How Smart Tourism Technology Shapes Life Satisfaction and Revisit Intention

Abstract

Smart tourism technologies are reshaping destination experiences, yet their contribution to tourists’ broader well-being remains underexplored, particularly in community-based tourism where digital tools coexist with participatory and recreational experiences. This study examines how Recreation Motivation, Co-creation Experience, and Smart Tourism Technology influence Overall Life Satisfaction, and how Life Satisfaction and Novelty Seeking shape Revisit Intention. We conducted a quantitative cross-sectional survey of 250 tourists visiting community-based tourism destinations in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. We selected respondents using purposive and convenience sampling, and analyzed the data using PLS-SEM in SmartPLS 4. The results show that Recreation Motivation, Co-creation Experience, and Smart Tourism Technology significantly increase Overall Life Satisfaction. Life Satisfaction is the strongest predictor of Revisit Intention, while Novelty Seeking also has a significant positive effect. The study contributes by positioning life satisfaction, rather than destination-specific satisfaction, as the central psychological mechanism linking motivational, experiential, and technological tourism resources to repeat visitation. It identifies two complementary routes to revisit intention: a well-being pathway and a novelty pathway. Community-based destinations should therefore combine useful digital technology, participatory experiences, recreational value, and continuously renewed attractions to strengthen repeat visitation.