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According to a report from the World Tourism Organization, 1.5 billion tourists traveled internationally in 2019 (UNWTO, 2020). This reveals that the concepts of tourism and leisure have been established on a global basis, which is also reflected in the growing demand for hotel accommodation. The first task of staying in the hotel is authentication, which can be considered a critical service. Moreover, fast and effective authentication service in the hotel can improve guests’ satisfaction (Liu et al., 2013). According to data from Marriott International, it takes an average of three minutes for each guest to check in using conventional methods, which involve authentication by the staff at the front desk employing the guest's photograph and information on the guest's ID card. When there are many guests, however, they may need to spend considerable time waiting in line. To solve this problem, Marriott International has begun to use new information technology, such as facial recognition system (FRS). Through the use of FRS, guests' check-in time can be reduced to less than one minute, and waiting time for check-in can be greatly shortened (Sickel, 2018).
When using FRS for the guest check-in, the system will automatically scan the guest's face and ID card, and will enter the guest's contact information. After the system has verified that the personal information is correct, the guest can pay and his or her room card can be assigned. There are even some hotels that do not use room cards, and instead directly use the guest's face as a room card, such as Alibaba's future hotel (FlyZoo hotel). In these hotels, guests have access to all services through facial authentication. Compared with conventional check-in procedures, FRS provides automatic authentication, and can improve security (NEC Corporation, 2018). Thanks to these advantages, FRS can not only help a hotel improve its service quality, but also greatly streamline its manpower.
Facial recognition is the use of facial images to identify specific individuals. In other words, the machine can use images or video to capture the features of the individual’s face or skin texture to identify individuals or their facial expressions (Huang & Tai, 2012). Currently, using FRS in the hotel is still in its infancy, but in other fields has been developed and used, such as self-service aircraft boarding, departure, immigration, surveillance, Internet banking, and Internet of Things. In the case of the hospitality industry, FRS is a fast and effective system for authentication, and can help ensure that guests receive satisfactory service. Due to its clear benefits, FRS can be used in the hospitality industry in new and exciting ways.
In addition, the new type of coronavirus (COVID-19) caused a global pandemic. The main route of infection is human-to-human transmission. FRS can be used to replace human labor, and can reduce human-to-human contact. In this way, the spread of the epidemic can be prevented. But despite the advantages of FRS, few hotels are currently using it. What factors affect guests and have stopped hotels from introducing FRS? This gap will be explored in this study. In addition, few papers have investigated perspectives on the use of FRS in hotels. This study therefore proposes a new model based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) concept to explore the intentions of travellers to use FRS in hotels. The survey method is used to collect empirical data from 413 subjects, and statistical methods are used to test the study’s model. The results have theoretical and managerial implications, and can be used as a reference for hotel management. This study is expected to make contributions to the hospitality industry and help hoteliers determine whether they can use FRS to enhance operational efficiency.