Tourism and intra-destination mobility: use of apps in the dynamics of tourist transport (Natal-RN-Brasil)
Tourism. Intra-destination Mobility. ICT. Apps.
The purpose of this research is to analyze the use of the Uber app by tourists from Natal-RN-Brazil. Based on the user generated content (CGU) of the TripAdvisior platform, we seek to understand their perceptions and motivations for the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) when traveling within the destination. It is characterized as a exploratory-descriptive research with a qualitative approach. The technological advance perceived in recent times raises the question of how the internet influences the lives of individuals. The apps have emerged as an innovation that helps users perform different tasks, including travel, which changes the dynamics of tourism. Linked to this, the use of smartphones by individuals has facilitated communication between agents of the tourist activity. Uber is a private passenger transport application that, since arriving in Natal-RN-Brazil in 2016, has been used by tourists. The TripAdvisior platform, in July 2020, there were 105 discussion topics about Uber in this region, totaling 1014 comments. Using the technique of content analysis of said comments, applying 12 categories of analysis, it is expected to demonstrate that although the price/cost factor is important, there are others involved in the tourist's decision to use this technology in their intra-destination movements.