Despite the growing integration of Smart Travel Applications (STAs) into tourism experiences, limited research has explored how specific STA attributes influence tourist engagement and emotional connections to destinations. This study examines how STA features foster place attachment through the mediating role of technology engagement and the moderating role of extrinsic motivation within an integrated model. Using survey data from 670 U.S. based STA users with travel experience, structural equation modeling (SEM) reveals that STAs attributes significantly influence engagement dimensions, with focused attention, felt involvement, and perceived usability emerging as key drivers of place attachment. Latent Moderated Structural (LMS) Equation Model further shows that extrinsic motivation has a significant and nuanced moderating effect on these relationships. Theoretically, the study extends place attachment and Self-Determination Theory through a dimensional approach within the smart tourism context. Practically, it offers guidance for designing emotionally resonant and user-centered STAs that enhance destination experiences and foster long-term tourist–place relationships.
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