The implementation of smart technologies in luxury hotels

Evidence from South Korea.

  • Georgios Triantafyllou Hellenic Mediterranean University
  • Michail Toanoglou Jeonju University
  • Eirini Strataki Hellenic Mediterranean University
Keywords: Smart technologies, South Korea, luxury hotels, sustainability

Abstract

Numerous of hospitality enterprises around the world either have already adopted or they start to adopt smart technologies in most departments of their functioning. However, the extent Smart Technologies application in hospitality industry generates new questions and hesitations concerning matters of sustainability, alienation and employability. South Korea, a country with a gradually noticeable growth in tourist flows until 2019, was chosen for the conduct of the present research. Unfortunately, the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic resulted in a deep drop of arrivals. The objective of the research is to identify the diffusion extent of smart technologies in different departments of Luxury and Upper Upscale hotels in South Korea and to depict in which ways smart technologies have contributed to the efficiency and sustainability of the particular type of hospitality enterprises. Semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions were conducted for the collection of data.

The responses revealed that smart technologies in Luxury hotels of South Korea are “conditio sine qua non” for the operation of all the departments. Interviewees supported that smart technologies enrich guests’ experiences and increase guests’ satisfaction by offering to them alternative opportunities for in-room entertainment and recreation. Luxury and Upper Upscale Hotels always pursue to keep up with advancements in Smart Technologies with the aim to prevail in their guests preferences. However, the estimations about the influence of Smart technologies in guests’ intention for revisiting are controversial. The personnel of Luxury hotels are favorable to smart technologies, especially the new-hired employees. Luxury Hotels are seeking the investment in Smart Technologies which contribute to the efficient monitoring of energy and water consumption. Smart technologies have a valuable role in Customer Relation Management even if their impact in tourist inflows recovery remains blurry. Executive managers believe that Smart technologies can offer a wide range of possibilities for sustainable development in the hospitality industry of South Korea.

Published
2022-11-21
How to Cite
Triantafyllou, G., Toanoglou, M., & Strataki, E. (2022). The implementation of smart technologies in luxury hotels . Journal of Tourism Quarterly , 4(1-2), 11-20. Retrieved from http://htmjournals.com/jtq/index.php/jtq/article/view/61