Abstract
Measures aimed at keeping physical and social distance during the COVID-19 pandemic have started to be a big challenge for service industries all over the world. The utilization of new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI robots) in hospitality and tourism can be imposed as a potential safety-related problem solver. This study explores consumers’ intentions to use hospitality services once all restrictions related to COVID-19 have been relaxed as well as their perception of how important they find some of the safety-related protective measures when visiting accommodation facilities. Respondents find that more rigorous cleaning techniques, additional disinfection, and hand sanitizer stations are the most important safety-related protective measures when staying at the accommodation facility. Although the respondents do not perceive AI robots as an important protective measure or beneficial in delivering a catering service, the results indicate some significant differences between more and less risk-averse travelers suggesting some potential strategic pathways during the crisis but also in the post-coronavirus future.
Highlights
The COVID-19 pandemic had and still has an unprecedented impact all over the world [1,2]
This study examined how consumers are inclined to travel and use hospitality services in the post-pandemic period and how important they find some traditional as well as technology-based safety-related protective measures within accommodation facilities
This rather high percentage of respondents willing to travel shortly after restrictions on movement have been lifted confronts some previous studies where respondents showed more caution [83,84]. Such a result is not surprising because previous research by Boto-García and Leoni [85]. Showed that those who were more severely affected by the pandemic could show greater readiness to travel than those who were less affected by the pandemic
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic had and still has an unprecedented impact all over the world [1,2]. Complete or partial lockdown, home quarantine, and online working supplement the list of traditional non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as keeping physical and social distance, wearing protective masks and gloves, and hand hygiene [5,6,7]. The scale of the pandemic has prompted scientists and workers in healthcare and other industries to look for alternative ways to protect themselves and their clients. AI devices such as robots replace humans in their work assignments, reducing human contact and keeping social distance [8,9,10,11,12]
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