Using the behaviour change wheel to design an app to change tourist behaviour and increase dispersal into regional areas

Currently, many tourism destinations are experiencing greatly reduced tourism due toCOVID-19. In order to ensure that regions that wish to engage in tourism can share thebenefits of it more equally, and to prevent the predicted future problem of overuse ofpopular areas once pre-COVID visitor numbers resume, an app to encourage tourists andleisure-seekers to change their behaviour and disperse into regional areas has beendeveloped. The Behaviour Change Wheel was used to define the problem, find suitableintervention functions and design methods of delivery that could increase tourists’capability, opportunity and motivation to disperse farther into regions. The Huon Valley ofTasmania, Australia, was used as a research area. Our application of the Behaviour ChangeWheel methodology determined that active engagement in logistic, value-based, and socialinformation has the greatest chance of changing behaviour in this region and a list ofBehaviour Change Techniques has been developed and considered in the design of agamified travel app.