Publication Details
Title:
AI/Robotics in the Tourism and Hospitality Sector: Technological Realities and Imaginaries in the Ghanaian Context.
Details:
Authors
Victor Anderson Hodibert,Adriana Narkwa Anderson,Kate Neequaye
Abstract
Global trends in the application of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in the Tourism and hospitality sector indicate that AI and Robotics are infiltrating modes of service delivery in different ways and diverting attention from human-to-human interfaces and interactions to human and AI-aided technologies, especially in advanced economies. It is however noteworthy that, the scope and dimension of Artificial Intelligence and Robotic technologies in developed economies have a far-reaching impact on the technological realities and imaginaries of emerging economies, especially in Africa, where the knowledge divide and the gap between the developed and emerging economies may be wider. While the tourism and hospitality sectors of emerging economies continue to play a key role in economic development, technological realities, and imaginaries in the context of academic coverage are yet to be explored to ascertain trends, especially in Ghana. The objectives of this research were to determine the context of trends in academic publications on AI and Robotics applications in Ghana’s tourism and hospitality sector, to appreciate existing technological realities and imaginaries, and also examine the challenges and opportunities. The approach used was an exploratory search and analysis of existing Ghanaian literature on the subject. Key findings indicate a huge gap in research in the area, suggestive of a lack of Ghanaian literature on the subject. Also, the study provides a context for research on the technological realities and technological imaginaries surrounding the emerging development and applications of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in the Tourism and Hospitality industry. Moreover, the study provides a context for practitioners in the sector.