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Gamification design using tourist-generated pictures to enhance visitor engagement at intercity tourist sites

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Abstract

This study explores the potential of leveraging tourist-generated images to enhance engagement and loyalty at intercity tourist sites through a photo challenge game. With over 1.72 trillion photos shared annually on social media, these visuals offer a valuable resource for motivating participation. Unlike traditional games that focus on individual attractions, our approach targets intercity destinations to foster a deeper connection and sense of loyalty. The research methodology involved meticulous preparation of diverse and relevant datasets comprising tourist-generated images. These images were categorized and classified using advanced techniques such as GAN and geometric augmentation, employing an ensemble of models including EfficientNetV2B1, EfficientNetV2B0, and MobileNetV2. Additionally, a modified Siamese network compared tourist-submitted photos with standard photos from the warehouse, displaying the ranking publicly to boost engagement. The computational analysis demonstrated outstanding performance, with a classification accuracy exceeding 97.08% and a robust scoring system accuracy of 93.10%. User feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with a high SUS score of 96.09%. By capitalizing on the vast quantity of tourist-generated images, our photo challenge game successfully enhances engagement and loyalty at intercity tourist sites. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of combining advanced image processing techniques with gamification elements to create a memorable visitor experience and attract a broader audience of mature tourists.

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Funding

This study was funded by Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI), and National Science, Research and In-novation Fund (NSRF), Grant No.4110679.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ubon Ratchathani University, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand

    Rapeepan Pitakaso, Surajet Khonjun & Thanatkij Srichok

  2. Artificial Intelligence Optimization SMART Laboratory, Engineering Technology Department, Faculty of Industrial Technology, Ubon Ratchathani Rajabhat University, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand

    Natthapong Nanthasamroeng

  3. Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand

    Chawis Boonmee

  4. Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Computer Science, Ubon Ratchathani Rajabhat University, Ubon Ratchathani, 34000, Thailand

    Chutchai Kaewta

  5. Department of Information Technology, Faculty of Science, Buriram University, Buriram, Thailand

    Prem Enkvetchakul

  6. Department of Computer Engineering and Automation, Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Technology, Kalasin University, Kalasin, Thailand

    Sarayut Gonwirat

  7. Artificial Intelligence Optimization SMART Laboratory, Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ubon Ratchathani University, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand

    Peerawat Chokanat

  8. Department of Industrial Management Technology, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Sisaket Rajabhat University, Sisaket, Thailand

    Ganokgarn Jirasirilerd

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  1. Rapeepan Pitakaso
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  2. Surajet Khonjun
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Pitakaso, R., Khonjun, S., Nanthasamroeng, N. et al. Gamification design using tourist-generated pictures to enhance visitor engagement at intercity tourist sites. Ann Oper Res (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-023-05590-1

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