Are Hotels Effectively Adopting Artificial Intelligence and Robotics? Proposal and Challenges from the TOE Methodological Perspective

Abstract

The development of technology has led to the use of technological systems of differential value, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and its derivatives, as well as robot-based services in the hotel sector. In recent years, the adoption of these technologies and their impact on hotel operating costs and customer service quality have been a topic of debate.

Considering the importance of this new scenario, this paper analyses the trend related to the adoption of AI and robotics in the hotel industry. For this purpose, an interpretative-qualitative method has been employed through interviews with hotel managers from the Hotel and Extra-Hotel Association of the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which represents 250 hotels with more than 97,000 accommodation places (islands of Tenerife, La Gomera, El Hierro, and La Palma, ASHOTEL). The context is the hotels in this province, as these islands, especially Tenerife, have implemented the most technology in recent years. In addition, the TOE (Technology-Organisation-Environment) Framework has been used to expose the underlying factors affecting the adoption of AI.

The results expose the factors influencing the adoption of AI and robotics in hotels. This study is one of the first attempts to investigate the full spectrum of AI applications in the hotel sector of the Canary Islands and Spain, and to detail how they might affect the adoption of AI in this sector.

Keywords:

artificial intelligence, robotic, toe model, Smart Tourism Destinations, ashotel

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