Sri Lankan Domestic Tourists' Intention to Use Travel Navigation Apps: The Central Role of Attitude

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.