adoption of robots and service automation by tourism and hospitality companies

Adoption of robots and service

automation by tourism and

hospitality companies

Stanislav Ivanov

Email: [email protected]

Web: http://stanislavivanov.com

Craig Webster


Katerina Berezina


INVTUR Conference, 17-19 May 2017, Aveiro, Portugal

mailto:[email protected]

http://stanislavivanov.com/



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Dr. Katerina Berezina

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• Assistant Professor, College of Hospitality and Tourism Leadership, University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, Sarasota, Florida, USA

(http://usfsm.edu)

• Editorial Assistant of the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

http://usfsm.edu/

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Dr. Craig Webster

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• Assistant Professor, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, USA

(http://bsu.edu)

• Editor-in-chief of Tourism Today

http://bsu.edu/

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Dr. Stanislav Ivanov

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• Professor and Vice Rector (Research), Varna University of Management, Bulgaria (http://www.vum.bg)

• Editor-in-chief of the European Journal of Tourism Research (http://ejtr.vumk.eu)

• CEO of Zangador Ltd. (http://www.zangador.eu)

http://www.vum.bg/

http://ejtr.vumk.eu/

http://www.zangador.eu/

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Robots have arrived …

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Source: http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/c/c8/Counterparts.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BB-8

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Source: http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/avp/images/4/49/Terminator.jpg

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Source: http://www.kurzweilai.net/images/robot-thinking-one.png

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Robots and AI application:

• Manufacturing

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http://www.businesskorea.co.kr/sites/default/files/field/image/Industrial-Robots-Hyundai-Heavy.jpg

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• Warehousing, supply and logistics

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http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/industrial-robots/german-warehouse-robots-tackle-picking-tasks

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• Agriculture

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http://sparc-robotics.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/polni-robot-amazone-bonirob-44e031.jpg

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• Transportation / Self-driving cars

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http://www.google.com/selfdrivingcar/images/home-where.jpg

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• Medicine

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http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/robotics/images/2/21/Medical_robot.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140602041221

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• Warfare

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http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/military-robots/why-should-we-ban-autonomous-weapons-to-survive

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• Legal services

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http://www.kurzweilai.net/will-ai-replace-judges-and-lawyers

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• Households

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http://www.roboticstrends.com/images/photos/xiaomi-mi-robot-vacuum.jpg

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• Search engines

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• Social media chatbots

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http://chatbotsmagazine.com

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• Finance

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http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/581cd80d46e27a2e008b4cf3-1920/fintech-ecosystem-diagram.png

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• Online trade

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• Sex services

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https://www.minds.com/blog/view/638819052533329937

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Adoption of robots and service automation by travel, tourism and hospitality companies –

current use and potential opportunities

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automation in tourism• Hotels

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Current use Potential use

Service

automation

Self-service check-in kiosks

Self-service mobile check-in

Mobile service requests

Full service automation

Robots Front desk robots

Concierge robots

Delivery robots

Vacuum cleaning robots

Porter robots

Room assistant robots

Housekeeping robots,

e.g., cleaning, doing

laundry, etc.

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http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/futuristic-hotel-thats-like-robotic-6449905

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Photo credit: Katerina Berezina

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http://www.h-n-h.jp/en/concept/

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automation in tourism• Restaurants

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Service

automation

Table-side ordering,

entertainment, and payment

Conveyor restaurants

Roller-coaster restaurants

3D food printing


Robots Robot chefs

Robot servers

Robot bartenders

Robot baristas

Dishwashing robot

Ordering companion

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automation in tourism• Restaurant

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Photo credit: Stanislav Ivanov

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Photo credit: Katerina Berezina

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automation in tourism• Meetings and events

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Service

automation

Mobile telepresence



Mobile service requests

Fully mobile telepresence

Robots Booth attendants

Concierge robots

Robot bartenders

Robot baristas

Robot servers

Entertainment

Delivery robots

Interactive booth

attendants

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https://www.bizbash.com/mobile-telepresence-new-systems-allow-users-participate-meetings-events-afar/gallery/123291

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https://www.bizbash.com/bartender-makr-shakr-bartender-social-sharing-alcohol-consumption-monitor/gallery/123237

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automation in tourism• Theme and amusement parks

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Service

automation

Information kiosks and displays Self-service kiosks for

information and

purchases

Robots Concierge robots

Robot bartenders

Robot baristas

Robot servers

Entertainment

Delivery robots

Mobile robot guide

Robot cleaners

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automation in tourism• Theme and amusement parks

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automation in tourism• Car rental

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Service

automation

(Un)locking the car with a card

or app

Self-service kiosks for

information, booking

and payment

Robots None Robot sales agent

Self-driving cars

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automation in tourism• Car rental

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http://www.zipcar.com/how

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automation in tourism• Airports and other transport stations

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Service

automation



Bag check

Conveyor belts

Self-boarding gates


Robots Airport robot-guide

Bag drop robots

Customer service robotic agents

Entertainment robots

Cleaning robot

Delivery robots

Robotic luggage carts

Self-driving cars to

transport passengers

between the gates

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automation in tourism• Airports and other transport stations

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Photo credit: Nicolaus Korab

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automation in tourism• Travel agencies and Tourist information centres

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Service

automation

Information kiosks and displays

Audio guides



and payment

Robots None Robot sales agent

Robot guides

Home digital assistant

robot linked to the

website of a travel

agency

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This item will be released on June 28, 2017.

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automation in tourism• Museums and art galleries

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Service

automation

Information kiosks and displays

Audio guides

Mobile apps and QR codes



and payment

Robots Robot guides Robot cleaners

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automation in tourism• Museums and art galleries

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https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/14/arts/design/museums-experiment-with-robots-as-guides.html?_r=0

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Conclusion

• Robots have arrived and are here to stay!

• Tourism, travel and hospitality companies need to adapt to the new realities

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Forthcoming in 2019 by Emerald:

Robots, Artificial Intelligence and Service Automation in

Travel, Tourism and Hospitality

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THANK YOU FOR THE ATTENTION!

QUESTIONS?

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