Developing Tourism Service Customization Indicators: Establishing the Application of Artificial Intelligence to Enhance Satisfaction Levels, A Case Study of Sanandaj

Extended Abstract

Introduction

Tourism is one of the most important sectors of the global economy and contributes significantly to employment, cultural exchange and economic growth. In recent years, this industry has developed rapidly towards digitalization. Advances in digital technologies - particularly artificial intelligence (AI) and information and communication technology (ICT) - have changed the way people plan and experience travel. These tools provide tourists with quick and direct access to accurate, up-to-date information and help them plan trips that match their personal needs and preferences. Artificial intelligence plays a central role in this transformation. It can process large amounts of data, recognize patterns in tourists' behavior and help companies offer services that are both automated and tailored to the individual user. Personalization aims to make travel more satisfying by offering unique experiences based on the interests of the individual. Studies have shown that personalized services in tourism can increase satisfaction and strengthen loyalty to destinations. One of the most important ways to achieve personalization is through recommendation systems. These systems reduce the difficulty of deciding between many travel options by suggesting those that best fit the traveler’s profile. Despite its wealth of cultural, historical and natural attractions, Sanandaj has not yet fully exploited the potential of AI-driven and existing digital tools to improve tourism services. This situation demonstrates the need to carefully evaluate the city’s online tourism services and find ways to improve them. This study focuses on finding ways to improve the personalization of tourism services in Sanandaj through online information. It aims to develop indicators to measure how well the services are personalized to the customer and assess how this affects tourist satisfaction. The study also provides evidence for improving the city’s tourism sector through the use of digital tools.



Methodology

A mixed methods approach was used, combining both quantitative and qualitative research methods. This combination makes it possible to capture both statistical correlations and deeper insights from experts. The quantitative part of the research involved a structured 24 items. The target population were tourists who visited Sanandaj between the end of February and mid-April 2024. A total of 325 questionnaires were distributed, of which 300 were fully completed and validly returned for analysis. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and Pearson correlation tests were applied to identify the strength and significance of the relationships between the variables. The qualitative part involved 20 semi-structured interviews with IT and AI specialists. These interviews explored the experts' views on the strengths, weaknesses and development opportunities of online tourism services in the city. The combination of the two approaches ensured that the results of the study results are both data-driven and informed by professional experience.



Results and Discussion

The results show that digital technologies have a strong positive impact on both the personalization of tourism services and the satisfaction of tourists in Sanandaj. In the statistical analysis, two factors stood out as most important: support for different devices (r = 0.528) and quality of information sources (r = 0.468). Both had significant positive effects on tourist satisfaction (p < 0.01). Other important factors were the design of the website and the user interface (r = 0.402) and the influence of the content on the tourists' perception (r = 0.427). These factors also had significant positive effects, showing that both technical and content elements of a tourism website can influence the overall experience of the visitor. Factors such as loading speed (r = 0.251) and frequency of information updates (r = 0.225) had weaker but still positive effects (p < 0.05). However, personalization-specific elements, such as user data analysis and tailored recommendations, did not show a significant relationship with tourist satisfaction. This finding suggests that the Kurdistan tourism website does not yet have effective systems for delivering truly personalized services. The qualitative analysis confirmed these results. Experts emphasized that the website does not promote strong social connections among tourists and lacks features to support sustainable tourism. Trust in online information emerged as a key factor in satisfaction. However, other trust-related measures, such as privacy transparency (r = -0.020) and brand credibility (r = 0.021), were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Interview participants suggested that improving transparency in data protection policies, increasing website security, and providing clearer information about how data is used could help build trust. This would likely improve not only satisfaction but also the willingness of tourists to use online services for planning and booking.



Conclusion

This research highlights the important role of online tourism services in shaping the personalization of travel experiences and overall tourist satisfaction in Sanandaj. The two most influential factors were the ability of services to work well across devices and the quality of the information provided. The study also found that, despite the global trend toward personalization, Sanandaj’s tourism website does not yet offer effective personalized recommendations or customized content. The lack of accurate and detailed information about attractions, along with the absence of easy access to professional tour guides, reduces the quality of the tourist experience. Compared with other destinations, Sanandaj lags behind in using digital technologies, which limits its competitiveness in the tourism market. From a policy and planning perspective, improving infrastructure and investing in advanced digital services should be priorities. Authorities should focus on enhancing the accuracy, depth, and timeliness of online information, expanding the use of AI-based recommendation systems, improving website design and user interfaces, strengthening security and transparency to build user trust, and providing features that encourage social interaction and support sustainable tourism.

By adopting these strategies, Sanandaj can improve the quality of tourist experiences, attract more visitors, and move toward sustainable tourism development. The study contributes to the broader discussion of how digital technologies can be used effectively in urban tourism planning, offering practical recommendations that can be adapted to similar cities and regions.