Purpose This paper aims to address the user perspective about usability, security and use of five authentication schemes (text and graphical passwords, biometrics and hardware tokens) from a population not covered previously in the literature. Additionally, this paper explores the criteria users apply in creating their text passwords. Design/methodology/approach An online survey study was performed in spring 2019 with university students in Mexico and Bosnia and Herzegovina. A total of 197 responses were collected. Findings Fingerprint-based authentication was most frequently perceived as usable and secure. However, text passwords were the predominantly used method for unlocking computer devices. The participants preferred to apply personal criteria for creating text passwords, which, interestingly, coincided with the general password guidelines, e.g. length, combining letters and special characters. Originality/value Research on young adults’ perceptions of different authentication methods is driven by the increasing frequency and sophistication of security breaches, as well as their significant consequences. This study provided insight into the commonly used authentication methods among youth from two geographic locations, which have not been accounted for previously.

Europe, with all its common sights, has an enviable wealth of history and cultural heritage. With its many monuments, sites, traditions, history, art, and culture, it has always attracted curious views and tells centuries-old stories to many tourists and visitors. At the heart of Europe, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), founded in the 11th century, with its picturesque past, has always been at the crossroads of faith and civilizations. The key audience of tourism in BiH are nature lovers, adventurers and young and digital nomads, who represent great potential for the development of this sector given their nature of work, to be able to work from any location, and during the COVID-19 period. Furthermore, the importance of the diaspora for the development of tourism in BiH goes beyond tourist visits and helps BiH on its path to digital transformation. Digital tourism refers to how we use digital tools to organize, manage and even enjoy the travel experience. It uses all of the tools of digital transformation to change how we travel and experience different sites. Through digitalization, we want to reach every individual who passes through this country and further attract lovers of European history and culture, offer them a different, more creative, and innovative approach to learning about the cultural and historical treasures it hides. The goal of digital tourism is to raise awareness of the importance of cultural heritage, provide new opportunities for visitors and bring new knowledge. Therefore, this paper provides an overview of the possibilities of digital representations of the medieval historical period of BiH through identified pillars of digital reconstruction, and ways to connect the movable cultural heritage residing in the museums with real sites in an attempt to contribute to its promotion through digital tourism. © 2022 Copyright for this paper by its authors.