Smart tourism in the digital age: overcoming barriers and unlocking new possibilities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1108/REGE-02-2025-0030Palabras clave:
Digital transformation, Challenges, Opportunities, Tourism sector, Artificial intelligenceResumen
PurposeThis research aims to explore the role of digital transformation in the tourism sector, identifying both opportunities and challenges associated with advanced technologies.
Design/methodology/approachA qualitative research approach was employed, utilizing primary data collected through semi-structured interviews with industry professionals.
FindingsThe study finds that artificial intelligence enhances personalized travel recommendations and customer service through chatbots and virtual assistants. The Internet of Things, virtual reality, blockchain and robotics improve efficiency and customer experience. However, challenges such as high implementation costs, data privacy concerns and the need for continuous technological updates persist. Additionally, the digital divide remains a significant barrier for smaller businesses and emerging markets.
Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that while digital transformation presents significant opportunities for enhancing services and operations, addressing associated challenges is critical for sustainable growth. Industry stakeholders must adopt a strategic approach to technology implementation to ensure inclusive benefits and enhanced competitiveness.
Originality/valueThis study provides valuable insights into the impact of digital technologies on the tourism sector, offering practical recommendations for leveraging digital transformation to improve efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Descargas
Referencias
Acikgoz, F., Stylos, N., & Lythreatis, S. (2024). Identifying capabilities and constraints in utilizing blockchain technology in hospitality and tourism. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-07-2023-1083.
Allsop, D. B., Chelladurai, J. M., Kimball, E. R., Marks, L. D., & Hendricks, J. J. (2022). Qualitative methods with Nvivo software: A practical guide for analyzing qualitative data. Psych, 4(2), 142-159. https://doi.org/10.3390/psych4020013
Alrawadieh, Z., Alrawadieh, Z., & Cetin, G. (2021). Digital transformation and revenue management: Evidence from the hotel industry. Tourism Economics, 27(2), 328-345. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354816620901928
Ansari, A. I., Singh, A., Pattanaik, S., Patnaik, R., & Suryawanshi, U. (2024). Exploring the Role of AI-Powered Virtual Assistants in Optimizing Self-Service Experiences for Customers Within the Service Sector. In Integrating AI-Driven Technologies Into Service Marketing (pp. 225-238). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-7122-0.ch013
Chandra Sekaran, S., Yap, H. J., Musa, S. N., Liew, K. E., Tan, C. H., & Aman, A. (2021). The implementation of virtual reality in digital factory—a comprehensive review. The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 115(5), 1349-1366. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-021-07240-x
Chaudhuri, R., Chatterjee, S., & Vrontis, D. (2024). Adoption of blockchain technology in hospitality and tourism industry and sustainability performance: impact of technological turbulence and senior leadership support. EuroMed Journal of Business, 19(1), 62-83. https://doi.org/10.1108/EMJB-04-2023-0128
De Paoli, S. (2024). Performing an inductive thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with a large language model: An exploration and provocation on the limits of the approach. Social Science Computer Review, 42(4), 997-1019. https://doi.org/10.1177/08944393231220483
Dutta, P., Choi, T. M., Somani, S., & Butala, R. (2020). Blockchain technology in supply chain operations: Applications, challenges and research opportunities. Transportation research part e: Logistics and transportation review, 142, 102067. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tre.2020.102067
Ettis, S. A., Pelet, J. É., & Zaichkowsky, J. L. (2024). Comparing online user experience across different digital business ecosystems and platforms when booking vacations. Review of Managerial Science, 18(9), 2613-2642. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-023-00712-2
Farheen, N. S., Badiger, C. S., Kishore, L., Dheeraj, V., & Rajendran, S. R. (2024). A Future Look at Artificial Intelligence in the World of Tourism. In Marketing and Big Data Analytics in Tourism and Events (pp. 1-16). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-3310-5.ch001
Hanji, S. V., Navalgund, N., Ingalagi, S., Desai, S., & Hanji, S. S. (2023, February). Adoption of AI chatbots in travel and tourism services. In International Congress on Information and Communication Technology (pp. 713-727). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-3236-8_57
Hennink, M., & Kaiser, B. N. (2022). Sample sizes for saturation in qualitative research: A systematic review of empirical tests. Social science & medicine, 292, 114523. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114523
Huang, A., Chao, Y., de la Mora Velasco, E., Bilgihan, A., & Wei, W. (2022). When artificial intelligence meets the hospitality and tourism industry: an assessment framework to inform theory and management. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 5(5), 1080-1100. https://www.emerald.com/insight/publication/issn/2514-9792
Hussein, H., Albadry, O. M., Mathew, V., Al-Romeedy, B. S., Alsetoohy, O., Abou Kamar, M., & Khairy, H. A. (2024). Digital leadership and sustainable competitive advantage: Leveraging green absorptive capability and eco-innovation in tourism and hospitality businesses. Sustainability, 16(13), 5371. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16135371
İştin, A. E., Eryılmaz, G., & Üzülmez, M. (2022). Technology applications in the Asian tourism industry in future. In Technology Application in Tourism in Asia: Innovations, Theories and Practices (pp. 441-469). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-5461-9_27
Jabeen, F., Al Zaidi, S., & Al Dhaheri, M. H. (2022). Automation and artificial intelligence in hospitality and tourism. Tourism Review, 77(4), 1043-1061. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-09-2019-0360
Jamaluddin, Z., & Rahmat, A. K. (2022). Artificial intelligence technology in travel, tourism and hospitality: current and future developments. In Technology Application in Aviation, Tourism and Hospitality: Recent Developments and Emerging Issues (pp. 169-177). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6619-4_12
Karttunen, E., Pynnönen, M., Treves, L., & Hallikas, J. (2023). Capabilities for the internet of things enabled product-service system business models. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 35(12), 1618-1634. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537325.2021.2012143
Kerpedzhiev, G. D., König, U. M., Röglinger, M., & Rosemann, M. (2021). An exploration into future business process management capabilities in view of digitalization: results from a Delphi study. Business & Information Systems Engineering, 63(2), 83-96. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-020-00637-0
Khan, M. L., Welser, H. T., Cisneros, C., Manatong, G., & Idris, I. K. (2020). Digital inequality in the Appalachian Ohio: Understanding how demographics, internet access, and skills can shape vital information use (VIU). Telematics and Informatics, 50, 101380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2020.101380
Knott, E., Rao, A. H., Summers, K., & Teeger, C. (2022). Interviews in the social sciences. Nature Reviews Methods Primers, 2(1), 73. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43586-022-00150-6
Laghari, A. A., Wu, K., Laghari, R. A., Ali, M., & Khan, A. A. (2021). A review and state of art of Internet of Things (IoT). Archives of Computational Methods in Engineering, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11831-021-09622-6
Leung, R. (2022). Development of information and communication technology: from e-tourism to smart tourism. Handbook of e-Tourism, 23-55. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48652-5_2
McLean, G., & Barhorst, J. B. (2022). Living the experience before you go... but did it meet expectations? The role of virtual reality during hotel bookings. Journal of Travel Research, 61(6), 1233-1251. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875211028313
Mthuli, S. A., Ruffin, F., & Singh, N. (2022). ‘Define, Explain, Justify, Apply’(DEJA): An analytic tool for guiding qualitative research sample size. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 25(6), 809-821.https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2021.1941646
Nadda, V., Chaudhary, H. S., & Arnott, I. (2020). Cloud computing in tourism. In Digital marketing strategies for tourism, hospitality, and airline industries (pp. 141-155). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-9783-4.ch007
Naeem, M., Ozuem, W., Howell, K., & Ranfagni, S. (2024). Demystification and actualisation of data saturation in qualitative research through thematic analysis. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 23, 16094069241229777. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069241229777
Onesi-Ozigagun, O., Ololade, Y. J., Eyo-Udo, N. L., & Ogundipe, D. O. (2024). Leading digital transformation in non-digital sectors: a strategic review. International Journal of Management & Entrepreneurship Research, 6(4), 1157-1175. https://doi.org/10.51594/ijmer.v6i4.1005
Ozdemir, A. I., Ar, I. M., & Erol, I. (2020). Assessment of blockchain applications in travel and tourism industry. Quality & Quantity, 54, 1549-1563. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-019-00901-w
Paraskevas, A. (2022). Cybersecurity in travel and tourism: a risk-based approach. In Handbook of e-Tourism (pp. 1605-1628). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48652-5_100
Prados-Castillo, J. F., Guaita Martínez, J. M., Zielińska, A., & Gorgues Comas, D. (2023). A review of blockchain technology adoption in the tourism industry from a sustainability perspective. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 18(2), 814-830. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer18020042
Saini, K. (2024). The AI Revolution Is Reshaping the Hospitality Industry. In Hotel and Travel Management in the AI Era (pp. 509-524). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-7898-4.ch024
Saputra, F. E., Buhalis, D., Augustyn, M. M., & Marangos, S. (2024). Anthropomorphism-based artificial intelligence (AI) robots typology in hospitality and tourism. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTT-03-2024-0171
Sarfraz, M., Khawaja, K. F., Han, H., Ariza-Montes, A., & Arjona-Fuentes, J. M. (2023). Sustainable supply chain, digital transformation, and blockchain technology adoption in the tourism sector. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 10(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-02051-9
Sebayang, A. F., & Sebayang, L. K. (2020). Infrastructure investment and its impact to regional development. Economics Development Analysis Journal, 9(3), 269-280. https://doi.org/10.15294/edaj.v9i3.38859
Shimizu, T., & Okamoto, H. (2024). Tourism infrastructure and the environment: how does environmental regulation affect welfare, tourism industry, and domestic wage inequality?. The Japanese Economic Review, 75(1), 147-179 https://doi.org/10.1007/s42973-021-00109-4
Sun, S., Law, R., & Luk, C. (2022). Tourists’ travel-related information search channels. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 23(2), 149-164. https://doi.org/10.1080/15256480.2020.1727809
World Travel & Tourism Council. (2024). Economic impact. https://wttc.org/research/economic-impact
Wörndl, W., & Herzog, D. (2020). Mobile applications for e-Tourism. Handbook of e-Tourism, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05324-6_17-1
Yallop, A. C., Gică, O. A., Moisescu, O. I., Coroș, M. M., & Séraphin, H. (2023). The digital traveler: implications for data ethics and data governance in tourism and hospitality. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 40(2), 155-170. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCM-12-2020-4278
Descargas
Publicado
Número
Sección
Licencia
Derechos de autor 2025 Animesh Kumar Sharma, Rahul Sharma

Esta obra está bajo una licencia internacional Creative Commons Atribución 4.0.