Chapter 4 Hospitality of the Future

Abstract

The topic ‘Hospitality of the Future’ examines how rapidly the hospitality sector is changing and highlights innovative products and services that are becoming available. For example, space hotels, underwater accommodation, cruise ships and the use of robots are becoming more common in the hospitality sector. Although some of these innovations have not come to fruition, discussions regarding embracing new products and services should be under- taken rather than rejecting ideas based on previous industry expectations. In addition to the introduction of new products and services, technological change challenges traditional employment models of hospitality workers with a real concern regarding employment opportunities in the future that is also explored in Chapter 7. This chapter highlights some of the future aspects of hospitality services with a focus on the rise of robots in the Asian hospitality sector. A further analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of using artificial intelligence (AI) is given. The chapter concludes by suggesting new and changing technology will have an impact on the hospitality industry, however the extent of impact will differ for each type of hospitality business. Case studies are included to illustrate themes that reflect current customer service practices and potentially what the future holds.