How Emerging Tourism Destinations Can Use AI & Mobile Technology to Increase Safety and Traveler Confidence

By The Modern Green

Safety and traveler confidence are now the foundation of tourism growth. For emerging tourism destinations, attracting visitors is no longer about promotion alone—it’s about trust, preparedness, and real-time access to reliable information.

Tourism research consistently shows that perceived safety is one of the strongest predictors of destination choice, particularly for first-time visitors (Fuchs & Reichel, 2011). AI and mobile technology now give destinations practical tools to reduce uncertainty, strengthen safety systems, and build traveler confidence before arrival.

The Trust Gap Facing Emerging Tourism Destinations

Emerging and developing tourism destinations often face structural trust challenges:

• Limited global visibility
• Fragmented safety information
• Informal local vendor ecosystems
• Language and cultural barriers
• Reliance on unverified word-of-mouth

AI and mobile technology help bridge this trust gap by making safety, context, and credibility visible to travelers.

How AI Improves Actual Safety in Tourism

Real-Time Risk Awareness

AI-powered safety systems allow destinations to identify, communicate, and respond to risks more effectively. These tools include:

• Real-time emergency alerts
• Geo-based safety notifications
• Crisis and disruption monitoring
• Multilingual emergency guidance

Smart tourism research confirms that timely access to relevant information reduces stress and increases traveler confidence, particularly in unfamiliar destinations (Gretzel et al., 2015).

Mobile Technology as a Traveler Confidence Layer

Mobile platforms are now central to how travelers navigate destinations. Studies show that smartphones function as safety, navigation, and decision-support tools throughout the travel journey (Dickinson et al., 2014).

Effective tourism mobile platforms provide:

• Centralized safety and emergency information
• Local emergency contacts
• Cultural norms and expectations
• Pricing transparency
• Navigation and language support

When travelers know where to turn for reliable information, confidence follows.

AI, Trust, and Travel Decision-Making

Beyond logistics, AI influences traveler psychology. Research shows that technology-mediated travel tools shape:

• Destination perception
• Preparedness and confidence
• Willingness to travel
• Likelihood to recommend or return

AI-supported systems help travelers feel informed and empowered, increasing trust in emerging destinations (Tussyadiah et al., 2018).

Verified Local Vendors Build Destination Credibility

For emerging destinations, trust is often built at the local level.

AI-assisted verification and community validation help:

• Surface trustworthy local vendors
• Detect patterns of risk or complaints
• Strengthen review authenticity
• Protect travelers without excluding small businesses

Research shows travelers trust community-validated information more than anonymous rankings or paid placements (Filieri et al., 2015).

This is why vendor credibility is a core pillar of sustainable tourism growth.

Digital Identity and Secure Travel Infrastructure

Digital identity frameworks and mobile verification tools further enhance safety by reducing fraud and improving accountability.

The World Economic Forum highlights digital identity as a key enabler of secure, trusted travel—particularly across borders and in developing tourism markets (WEF, 2019).

Why Perceived Safety Drives Tourism Growth

Perceived safety directly influences:

• Destination choice
• Length of stay
• Spending behavior
• Repeat visitation

Reducing uncertainty through AI and mobile access strengthens both perceived and actual safety outcomes (Fuchs & Reichel, 2011).

Responsible AI and Ethical Tourism Development

Trust must be protected.

Industry guidance emphasizes that responsible AI adoption requires:

• Transparency in data use
• Privacy protections
• Community involvement
• Clear accountability

Ethical, trust-first AI systems create long-term tourism resilience (WTTC, 2023).

What This Means for Emerging Tourism Destinations

• Invest in mobile-first safety infrastructure
• Use AI to support coordination, not surveillance
• Build trust through verification and transparency
• Partner with platforms that value community validation

Tourism confidence is built through preparation, trust, and shared responsibility—not marketing alone.

Sources & Further Reading

• Gretzel et al. (2015). Smart Tourism: Foundations and Developments.
• Dickinson et al. (2014). Tourism and the Smartphone App.
• Fuchs & Reichel (2011). Destination Risk Perceptions.
• Filieri et al. (2015). Trust in Consumer-Generated Media.
• Tussyadiah et al. (2018). Technology and Attitude Change in Tourism.
• UN World Tourism Organization (2021). Artificial Intelligence and Tourism.
• World Economic Forum (2019). Known Traveller Digital Identity.
• World Travel & Tourism Council (2023). Responsible AI in Travel & Tourism.