Gamification and Innovation Acceptance Among Finnish DMOs - Case King’s Road

Abstract

According to Xu, Buhalis & Weber [1], gamification can enhance the on-site tourist experiences and be a marketing tool. However, the use of games in tourism development by DMOs is still an unexplored topic. The King’s Road in Finland combines the idea of gamified and storified live experiences with a video game. The development idea of a video game introduces King’s Road to a broader audience. The idea of a storified mobile game leads tourists on-site and rebuilds historical sites with augmented reality while leading tourists to less crowded attractions. This paper aims to provide new insights and increase understanding of gamification in tourism. To understand the innovation acceptance among Finnish DMOs, the gamified concept idea of King’s Road was presented to them. With the inductive approach, their feedback was analysed thematically. The findings highlight the obstacles and possibilities of the proposed gamification concept from the DMOs’ point of view. This paper aims to extend the previous research in innovation acceptance by identifying the level of acceptance regarding gamification in this case study and presenting solutions to advance it. Hence, this knowledge works as a basis for future research and development.