ANTECEDENTS INFLUENCING THE SUSTAINED INTENTION TO UTILIZE GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CHATBOTS WITHIN THE DOMAINS OF HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM

Abstract

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has evolved as a distinct aspect of artificial intelligence technology, with the lofty goal of imbuing robots with human-like reasoning and behavior. Although artificial intelligence and its applications, such as chatbots, have only recently been introduced, these technologies will soon become indispensable in the hospitality and tourism industries. It is imperative to understand the factors influencing tourists' intentions to persist in utilizing GenAI chatbots for hotel bookings and travel-related activities. Utilizing the framework of social cognitive theory, the present research examines the relationships among the strengths of GenAI chatbots, perceived advantage, technical self-efficacy, perceived personalization, and the intention to continue using chatbots. A survey was administered through the Prolific platform to gather data from a sample of 450 tourists residing in the United States of America. The collected data were subjected to analysis through partial least squares–based structural equation modeling utilizing SmartPLS 4 software. Our findings revealed that perceived advantage did not serve as the predominant catalyst for tourists' continued intention to engage with chatbots. Rather, our results suggest a nuanced understanding of user perceptions, wherein intrinsic factors (e.g ., technical self-efficacy) and experiential benefits (e.g., perceived personalization) surpass traditional perceptions of technological superiority. Designers and developers ought to enhance chatbots that offer tourists tailored suggestions, complemented by visual elements such as images, videos, and virtual tours of recommended locations. Hospitality and tourism authorities should provide financial and information support for designers of GenAI technologies such as chatbots because chatbots could offer recommendations for booking inquiries, making reservations for accommodation and other facilities, and providing advices for travel places and tourism sites together with immediate and tailored information.