topics/2704/online-travel-booking/ (Date of access: 03.04.2026).

19. Booking.com. (2023). Travel predictions report 2023. [Electronic source] URL: https://www.booking.com/articles/travelpredictions2023.html (Date of access: 03.04.2026).

20. BrightLocal. (2023). Local consumer review survey 2023. [Electronic source] URL: https://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey/ (Date of access: 03.04.2026).

21. Gutiérrez, I., Ferreira, J. J., Fernandes, P. O. (2023). Digital transformation and the new combinations in tourism: A systematic literature review. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 25(2), 194–213. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1177/14673584231198414.

22. Sustacha, I., Banos-Pino, J. F., Del Valle, E. (2023). The role of technology in enhancing the tourism experience in smart destinations: A meta-analysis. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 30, Article 100817. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2023.100817.

23. Popov, E. V. (Ed.). (2024). Economic Ecosystems: a monograph. Moscow: INFRA-M, 356.

24. Maghsoudi, M., Aliakbar, S., Mohammadi, A. (2026). Exploring the digital tourism ecosystem: Unveiling user behavior through social network analysis. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 13, 441. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-026-06782-3.

25. Sarhan, S. A. A. (2026). Tourism, services, and customer experience: Expanding the tourism ecosystem. Global Academic Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 8(2), 21–32. DOI:https://doi.org/10.36348/gajhss.2026.v08i02.002.

PDF JATS XML

Chief Editor

Julia Suslova

ysuslova@sfu-kras.ru

Lead Editor

Ekaterina Komissarova

Selengen@mail.ru

download

AN ECOSYSTEM APPROACH TO CREATING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE IN TOURISM: THE ROLE OF DIGITAL PLATFORMS

Confirmation