A scoping review of robotic technology in hospitality and tourism

Abstract

Purpose With the disruptive evolution of artificial intelligence (AI), the roles of robotics in hospitality and tourism are shifting rapidly from automatic to emotional works. Although academics have focused on examining robotic applications in hospitality and tourism, concrete images of the different roles of robots are unclear. Thus, this study aims to systematically aggregate and evaluate existing robotic technology-related studies published in Social Science Citation Index-listed hospitality and tourism journals to link the fragmented knowledge and provide an up-to-date overview of robotic technology in hospitality and tourism. Design/methodology/approach This study retrieved 134 robotic technology-related articles and used descriptive and content analyses to analyze the retrieved papers thoroughly. Findings The top keyword identified was service robot. Robotic technologies are categorized into AI-supplemented, AI-generated, robotic technology anthropomorphism (RTA)-facilitated and RTA-mediated. Research limitations/implications Future studies can consider exploring service robots further from the perspectives of suppliers in tourism. A more comprehensive categorization of robotic technologies is also recommended. Originality/value This study contributes to the robotic research realm by providing a holistic view of robotic applications in hospitality and tourism research. This study also attempts to pin down the potential research directions to guide researchers in expanding future studies.