The Use of Artificial Intelligence on Tourism and Hospitality Sector: is it impactful or not?

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force across global tourism and hospitality systems, reshaping operational processes, customer engagement, and competitive dynamics. This study investigates whether AI—including general AI applications and generative AI models such as ChatGPT—has a meaningful and measurable impact on the sector. Using a qualitative descriptive design, the research integrates document analysis, hypothetical semi-structured interview findings, and thematic synthesis of existing scholarship. The results indicate that AI significantly enhances operational efficiency through automation, predictive analytics, and business intelligence tools. AI-driven personalization, chatbots, and recommendation systems improve customer experience by delivering tailored, responsive, and data-informed services. Generative AI further expands information access and communication capabilities, influencing pre-trip planning and content production. Despite these benefits, several constraints limit AI’s full potential. Barriers include high implementation costs, uneven digital maturity, limited AI-skilled labor, and ethical concerns regarding data privacy, accuracy, and overreliance. Tourists and employees express ambivalence toward AI, indicating that trust and technological literacy strongly shape adoption. Moreover, AI’s contributions to sustainability and destination management remain contingent on governance quality and infrastructural readiness. The study concludes that AI is impactful but not universally so; its effectiveness depends on contextual, organizational, and ethical conditions. These findings contribute to ongoing discourse on technological transformation in tourism and underscore the need for strategic, responsible AI integration. Future research should evaluate long-term outcomes and sector-wide readiness to maximize AI’s positive influence.