Digital Transformation of the Hotel Industry : Theories, Practices, and Global Challenges

The hotel industry has gone through important transformations, not only in terms of management and operation but also in terms of interaction with consumers. Technological development and adaptation to the digital era have been one of the greatest challenges for hotels. This book aims to fill the gap in the literature in this specific area of the tourism sector and contribute to a better understanding of trends and challenges in the hotel industry on a global scale. Preface 6 Reviewers 10 Editorial Advisory Board 11 Contents 12 Trends in the Hospitality Industry: A Global Perspective 14 1 Introduction 14 2 Latest Trends Impacting Hospitality 18 3 Digital Transformation in the Hotel Industry 21 4 Final Considerations 25 References 26 Innovative Technology Applications in Hotel Businesses 30 1 Introduction 30 2 Theoretical Framework 32 3 Technologies Used in Hotel Businesses 33 4 Cloud Computing 34 5 Blockchain 35 6 Internet of Things (IoT) 36 7 Mobile Apps 37 8 Robots 39 9 Sensors 40 10 Sound Technology 40 11 Face Recognition Technology 41 12 Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and Metaverse 42 13 Sample Applications Used in Hotel Businesses 42 14 Conclusion 43 References 45 Does Virtual Hotel Shifting Realities or Just Daydreaming? A Wake-Up Call 50 1 Single-User Virtual Hotel 58 1.1 Virtual Hotel Simulators 58 1.2 Virtual Hotel Showrooms 61 1.3 Hotel Add-On Reality 62 1.4 Self-Guided Virtual Tour Hotel 64 2 Multiuser Virtual Hotel 66 2.1 Hybrid Co-working Space Hotel 66 2.2 Meta-version Hotels 67 2.3 Standalone Virtual Hotel 69 References 73 Selecting Robots to Take Over Tasks in Hospitality Settings: Joining Two Research Fields 78 1 Introduction 78 2 State of the Art of Commercially Available Hospitality Robots 79 2.1 Hospitality Robotics Categories 80 2.2 Insights on Commercially Implemented Hospitality Robotics 83 3 Scientific Literature on Hospitality Robotics 84 3.1 Robotics Research on Hospitality Robotics 84 3.2 Hospitality Research on Hospitality Robotics 86 3.3 Insights on the Scientific Literature on Hospitality and Robotics 87 4 Interaction Models 87 4.1 Food Delivery Robots Implemented Correctly 90 4.2 Food Delivery Robots Implemented Incorrectly 91 5 The Bigger Picture 92 5.1 Robotising Tasks 92 5.2 The Difference Between Human and Robot Tasks 94 5.3 Robots and the Infrastructure in Which They Operate 95 6 Discussion 96 References 97 Mapping Research Trends on Smart Tourism: A Bibliometric Analysis 100 1 Introduction 100 2 Research Methodology 103 2.1 Data Collection 103 2.2 Research Tools 104 3 Results and Discussion 105 3.1 Publication Trends on Smart Tourism Research 105 3.2 Top Productive Journals in the Smart Tourism Research Domain 106 3.3 A Most Influential Study in Smart Tourism Research (in Respect of Citations) 108 3.4 Most Productive Authors in the Smart Tourism Research Domain 110 3.5 Most Productive Country/Territory in the Smart Tourism Research Domain 110 3.6 Co-authorship Network 113 3.7 Most Frequently Occurring Keywords in the Smart Tourism Research Domain 114 4 Research Implications 116 5 Conclusion and Limitations 118 References 119 Big Data in Hotel Companies: A Systematic Literature Review 123 1 Introduction 123 2 Big Data and Tourism 125 3 Methods 126 3.1 Data Processing 128 4 Results 129 4.1 Quantitative Analysis 129 4.2 Content Analysis 133 4.2.1 Big Data Research Focus 133 4.2.2 Big Data Applications in the Hospitality Industry 136 5 Discussion and Conclusion 138 References 140 Communication Factors to Increase Awareness and Sales in the Hotel Industry Versus Search Platforms 146 1 Introduction 146 2 Theoretical Framework 149 3 Methodology 152 4 Analysis of Results 154 5 Conclusions 154 References 161 Social Media Research in the Hotel Industry: A Bibliometric Analysis 164 1 Introduction 164 2 Literature Review 165 3 Methodology 167 3.1 Method of Retrieving Data 167 3.2 Use of Research Tools 168 4 Bibliometric Analysis: Descriptive Results 168 4.1 Annual Publications 168 4.2 Leading Journals, Authors, and Articles 169 4.3 Key Research Themes and Trends 169 4.3.1 E-consumer Behavior 172 4.3.2 Digital Strategies for Hotel Businesses 174 4.3.3 Approaches to Social Media Research in the Hotel Industry 175 5 Conclusion and Implications 176 References 178 Digital Transformation in Hospitality: Identifying Customer Satisfaction Based on Online Hotel Guests ́ Ratings 183 1 Introduction 183 2 Theoretical Background 185 2.1 Literature Review Methodology 185 2.2 User-Generated Content (UGC) and Customer Satisfaction in Hospitality 186 2.3 Online Reviews and Customer Satisfaction in Tourism 188 3 Methodology 191 4 Discussion 192 5 Conclusion 195 References 196 Influence of Social Networks on the Choice and Promotions of a Tourist Destination 199 1 Introduction 199 2 Theoretical Background 200 2.1 Tourism and the Internet 200 2.2 Social Networks in Tourism 202 2.3 Social Networks as a Digital Tool 203 2.4 The Influence of Social Networks on Consumer Behavior 204 3 Research Method 205 3.1 Method 205 3.2 Sample 207 4 Discussion 208 5 Conclusion 211 References 212 Digital Transformation in the Hotel Industry: Shaping the Challenges and Opportunities by the Case of Five-Star Hotels in Bulg... 215 1 Introduction 215 2 Understanding Digitalization in Tourism 216 3 Research Methodology 219 4 Results and Discussion: Analysis of the Applied Effects of Digitalization on the Hotels in Bulgaria 222 5 Conclusion 235 6 Findings and Added Value 235 Appendix 236 References 242 Changing the Rules of the Hotel Business: The Case of citizenM ́s Digital Business Model Disruption 243 1 Introduction 243 2 Theoretical Background 244 2.1 Technological Change in the Hospitality Industry 244 2.2 Digital Disruption as a Business Model Phenomenon 245 3 Methodology 247 3.1 Research Context and Data Collection 247 3.2 Data Analysis 248 4 Findings 248 4.1 Building on Enabling Technology for Digital Business Model Disruption 248 4.2 Realising a Performance-Reducing, Relatively Low-Cost Value Proposition 250 4.3 Targeting Price-Sensitive Guests to Gain a Market Foothold 251 4.4 Attracting Mainstream Customers Through Cost-Efficient and Digital Relationship Building 252 5 Discussion and Contribution 253 5.1 Understanding Intertwined Mechanisms of Digital Disruption in Hospitality 253 5.2 Tentative Framework for Understanding Performance Reducer ́s Digital Disruption 254 6 Limitations and Further Research 255 References 255 Leading Digital Transformation in Tourism and Hospitality 257 1 Introduction 257 2 Background 259 3 Methodology 262 3.1 Study Context 262 3.2 Participants 263 3.3 Procedure 263 3.4 Data Analysis 264 4 Results and Discussion 264 5 Conclusion 267 References 269