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Smart Technologies and Sustainable Development in Hospitality and Tourism
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Smart Technologies and Sustainable Development in Hospitality and Tourism

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Tourism, Culture, and Heritage".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 October 2024 | Viewed by 4265

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jookyung Kwon

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Hotel, Tourism and Foodservice Management, Dongguk University-WISE Campus, Gyeongju 38066, Republic of Korea
Interests: smart technology; sustainability; consumer behavior

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) creates and oversees international guidelines for responsible tourism. Their certification programs rate companies according to their performance in relation to the four pillars, including sustainable management, socioeconomic impacts, cultural impacts, and environmental impacts.

Smart technology is key to encouraging sustainability in the hospitality and tourism sector. Hotels and restaurants use various smart technologies to assist businesses in achieving a net-zero status. Tourism destinations employ smart technologies as tools to enhance or reduce sustainable-development-related challenges.

Although social issues and sustainability have become critical, the role of smart technology in sustainable development has not been discussed in the hospitality and tourism industries. As a result, this Special Issue will welcome a wide range of topics integrating smart technology and sustainable development in the hospitality and tourism sectors, including the following:

  • Case studies of utilizing smart technology for environmental, social, and cultural sustainable development in the service industry;
  • The role of smart technology in business sustainability goals;
  • Innovative marketing initiatives of optimizing energy use or reducing the waste of hotel customers;
  • Smart technology and food waste management;
  • Smart technology contributing to the conservation of heritage destinations;
  • Mitigation of the negative effect of over-tourism with smart technology;
  • Literature reviews of updated research related to smart technology and sustainable development;
  • Experimental and behavioral economics in smart technology and sustainability;
  • Cross-cultural study of smart technology and sustainable development.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Jookyung Kwon
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • smart technology
  • sustainability
  • hospitality
  • tourism
  • heritage destinations
  • innovative marketing

Published Papers (4 papers)

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24 pages, 3154 KiB  
Article
Tourist Tracking Techniques and Their Role in Destination Management: A Bibliometric Study, 2007–2023
by Yarlein Ivama Julio Guerrero and Francisco Teixeira Pinto Dias
Sustainability 2024, 16(9), 3708; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16093708 - 28 Apr 2024
Viewed by 780
Abstract
The tourism industry has recently undergone a significant evolution because of the implementation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). These changes have raised new conceptions of destinations, thus giving rise to smart destinations. In this context, digital tracking of tourists has become of [...] Read more.
The tourism industry has recently undergone a significant evolution because of the implementation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). These changes have raised new conceptions of destinations, thus giving rise to smart destinations. In this context, digital tracking of tourists has become of great interest. This article aims to analyze the research landscape on tourist tracking through a bibliometric study, which allows the evaluation of the performance of publications, recognition of the prominent SciVal topics, analysis of the evolution of the techniques, and recognition of their use as a tool that contributes to the development of smart destinations. Unlike prior studies in this area, in addition to the performance analysis of publications, this paper focuses only on empirical studies on tourist tracking, identifies the prominent SciVal topics, and analyzes the linkage thereof with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The bibliometric study was carried out based on articles on tourist tracking extracted from the Scopus database and published between 2007 and 2023. This research is mainly quantitative, based on research performance analysis (journals, authors, institutions, and countries) and science mapping (citation analysis, co-word analysis, co-authorship analysis). Results show the quality of the publications made in the 2007–2023 period and indicate that the most used techniques have been GPS devices, social media, and app-based GPS/GNSS. In addition, it was found that the evolution of the techniques occurred at the same time as the development of ICT and that the prominent SciVal topic that covers the largest number of publications is associated with destination management. It is concluded that the application of tourist tracking techniques contributes to the transformation of destinations into smart destinations, as they provide useful relevant information to tourism market stakeholders for the development of strategies that improve decision-making and allow for the sustainable management of destinations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Technologies and Sustainable Development in Hospitality and Tourism)
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25 pages, 723 KiB  
Article
Tourists’ Willingness to Adopt AI in Hospitality—Assumption of Sustainability in Developing Countries
by Tamara Gajić, Alireza Ranjbaran, Dragan Vukolić, Jovan Bugarčić, Ana Spasojević, Jelena Đorđević Boljanović, Duško Vujačić, Marija Mandarić, Marija Kostić, Dejan Sekulić, Marina Bugarčić, Bojana D. Drašković and Sandra R. Rakić
Sustainability 2024, 16(9), 3663; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16093663 - 26 Apr 2024
Viewed by 453
Abstract
This study explores the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on customer perceptions and behavior in restaurants, airline companies, and hotel sectors within the hospitality industry of Iran. The primary objective is to analyze how AI affects customer trust, brand engagement, electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM), [...] Read more.
This study explores the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on customer perceptions and behavior in restaurants, airline companies, and hotel sectors within the hospitality industry of Iran. The primary objective is to analyze how AI affects customer trust, brand engagement, electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM), and tourists’ readiness to use AI technologies. Using a comparative analysis approach and surveys, this research tests hypotheses about the effects of artificial intelligence on various dimensions of customer interaction. The findings highlight significant relationships between the quality of artificial intelligence and customer engagement metrics, such as trust and brand loyalty, which are crucial for understanding and predicting customer behavior in response to technological advancements. This study lays the groundwork for theoretical assumptions about sustainability in these sectors in developing countries, providing a basis for future empirical research that could validate these assumptions and explore broader implications of AI integration in enhancing sustainable practices within the hospitality industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Technologies and Sustainable Development in Hospitality and Tourism)
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23 pages, 650 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Impact of Smart Technologies on the Tourism Industry
by Ana-Maria Ionescu and Flavius Aurelian Sârbu
Sustainability 2024, 16(8), 3318; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16083318 - 16 Apr 2024
Viewed by 602
Abstract
The implementation of smart technologies in the tourism industry has become a new trend. This is aimed at enriching tourists’ experiences and improving their satisfaction. The purpose of the present paper is to enhance tourists’ experiences and to increase tourists’ satisfaction using smart [...] Read more.
The implementation of smart technologies in the tourism industry has become a new trend. This is aimed at enriching tourists’ experiences and improving their satisfaction. The purpose of the present paper is to enhance tourists’ experiences and to increase tourists’ satisfaction using smart technologies and to identify experts’ perspectives regarding the use of these technologies. This research was conducted using quantitative and qualitative research. In the process of data collection, the research involved a questionnaire which focused on tourists’ experiences with various smart technologies and their intentions to return to the visited region. An exploratory factor analysis was applied to determine the elements of satisfaction and their attribute levels in different Romanian touristic regions. This study employed an analysis of variance to determine whether groups with different reasons for visiting exhibit varying levels of satisfaction and whether the touristic regions under investigation generate differing levels of satisfaction. Cross-tabulation and a Pearson’s chi-square test were used to determine whether the tourists’ segment influenced their intention to revisit specific regions. The research was augmented using qualitative research based on the Delphi technique to identify experts’ opinion on the impact of smart tourism technologies on the Romanian tourism industry. This study presents a global perspective on the current situation of smart technologies in the Romanian tourism sector. The results indicate that there is a significant relationship between tourists’ satisfaction and their perception of the value of smart technologies. The use of smart technologies has a positive impact on the experiences of tourists during all phases of their journey. Romania’s tourism capabilities can support the development of smart and sustainable tourism. Smart technologies have a double role in the tourism industry. They can enhance satisfaction by introducing new experiences while also improving the operational efficiency and sustainability of tourist destinations. The use of smart solutions will be essential in creating smooth and unforgettable tourist experiences as the industry develops. Their theoretical and practical implications are deduced. This paper provides valuable information not only for organizational practitioners considering the implementation of smart technology solutions, but also for academics wishing to develop this area of study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Technologies and Sustainable Development in Hospitality and Tourism)
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19 pages, 1894 KiB  
Article
The Technology Acceptance on AR Memorable Tourism Experience—The Empirical Evidence from China
by Shuxian Li and Shan Jiang
Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 13349; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813349 - 6 Sep 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1979
Abstract
The application of augmented reality (AR) technology has revolutionized the memorable tourism experience (MTE) of travelers, while challenging traditional destination marketing practices. As AR technology emerges as a promising approach to enhancing tourists’ experiences in tourism destinations, it becomes increasingly crucial to delve [...] Read more.
The application of augmented reality (AR) technology has revolutionized the memorable tourism experience (MTE) of travelers, while challenging traditional destination marketing practices. As AR technology emerges as a promising approach to enhancing tourists’ experiences in tourism destinations, it becomes increasingly crucial to delve into the specific mechanisms through which AR generates MTE. Therefore, this study integrated MTE into the various conceptual structures of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), aiming to explore the antecedents and consequences of MTE formation within the TAM framework. Additionally, the specific relationship between TAM and different degrees of MTE was also discussed. The results indicated that perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) of AR technology are antecedents for MTE formation. In the High-MTE group, both PU and PEOU had a significant effect on MTE, but in the Low-MTE group, only PEOU had a significant effect on MTE. At the same time, the attitude towards usage (ATU) and the behavioral intention (BI) of AR are two significant consequences of MTE, in which ATU also plays the role of mediator between MTE and BI. Specifically, in the high-MTE group, MTE has a significant positive effect on both the ATU and BI of AR, while the Low-MTE group influences BI only through the complete mediating effect of ATU. This study enriched the existing literature by exploring a new model of using AR to enhance MTE, providing significant implications for future tourism research and the sustainable development of tourist destinations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Technologies and Sustainable Development in Hospitality and Tourism)
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