Abstract
Digital technologies are transforming the tourism industry globally. Academic researchers have conducted extensive research into the adopting of digital technologies by industry enterprises over the last two decades. However, studies focusing on the adoption of digital technologies by women-owned tourism micro-enterprises are still scarce. This study’s aims were twofold: first, to determine the extent of digital adoption, particularly of e-business technologies, by women-owned tourism micro-enterprises; second, to explore the enabling and limiting conditions of adopting the digital technologies concerned. Using a grounded theory approach, the study collected qualitative data from twenty female owner–managers of tourism micro-enterprises based in Johannesburg, Gauteng. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were used as the primary method of data collection, as guided by an interview schedule. The data was recorded and transcribed verbatim. To analyse the data collected from the interviews, the researcher used the computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software, ATLAS.ti. The study results reveal that women-owned tourism micro-enterprises have achieved a moderate level of digitalisation by means of adopting e-business (email, website and digital marketing) and e-commerce (business–to–customer and business–to–business) technologies. To explore the enabling and limiting conditions of adopting digital technologies, an integrated technology acceptance model – technology–organisation–environment conceptual framework was adopted. The results also showed that such framework constructs, including compatibility, firm size, financial resources, government support, information communication technology infrastructure, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and security concerns act as either enabling or limiting conditions. The study results also reveal that the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of digital technologies. A refined framework of the conditions enabling and limiting the adoption of the technologies is provided. The study results have implications for policy development and for the practice of the adopting of digital technologies by women-owned tourism micro-enterprises.