Abstract:
This study investigates the intention of Sri Lankan domestic tourists to use travel
navigation applications, specifically Google Maps, GPS-based tools, and Waze.
These applications, powered by GPS and real-time data, have transformed the way
travellers plan and manage their journeys. Despite their growing integration into
travel behaviour, limited empirical research has explored their adoption in domestic
tourism contexts within developing countries. In Sri Lanka, there is a significant gap
in understanding how domestic tourists’ intention to use travel navigation
applications influences their travel behaviour and experiences. Grounded in the
Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and extended with constructs of perceived
trust and information quality, this study develops a conceptual framework to assess
how perceived usefulness, ease of use, trust, information quality, and attitude shape
usage intention. A purposive sample of 300 domestic tourists was targeted, and after
excluding non-vehicle users, 248 valid responses were analysed. Data were collected
using a structured questionnaire and examined through descriptive analysis,
correlation, and multiple regression. Reliability was confirmed with Cronbach’s
alpha values exceeding 0.7, and validity was supported by KMO values greater than
0.5 with strong correlations among variables. Results indicate that all proposed
variables significantly influence usage intention, with attitude serving as a key
mediator. Perceived usefulness, ease of use, and trust emerged as the strongest
predictors, while information quality enhanced user confidence and reinforced
adoption behaviour. These findings validate TAM’s applicability in tourism
technology adoption and emphasize the importance of content reliability, user friendly interfaces, and trustworthy features in shaping acceptance of popular apps
such as Google Maps and Waze. The study provides practical implications for app
developers, tourism authorities, and marketers, highlighting that improving localised
information, enhancing usability, and strengthening trust features can foster more
sustainable domestic tourism experiences in Sri Lanka.
