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With the extensive application of artificial intelligence technology in the tourism industry, robot-assisted tourism has become a vital strategy for enhancing tourist experiences and promoting sustainable tourism practices. This study aims to explore the impact of language feedback from tourism robots on tourists’ ecotourism behavior and analyze potential mediating and moderating mechanisms. Through three experimental studies, we found that robot guides with language feedback capabilities significantly improve tourists’ ecotourism behavior. Specifically, environmental responsibility acts as a moderator between the robot’s language feedback and tourists’ ecotourism behavior, indicating that the robot’s language feedback is more effective when tourists have a higher sense of environmental responsibility. Furthermore, the robot’s language feedback enhances tourists’ environmental awareness and responsibility by increasing cognitive trust and feedback propensity. The findings have practical implications for tourism destinations and operators in designing and implementing intelligent tourism services to promote tourists’ ecological engagement.

Digital tourism is an essential product of the digital economy, which is significant in promoting sustainable tourism. The study aims to analyze the current research status of digital tourism with the CiteSpace tool. One thousand thirteen documents related to digital tourism, AI tourism, and tourism digitization in the Web of Science (WOS) database from 1991–2022 were collected. This study conducts bibliometric analysis to portray the knowledge map. Furthermore, this paper explores the publication years, co-occurrence of authors, institutions, subjects, research hotspots, and evolution of digital tourism research. The analysis findings revealed that social and environmental sciences are the core disciplines in digital tourism research. Hong Kong Polytechnic University is the foremost institution, and Tussyadiah and Wirtz are the authors with the highest contribution rate. Moreover, the results emphasized the frontier studies of digital tourism referring to technology, consumption, tourists’ reviews, and the progress of the tourism industry. In addition, China, Europe, and the United States should strengthen their digital tourism cooperation with Africa and the South America to promote the sustainable development of global tourism. Finally, the results implicate the future development trends of digital tourism. AcknowledgmentWe acknowledge all the authors involved in the creation of this paper: Chen Luo for providing the opportunity for this research and collaborative creation, and Dr. Songyu Jiang, Dr. Ruihui Pu, and Dr. Lin Li for providing creative ideas and collaborative division for this paper, and for funding the research. Dr. Hongmei Yang further provides the research direction and future in the development process of digital tourism.

In this research article, we aim to study the proposed role of human–machine interactive (HMI) technologies, including both artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR)-enabled applications, for the post-COVID-19 revival of the already depleted tourism industry in Vietnam’s major tourist destination and business hub of Ho Chi Minh City. The researchers aim to gather practical knowledge regarding tourists’ intentions for such service enhancements, which may drive the sector to adopt a better conclusive growth pattern in post-COVID-19 times. In this study, we attempt to focus on travelers who look for paramount safety with the assurance of empathetic, personalized care in post-COVID-19 times. In the current study, the authors employ structural equation modeling to evaluate the intentions of tourists both structurally and empirically for destination tourism with data collected from tourists with previous exposure to various kinds of these devices. The study shows that human–machine interactive devices are integrating AI and VR and have a significant effect on overall service quality, leading to tourist satisfaction and loyalty. The use of such social interactive gadgets within tourism and mostly in hospitality services requires an organization to make a commitment to futuristic technologies, along with building value by enriching service quality expectations among fearful tourists. This research shows that tourists mainly focus on the use of such HMI devices from the perspective of technology acceptance factors, qualitative value-enhancing service and trustworthy information-sharing mechanisms. The concept of the tour bubble framework is also discussed in detail. The analysis of this discussion gives us a more profound understanding of the novel opportunities which various administrative agencies may benefit from to position these devices better in smart, sustainable destination tourism strategies for the future so that, collectively, service 5.0 with HMI devices can possibly bring back tourism from being disintegrated. Such service applications are the new social innovations leading to sustainable service and a sophisticated experience for all tourists.

Purpose Amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, service organizations rushed to deploy robots to serve people in quarantine, again igniting the ongoing dispute regarding robots in tourism. This study aims to investigate tourists’ perceptions regarding the use of robots and, more specifically, anthropomorphic robots in the tourism domain. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative inquiry was used to delve deep into the issue of tourists’ perceptions regarding the usage of anthropomorphic robots in tourism, with a total number of 78 interviews with tourists being retained in the study. Findings The findings reveal that tourists favor the use of anthropomorphic robots over any other type of robot. The use of anthropomorphic robots in tourism may result in an overall enhanced experiential value. Even so, informants also expressed frustration, sadness and disappointment vis-à-vis the use of robots in a human-driven industry. Research limitations/implications A conceptual continuum of tourists’ perceptions and concerns over the use of robots is presented that can guide future studies. Tourism stakeholders may look at the possibility of incorporating carefully designed anthropomorphic robots in key service positions, but should not give the impression that robots are replacing the human face of the organization. Practical implications Tourism stakeholders may look at the possibility of incorporating carefully designed anthropomorphic robots in key service positions, but should not give the impression that robots are replacing the human face of the organization. Originality/value Tourism organizations that make use of robots run the risk of being perceived as nonanthropocentric. This leads to the conclusion that anthropomorphism could be used but should not replace the sector’s anthropocentrism. The study conveys tourists’ concerns over technological (robot) determinism.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to review recent work in the robotics literature and identify future opportunities for consumer/tourist experience research in human-robot interactions (HRIs). Design/methodology/approach The paper begins by covering the framework of robotic agent presence and embodiment that are relevant for HRI. Next, the paper identifies future opportunities for hospitality and tourism scholars to undertake consumer/tourist experience research in HRIs. Findings The result of this study provided potential directions for advancing theoretical, methodological and managerial implications for tourism experience research in HRI. Research limitations/implications Concepts from robotics research are diffusing into a range of disciplines, from engineering to social sciences. These advancements open many unique, yet urgent, opportunities for hospitality and tourism research. Practical implications This paper illustrates the speed at which robotics research is progressing. Moreover, the concepts reviewed in this research on robotic presence and embodiment are relevant for real-world applications in hospitality and tourism. Social implications Developments in robotics research will transform hospitality and tourism experiences in the future. Originality/value This research is one of the early papers in the field to review robotics research and provide innovative directions to broaden the interdisciplinary perspective for future hospitality and tourism research.

Purpose Building on both the uncanny valley and construal level theories, the analyses detailed in this paper aims to address customers’ explicit and implicit attitudes toward various service robots, categorized by the degree of their human-like appearance, namely, mechanoids (low human-likeness), humanoids (medium human-likeness) and realistic robots (high human-likeness). Design/methodology/approach The analyses reflect a mixed-method approach, across three studies. A qualitative study uses focus groups to identify consensual attitudes. An experiment measures self-reported, explicit attitudes toward the three categories of robots. Another experiment explores customers’ implicit attitudes (unconscious and unintentional) toward robots, using three implicit association tests. Findings Customers express both positive and negative attitudes toward service robots. The realistic robots lead to both explicit and implicit negative attitudes, suggesting that customers tend to reject these robots in frontline service settings. Robots with lower human-likeness levels generate relatively more positive attitudes and are accepted to nearly the same extent as human employees in hospitality and tourism contexts. Practical implications Because customers reject, both consciously and unconsciously, very human-like robots in service encounters, managers should leverage this key finding, along with the more detailed results, to inform their strategic introduction of robots into hospitality frontline service settings. Originality/value The combined qualitative and quantitative studies specify and clarify customers’ implicit and explicit attitudes toward robots with different levels of human-likeness, in the real-world setting of hospitality and tourism services. Such insights can inform continued research into the effects of these service innovations.

Purpose This study aims to investigate the effects of hotel customers’ perceived utilitarian and hedonic values on their intention to use service robots. In addition, the influences of innovativeness, ease of use and compatibility on hotel customers’ perceived utilitarian and hedonic values were examined. Design/methodology/approach The data of the current study was collected from 11 countries including the USA, UK, Turkey, Spain, Romania, Japan, Israel, India, Greece, Canada and Brazil. A structural equation modeling was used to test the study hypotheses. Findings The results indicated that hotel customers’ intention to use service robots was positively influenced by their utilitarian and hedonic value perceptions. In addition, customers’ perceptions of robots’ ease of use and compatibility had a positive impact on their perceived utilitarian and hedonic values. Originality/value The findings of the current study provide unique contributions in the context of hospitality robotics technology adoption literature. In addition, this study provides valuable insights and novel opportunities for hospitality decision-makers to capitalize on, as they strive to strategize the integration of robot-based services into their operations. 研究目的 本研究调查了酒店顾客感知功能性价值和享乐性价值对服务机器人使用意向的影响。此外, 本研究考察了创新性、易用性和兼容性对酒店顾客感知功能性价值和享乐性价值的影响。 设计/方法 本研究的数据来自美国、英国、土耳其、西班牙、罗马尼亚、日本、以色列、印度、希腊、加拿大和巴西等十一个国家, 采用结构方程模型（SEM）对研究假设进行测试。 研究结果 结果表明, 酒店顾客使用服务机器人的意向受到他们对功能性价值和享乐性价值的感知的积极影响。此外, 机器人易用性和兼容性对功能性价值和享乐性价值有积极影响。 创新性/价值 本研究的发现对酒店行业机器人技术应用文献提供了独特的贡献。此外, 本研究为酒店业的决策者提供了宝贵的见解和新机遇, 使他们能够在将机器人服务的优势整合到酒店运营中。

Purpose Technology revolutionises the tourism industry and determines the strategy and competitiveness of tourism organisations and destinations. This paper aims to explore the transformational and disruptive nature of technology for tourism. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on systematic research. Findings Technology innovations bring the entire range of stakeholders together in tourism service ecosystems. Technology-empowered tourism experiences increasingly support travellers to co-create value throughout all stages of travel. Ambient Intelligence (AmI) Tourism (2020-future) is driven by a range of disruptive technologies. Inevitably smart environments transform industry structures, processes and practices, having disruptive impacts for service innovation, strategy, management, marketing and competitiveness of everybody involved. Originality/value The paper synthesises developments in technology for tourism and proposes a future perspective.

Purpose This paper aims to investigate potential consumers’ willingness to pay for robot-delivered services in travel, tourism and hospitality, and the factors that shape their willingness to pay. Design/methodology/approach An online survey yielded a sample of 1,573 respondents from 99 countries. Independent samples t-test, Analysis of variance (ANOVA), cluster, factor and regression analyses were used. Findings Respondents expected to pay less for robot-delivered services than human-delivered services. Two clusters were identified: one cluster willing to pay nearly the same price for robotic services as for human-delivered services, whilst the other expected deep discounts for robotic services. The willingness-to-pay was positively associated with the attitudes towards robots in tourism, robotic service experience expectations, men and household size. It was negatively associated to travel frequency, age and education. Research limitations/implications The paper’s main limitation is its exploratory nature and the use of a hypothetical scenario in measuring respondents’ willingness to pay. The data were gathered prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and do not reflect the potential changes in perceptions of robots due to the pandemic. Practical implications Practitioners need to focus on improving the attitudes towards robots in tourism because they are strongly and positively related to the willingness to pay. The marketing messages need to form positive expectations about robotic services. Originality/value This is one of the first papers to investigate consumers’ willingness to pay for robot-delivered services in travel, tourism and hospitality and factors that shape their willingness to pay.

Purpose Given the recent growth of service robot research in hospitality and tourism management (HTM), the purpose of this study is to identify a research agenda by conducting a systematic and holistic review of service robot research published in both HTM and broader business management (BM) journals. Design/methodology/approach Adopting a service ecosystem perspective, 38 HTM articles and 13 highly cocited BM articles out of 126 BM articles were qualitatively reviewed to analyze the intellectual structures and foundations of robotics research. Findings The relationships between service robots and the four multilevel actors of the service ecosystem were analyzed: the consumer, employee, management and society. Twenty-eight specific research questions were proposed for the robotics-customer relationship, robotics-employee relationship, robotics-management relationship and robotics-society relationship. Research limitations/implications This study contributes to understanding the intellectual structures and evolution of rapidly growing HTM robotics research in terms of the holistic relationships among the four service ecosystem actors of robotics. Future research needs to identify other actors and their activities to examine the service ecosystem of robotics. Originality/value This study provides a pathway for future hospitality and tourism research by helping to focus on important robotics issues and further develop the theoretical and empirical knowledge of robotics. This work informs practitioners of key issues associated with the industrial adoption of robots.