Smart positioning: how smart technologies can increase the attractiveness of heritage tourism destinations? The case of a small-scale Hungarian heritage city

Small-scale heritage towns usually face fierce competition from surrounding destinations, particularly in peripheral rural areas where tourism holds important possibilities for regional development. This study examines on-site smart tourism technology as a tool to increase attractiveness and differentiation of heritage destinations using examples of Hungarian destinations. The research seeks to answer the question whether a small-scale heritage destination can become a more attractive destination due to technology from the perspective of potential tourists. The paper analyzes quantitative data collected from 537 potential tourists. Principal component analysis was used to identify the factors considering attractive and differential on-site technologies. A regression model was created to examine how these factors affect the potential tourist's decision-making: whether heritage towns with smart on-site tools are too similar to towns that do not use such technologies. Three factors of on-site technologies have been identified: digital sightseeing, smart attractions, and smart infrastructure. According to the regression model, digital sightseeing is the key pull factor, but smart attractions and smart infrastructure also have a positive effect in small towns. The study presents the first empirical research on the effect of smart technology on positioning small-size heritage towns based on demand-side research.