Eye tracking usability evaluation model for smart guide tourism application in China

The rapid expansion of the smart tourism sector in China has intensified the demand for high quality smart guide applications. However, many existing products still suffer from usability flaws, including cluttered layouts, poor visual guidance, and high cognitive demands, which undermine visitor experience and limit industry competitiveness. Addressing this urgent gap, this study proposes and validates an eyetracking based usability evaluation model for smart guide tourism applications in China, aimed at optimising digital cultural tourism product design. Integrating Human Computer Interaction theory, Cognitive Load Theory, and the Technology Acceptance Model, the framework examines how interface usability influences user experience through emotional attractiveness, design complexity, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and cognitive load. A mixed methods approach combined eye-tracking metrics, task performance indicators, and Likert scale ratings with structured interviews and eye-tracking video analysis. Forty six Chinese participants aged between eighteen and twenty seven years interacted with a main functional interface and a map navigation interface. A single mediation model was applied to the main functional interface, while a dual mediation model was used for the map navigation interface. Results show that simplified layouts, culturally resonant visuals, and balanced colour schemes reduce cognitive load, improve operational efficiency, and enhance satisfaction. The findings bridge theoretical and empirical gaps in usability evaluation for smart guide tourism applications and provide actionable guidelines for advancing the cultural tourism industry of China and informing global digital tourism design.