Exploring the impact of tourists’ digital skills on travel intentions: an empirical study based on latent profile analysis

Purpose This study aims to identify patterns of tourists’ digital skills from a tourist-oriented perspective, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the characteristics of different patterns and their impact on tourism intention. In addition, it seeks to address the need for adopting a more integrated approach to digital skills in the tourism industry. Design/methodology/approach Guided by a post-positivist framework, two empirical studies were conducted. Study 1 used latent profile analysis on data from 331 Chinese tourists to identify digital skill patterns and their sociodemographic predictors. Study 2 involved 619 tourists and validated the profiles while examining their influence on travel intention and destination perception. Findings The study identified three patterns – poor, average and superior – of digital skills among tourists. These patterns were significantly associated with sociodemographic attributes and showed clear differences in travel-related outcomes. Tourists with superior digital skills exhibited the highest levels of travel intention and more favorable perceptions of destinations. Originality/value This study, from a tourist perspective, enhances their understanding of digital skills patterns among tourists and digital inequality in travel. It contributes to the development of inclusive tourism by exploring how tourists’ varying digital skills influence their travel intentions and behaviors.