Intercultural Interactions

This study investigates the mediating role of mobile application satisfaction in the relationship between positive intercultural encounters, cultural intelligence, and tourist experience. It addresses a critical gap in understanding how digital tools facilitate meaningful cross-cultural engagement within tourism contexts. This applied, descriptive-analytical research was conducted among 371 tourists visiting Yazd Province, selected through simple random sampling. Validity was confirmed through convergent and discriminant validity assessments, and reliability was established via Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability. Multivariate normality was confirmed. Subsequently, the hypothesized relationships were examined using SEM in Amos24, employing the robust Maximum Likelihood (MLR) estimation method to ensure robust parameter estimates. Results indicate that while the direct effects between intercultural encounters and cultural intelligence and tourist experience were nonsignificant, significant indirect effects emerged through mobile app satisfaction. Intercultural encounters positively predicted app satisfaction, which in turn enhanced cultural intelligence and tourist experience.  Bootstrapping confirmed significant mediation for cultural intelligence and tourist experience.  Mobile applications serve as pivotal conduits for transforming intercultural interactions into enhanced cultural competence and enriched travel experiences. These findings underscore the importance of digital infrastructure in modern tourism management and offer practical implications for experience design.