The digital divide as a horizontal attitudinal dimension in the social perception of tourism

Abstract

The digitalization of tourism has become one of the defining transformative processes in the tourism sector over the past decade; however, public perceptions of digital developments remain a relatively under-researched area. This study examines whether attitudes toward digital tourism emerge as a distinct, separable dimension among the Hungarian population and whether this dimension shapes the general social perception of tourism. Latent class analysis based on a nationwide questionnaire survey identified two distinct groups: a digitally open minority and a digitally reserved majority. According to the results of the regression model, digital attitude does not significantly influence the general perception of tourism. The results describe the attitude toward digital tourism as an independent, horizontal attitude dimension and indicate that the social acceptance of digital developments requires special attention in tourism development practice.