Tech-savvy skiers and snowboarders (2015)

Undertaking a ski or snowboard holiday has always been a popular vacation practice for Dutch tourists, with nearly 1 million skiers/snowboarders hitting the slopes each year. Although the essence has ever remained the same, actively enjoying the mountainous environment, a lot has also changed over the recent years. Not only have the winter sport related facilities significantly increased and been modernized, society as a whole has welcomed new and innovating technologies. The Internet has most probably been the greatest innovation, and today’s smartphone is increasingly connecting society to the web. The role of smartphones in our daily lives is undeniable, the four-inch interactive screen and our pockets have become inseparable over the recent years. The devices have permeated into every aspect of our current lives, and the Netherlands even has the highest percentage of Internet users of the European Union. The Dutch are also increasingly online during their holiday’s abroad. Winter sport tourism and smartphones two worlds that initially sound contradictory have completely fused together over the recent years. However, from an academic perspective little is known about the role of the smartphone in the decisions tourists make. Therefore research is needed to explore this established yet relatively unknown phenomenon. Eventually, this led to the formulation of the following main research question: What is the role of the smartphone in the vacation choice practice of Dutch winter sport tourists, and which opportunities derive from these findings?