Abstract
PurposeThe tourism and hospitality sectors are experiencing radical innovation boosted by the advancements in Information and Communication Technologies. Increasingly sophisticated chatbots are introducing novel approaches, re-shaping the dynamics among tourists and service providers, and fostering a remarkable behavioral change in the overall sector. Therefore, the objective of this paper is two-folded: (1) to highlight the academic and industrial standing points with respect to the current chatbots designed/deployed in the tourism sector and (2) to develop a proof-of-concept embodying the most prominent opportunities in the tourism sector.Design/methodology/approachThis work elaborates on the outcomes of a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) and a Focus Group (FG) composed of experts from the tourism industry. Moreover, it presents a proof-of-concept relying on the outcomes obtained from both SLR and FG. Eventually, the proof-of-concept has been tested with experts and practitioners of the tourism sector.FindingsAmong the findings elicited by this paper, we can mention the quick evolution of chatbot-based solutions, the need for continuous investments, upskilling, system innovation to tackle the eTourism challenges and the shift toward new dimensions (i.e. tourist-to-tourist-to-chatbot and personalized multi-stakeholder systems). In particular, we focus on the need for chatbot-based activity and thematic aggregation for next-generation tourists and service providers.Originality/valueBoth academic- and industrial-centered findings have been structured and discussed to foster the practitioners' future research. Moreover, the proof-of-concept presented in the paper is the first of its kind, which raised considerable interest from both technical and business-planning perspectives.
Highlights
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have fundamentally transformed the dynamics and business models of the tourism and hospitality industry (Popesku and Zlatanov, 2019)
Elaborating on the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) and Focus Group (FG) outcomes, we have identified use-cases based on the seamless thematic integration of tourists following social patterns, whose implementation can create remarkable “user experiences” and unveil concrete business opportunities
The study conducted on the SLR, FG and PoC highlighted several crucial aspects for researchers and practitioners in the Tourism Domain
Summary
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have fundamentally transformed the dynamics and business models of the tourism and hospitality industry (Popesku and Zlatanov, 2019). User experience in tourism applications and systems has been re-shaped, extending the service providers’ competition to new levels and forms. The impact of convenient and always available (i.e. 24/7) services and communication means is skyrocketing (Buhalis and Yen, 2020). These increased availability expectations have been translated into the development of different online services and mobile applications intending to facilitate and automate reservations and bookings while optimizing logistics. Overall, many of these mobile applications helped to boost the digitalization
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