Integrating Mobility as a Service and Tourism: a review of the world's top travel apps

Local governments across the globe are progressively adopting Mobility as a Service (MaaS) to address the challenges posed by urban mobility. However, by focusing primarily on transportation, they may overlook its broader potential, including integration with tourism services. This study investigates the feasibility and current state of combining MaaS functionalities with tourism-related features in a single digital platform. A review of the most downloaded travel applications on app stores was conducted, with a focus on their technical characteristics and levels of MaaS integration. The assessment of each application was conducted utilising a bespoke MaaS indicator, which was derived through the aggregation of two distinct metrics: the prevailing level of MaaS integration and the number of transport modes encompassed. Concomitantly with the mean user rating, this indicator was utilised to perform a pioneering quantitative SWOT analysis. The results of the study indicate the existence of a gap in the market, as no existing application effectively integrates both MaaS and tourism functionalities. The study emphasises the strategic significance for local authorities in developing such integrated platforms to enhance user experience and augment the monetisation potential of MaaS.