Elham Gharib Saghier, Kareem M. Selem, Mariam Samy Zekry
Purpose As a strategic crossroad of geopolitics, a historical place, and one of the greatest canals constructed, the Suez Canal region is a region that has been singled out for several tourism possibilities. As such, the existing paper highlights a generative AI (GAI)-enabled mobile app that facilitates an increased visitor enjoyment of tourism activities in Port Said, Ismailia and Suez. Design/methodology/approach About 27 participants were well-developed users of AI-powered mobile apps connected with tourism. During interviews, participants discussed their opinions of illustrated content, interactive features and travel decision-making processes in Suez Canal cities. Findings Visually rich and interactive information of GAI-powered mobile app design improves visitor perceptions of tourism service quality and ease of receiving information. Besides, findings proved that this app design fosters interest in the region's cultural landmarks. Further, the proposed GAI app design-enabled dynamic illustration and real-time updates proved useful in helping them make tourism decisions in Suez Canal cities. Practical implications This paper provides valuable insights to raise tourism destination appeal and decision-making by developers and tourism authorities using innovative GAI-enabled mobile app designs. Originality/value This paper adds to the existing knowledge of visitor interactions with AI-powered mobile apps in tourism contexts and provides unique insights into the effects of GAI interfaces on user experiences in tourism heritage regions.