Autonomous taxis (ATs) represent a socio-technical transition in smart mobility. However, research has focused on the technical dimension of this transition, particularly technology development and operation, while neglecting its societal dimension. Notably, ATs are increasingly viewed as a strategy to enhance urban destination attractiveness. Although previous studies have acknowledged the overall influence of transportation quality on destination evaluations, limited research has examined how smart mobility service quality influences tourists’ post-visit destination evaluations in real-world urban tourism contexts. Drawing on halo effect theory, this study aims to investigate the effects of AT service quality on tourists’ post-visit destination evaluations and revisit intentions.
Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, we first conducted a cross-sectional survey of 233 tourists who used ATs during their urban trips. This was followed by semi-structured interviews with 10 tourists to corroborate and complement the quantitative findings.
A reverse halo effect was identified via surveys and reinforced by the interview results: AT service quality significantly influences both cognitive (destination image) and affective (destination satisfaction) post-visit evaluations, subsequently strengthening revisit intention.
This study is among the first to apply halo effect theory to examine the relationship between smart mobility quality and urban destination evaluations. It demonstrates how the quality of a single smart mobility service can spill over to influence broader destination perceptions. The findings rebalance autonomous taxi literature from its predominantly technical focus toward the societal dimensions of smart mobility transition.
