The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Smart Tourism: Efficiency and Privacy Perspectives

ABSTRACT Artificial intelligence (AI) is a core driver of smart tourism. This study explores tourists' AI support intention by integrating the efficiency‐privacy trade‐off, emotional processes, and digital literacy's (DL) boundary role. An integrative model was tested using an online survey of users with AI tourism experience in China (valid sample = 522). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS‐SEM) was used to assess reliability, validity, mediation, moderation, and predictive relevance. The findings reveal that Perceived Efficiency positively impacts, and Perceived Privacy Threat negatively impacts, Perceived Enjoyment and Positive Emotions of Self‐benefit—with stronger effects on enjoyment. Tourists' support intention is driven mainly by perceived benefits. DL moderates the privacy threat‐enjoyment link. Emotional and experiential factors matter more than pure cognition. The study advances smart tourism by showing how privacy, efficiency, and DL affect AI support.