Artificial intelligence (AI) for tourism: an European-based study on successful AI tourism start-ups

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raffaele Filieri ◽  
Elettra D’Amico ◽  
Alessandro Destefanis ◽  
Emilio Paolucci ◽  
Elisabetta Raguseo
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Radical Change ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Venture Capitalists ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Travel And Tourism ◽  
Study Experience ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Start Ups

Purpose The travel and tourism industry (TTI) could benefit the most from artificial intelligence (AI), which could reshape this industry. This study aims to explore the characteristics of tourism AI start-ups, the AI technological domains financed by Venture Capitalists (VCs), and the phases of the supply chain where the AI domains are in high demand. Design/methodology/approach This study developed a database of the European AI start-ups operating in the TTI from the Crunchbase database (2005–2020). The authors used start-ups as the unit of analysis as they often foster radical change. The authors complemented quantitative and qualitative methods. Findings AI start-ups have been mainly created by male Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics graduates between 2015 and 2017. The number of founders and previous study experience in non-start-up companies was positively related to securing a higher amount of funding. European AI start-ups are concentrated in the capital town of major tourism destinations (France, UK and Spain). The AI technological domains that received more funding from VCs were Learning, Communication and Services (i.e. big data, machine learning and natural language processing), indicating a strong interest in AI solutions enabling marketing automation, segmentation and customisation. Furthermore, VC-backed AI solutions focus on the pre-trip and post-trip. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study focussing on digital entrepreneurship, specifically VC-backed AI start-ups operating in the TTI. The authors apply, for the first time, a mixed-method approach in the study of tourism entrepreneurship.

The Israeli travel and tourism industry faces COVID-19: developing guidelines for facilitating and maintaining a nuanced response and recovery to the pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Schmidt ◽  
Alex Altshuler
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Travel And Tourism ◽  
The Government

Purpose This paper aims to discuss how the tourism industry is contending with the economic and interorganizational challenges wrought by the COVID-19 outbreak and heightened by a lack of communication between the government and local businesses in the state of Israel. The researchers examine the dependency of the tourism industry on the general preparation programs that were developed and are currently being deployed by the relevant national stakeholders and question whether instead, it should use the pandemic as a catalyst for formulating its own nuanced tourism-travel-and-hospitality-oriented strategies and procedures. Design/methodology/approach Applying an ethnographic-based mix-methods research approach, this paper draws on insights from data compiled by fusing existing theoretical and emerging practical knowledge with empirical research (qualitative and quantitative) conducted among numerous relevant macro (governmental/centralized industry) and micro (hotels, travel and tourism operators and service providers) stakeholders as well as potential consumers. Findings It is essential that national and local government bodies form collaborative interorganizational relationships with local stakeholders to jointly activate case-specific hospitality and travel-specific risk mitigation management strategies. Moreover, the pandemic laid bare the tentative and fragile nature of the globalized tourism industry supply and demand chains, a condition that may be remedied via a pivot toward using national or even regional supply chains and goods and service providers. Within Israel, such changes could lead to increased economic benefits that extend beyond the tourism industry to provide certain security-related benefits. Originality/value Relating to idiosyncratic factors relevant to an Israeli cultural context, this paper uses the ethnographic field-borne familiarity of the researchers with the tourism and travel industries in Eilat and the Dead Sea to offer applicable suggestions for leveraging certain industry resources to both meet the demands of the present-day circumstances and cultivate a multifaceted organizational web of macro and micro social, economic and environmental networks so as to foster a more diversified and therefore resilient local tourism and travel economy.

scholarly journals Marketing, Start-Ups and Innovation: A Framework for Understanding the Possibilities for Harnessing Technological Innovations in Tourism (Based on the Example of the Georgian Tourism Sector and Russian Start-Ups)

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-113
Author(s):  
Dariusz Michał Trzmielak ◽  
Devi Shonia ◽  
Magdalena Skoneczna
Keyword(s):  
Development Strategy ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Technological Innovations ◽  
Travel And Tourism ◽  
Tourism Sector ◽  
The World ◽  
It Innovation ◽  
Country Of Georgia ◽  
Travel Industry ◽  
Start Ups

Abstract The travel and tourism industry is one of the largest and fastest-growing sectors in the world. In the case of countries like Georgia, where tourism is a priority sector of the economy, innovation is crucial for a tourism-based development strategy — and this has become particularly important in the post-pandemic realities. This paper proposes a certain framework for understanding the possibilities for harnessing technological innovations in the travel industry (particularly apps and websites). It then considers the specific example of the country of Georgia, outlining the state’s measures meant to foster IT innovation in tourism and also certain moderate successes to date in this respect. Next, the paper looks to Russian tourist-sector start-ups as models for operation that be successfully harnessed in the Georgian tourism industry, examining several such Russian start-ups in closer detail.

Cost advantages will boost tourism in Southern Africa

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Southern Africa ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Net Worth ◽  
African Development ◽  
Domestic Markets ◽  
Travel And Tourism ◽  
Luxury Market ◽  
Commonwealth Games

Subject Outlook for the tourism sector in Southern Africa. Significance Last month, the African Development Bank's Africa Tourism Monitor ranked South Africa third on the continent for international tourist arrivals. In the wider Southern African Development Community (SADC), the travel and tourism industry contributed 20.6 billion dollars to regional economies -- 20.5% higher than in 2010. However, restrictive visa policies and poor coordination between member states mean the industry is performing below potential. Impacts Growth in safari vacation offerings will focus on the luxury market in a bid to tap into resilient high-net-worth spending. Preparations for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Durban will improve the city's tourism infrastructure. Protectionist policies will hinder cross-border low-cost airline growth, which will remain restricted to domestic markets. Several regional cities will compete to attract lucrative business conferences, increasing pressure to invest in world-class venues.

How is the consumer passion for authenticity impacting holidaying?

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 627-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daphne Kasriel-Alexander
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Visual Culture ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Statistical Data ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Complex Idea ◽  
Content Type ◽  
General Review ◽  
Travel And Tourism

Purpose The paper aims to provide a general review on the importance of authenticity tourism options and on what makes an experience authentic. Design/methodology/approach Using statistical data provided from agencies and brands, the author takes a critical look at the evolution and importance of authenticity and experiences for the travel and tourism industry today. Findings Part and parcel of the pursuit of authenticity is a conscious debate about what actually counts as authentic; although in tourism, it typically involves an emphasis on experience. However, authenticity is a complex idea – with perceptions differing between people. The author also found that new technologies and social media can bring tourists nearer to the real. Originality/value Visual culture in an age of digital communications is unsurprisingly prominent in discussions about the authentic. While social media and selfie culture have affected insecurity about appearance, we are seeing a parallel interest in what is genuine.

Artificial Intelligence Applications in Tourism

2011 ◽  
pp. 241-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carey Goh ◽  
Henry M.K. Mok ◽  
Rob Law
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Data Mining ◽  
Demand Forecasting ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Tourism Demand ◽  
Investment Planning ◽  
Data Mining Techniques ◽  
Travel And Tourism ◽  
The Future ◽  
Multiplier Effects

The tourism industry has become one of the fastest growing industries in the world, with international tourism flows in year 2006 more than doubled since 1980. In terms of direct economic benefits, United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO, 2007) estimated that the industry has generated US $735 billion through tourism in the year of 2006. Through multiplier effects, World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC, 2007) estimated that tourism will generate economic activities worth of approximately US $5,390 billion in year 2007 (10.4% of world GDP). Owing to the important economic contribution by the tourism industry, researchers, policy makers, planners, and industrial practitioners have been trying to analyze and forecast tourism demand. The perishable nature of tourism products and services, the information-intensive nature of the tourism industry, and the long lead-time investment planning of equipment and infrastructures all render accurate forecasting of tourism demand necessary (Law, Mok, & Goh, 2007). Past studies have predominantly applied the well-developed econometric techniques to measure and predict the future market performance in terms of the number of tourist arrivals in a specific destination. In this chapter, we aim to present an overview of studies that have adopted artificial intelligence (AI) data-mining techniques in studying tourism demand forecasting. Our objective is to review and trace the evolution of such techniques employed in tourism demand studies since 1999, and based on our observations from the review, a discussion on the future direction of tourism research techniques and methods is then provided. Although the adoption of data mining techniques in tourism demand forecasting is still at its infancy stage, from the review, we identify certain research gaps, draw certain key observations, and discuss possible future research directions.

Uncertainty clouds US IPO ebullience going into 2022

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Initial Public Offering ◽  
The United States ◽  
Venture Capitalists ◽  
Public Companies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Chinese Companies ◽  
Public Offering ◽  
Start Ups

Significance The company's initial public offering (IPO) is one of three this week expected to raise upwards of USD500mn each, adding to what is already set to be a record-breaking year for IPOs in the United States despite the withdrawal of Chinese companies under pressure from Beijing and Washington. Impacts Hong Kong will be the main beneficiary of Chinese companies' forced IPO withdrawal from US markets. Venture capitalists' being cash-rich should mean a steady stream of start-ups that will eventually seek to become public companies. Investors will press SPAC sponsors to risk more of their own capital.

The relationship between business ethics diffusion, knowledge sharing and service innovation

2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 1343-1358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chen-fong Wu
Keyword(s):  
Business Ethics ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Service Innovation ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Travel And Tourism ◽  
The Taiwan Strait ◽  
And Behavior

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consider business ethics as a concept and behavior that is worthy of attracting more proponents, and to explore how the diffusion of business ethics can effectively promote service innovation in an organization. Design/methodology/approach – This study applies a quantitative research approach to 357 businesses in the travel and tourism industry on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Findings – The results reveal that the increased visibility of business ethics activities in an organization strengthens its ability to display service innovation, with the condition that knowledge sharing actively occurs as the mediating variable. Originality/value – This study proposes a business ethics diffusion model that is advantageous for industries seeking innovations in service provision.

scholarly journals Service enterprise productivity in action: measuring service productivity

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 524-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moira Scerri ◽  
Renu Agarwal
Keyword(s):  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Business Systems ◽  
Customer Choice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Travel And Tourism ◽  
Customer Interface ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Service Productivity ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to measure service productivity using the Service Enterprise Productivity in Action (SEPIA) model. The research operationalises only one of the five stakeholder groups, the customer interface which incorporates service complexity (SC), customer interactions, customer channel, customer loyalty (CL) (new) as inputs, and CL (referred and repeat) and willingness to pay as output measures. Design/methodology/approach The research extends our understanding of existing service productivity models with the development of the SEPIA model. Data were collected from 14 organisations operating in the Australian travel and tourism industry, which was analysed using a data envelopment analysis input oriented variable return to scale method as applied to the SEPIA model customer interface. Findings Four key findings from the research include: customer choice and their ability to pay is a determinant of service productivity; service productivity is a two stage process when measured; SC is not categorical; and quality business systems do impact service productivity. Research limitations/implications A limitation of this research is that only one (customer) of the five key stakeholders, customer, employee, manager, supplier and shareholder, was operationalised in this research paper. Practical implications The operationalisation of the SEPIA customer interface using transactional data and measuring non-financial, intangible factors of productivity provide managers with insights on what services to offer, when to invest in or promote the use of technology and whether to spend marketing effort on customer acquisition or customer retention. Originality/value The SEPIA model positions service firms within a social and service value network and provides a range of customer measures that extend the current capital (K), labour (L), energy (E), materials (M) and service (S), KLEMS measure of productivity and can be used to show the impact customers have on service productivity.

Portuguese tourism: How to share success?

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 705-711 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Costa ◽  
Silva Carvalho ◽  
Daniela Rodrigues
Keyword(s):  
Round Table ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
International Travel ◽  
International Tourism ◽  
Round Table Discussion ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Travel And Tourism ◽  
Current State ◽  
Tourism Sector ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to draws on the main conclusions of an International Tourism Forum Round Table discussion, attended by representatives of the main entities of the tourism sector in Portugal as well as international travel and tourism specialists. The authors identify the importance of making travel and tourism growth sustainable and discuss how success approaches can be shared more widely. Design/methodology/approach The main conclusions resulting from the International Tourism Forum Round Table are presented and discussed. The event was organised by the Institute for Tourism Planning and Development (IPDT), with Sponsorship support from the Solverde Group, under the theme: “Tourism in 2018: How to Share Tourism Success”. Findings Participants in the International Tourism Forum Round Table concluded that the tourism industry worldwide and in Portugal in particular, is facing major challenges that calls for innovative ways of managing the tourist experience. Several questions regarding tourism have been discussed, including desertification in some inland cities and villages. Originality/value This paper provides knowledge about the current state of Portuguese tourism, its challenges and opportunities and identifies innovative ways and likely solutions for drawing tourists to other regions of the country – beyond the major cities.

Network hospitality in the share economy

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (9) ◽  
pp. 2444-2463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Wiles ◽  
Alleah Crawford
Keyword(s):  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Experience Economy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Travel And Tourism ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Future Intention ◽  
Data Source ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Functional Experience ◽  
Feeling At Home

Purpose The purpose of this study was utilize the experience economy to assess the value of the network hospitality experience for the guest and to develop a better understanding of network hospitality as a unique alternative to traditional lodging. Design/methodology/approach This study used a mixed-methods approach, relying on content analysis and interpretive phenomenological analysis to answer the research questions. Guest reviews of hosts for a lodging-specific network hospitality website were used as the data source for this study. Findings The educational dimension of the experience economy was most represented during network hospitality experiences. Additionally, the factors that create value for network hospitality users include verbal communication, a sense of feeling at home, engagement in entertainment, food and beverage and the functional experience while the spirit of network hospitality, reciprocity and desire for continuation through future intention can have a great impact on the travel and tourism industry. Originality/value This research adds value to the current literature by providing a better understanding of the experience economy at work in network hospitality, primarily education and esthetics. Additionally a better understanding of what factors of the network hospitality experience create value for guests is developed. This work focuses on a fast-growing substitute for traditional lodging and therefore needs to be better understood.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document