Tracking techniques in the study of tourists’ spatiotemporal behavior

The knowledge of tourism consumer behavior is essential for destinations and tourism organizations to improve their offer, acting as one of the main ingredients for the development of memorable experiences. The spatial–temporal tracking of tourists is one of the techniques associated with the knowledge of consumer behavior and which allows valuable information to be obtained. On the other hand, the demands of tourist consumers are increasing, which make it even more important to have a better knowledge of them. In this context, this study aims to present the traditional and modern methods of tracking tourists that could be used for the improvement of the tourism offer. To this end, a methodology of comprehensive literature review and state-of-the-art verification was adopted, to identify the main tracking techniques in the spatiotemporal behavior of tourists. It is concluded that these techniques should be used together, as they complement each other. Given the constant technological advances, this theme has the potential to be further developed in terms of literature, recommending future empirical research on the phenomenon.