Literature Review
The hospitality industry, like any other industry, is heavily influenced by information and communication technology (ICT). Recently, due to advances in artificial intelligence and robotics, hospitality businesses have started to use a wide range of service robots with different technical capabilities (robots that look like humanoids, zoomorphic or more), such as consultants, moderators, porters, kitchen staff, room servers, staff in the house, portraits and waiters (Fragapane et al., 2021). The service robots are used for repetitive, dirty, boring, and dangerous tasks such as providing information, cleaning floors, disinfecting, and providing room service (Seyitoğlu & Ivanov, 2020). Therefore, there are more and more studies on service robots in the hotel industry and tourism. A new coronavirus disease is causing an alarming pandemic (COVID-19) worldwide (Cucinotta & Vanelli, 2020). Many businesses, such as hospitality and tourism, have had a significant impact as individuals avoid interactions with others (Al-Qasem, 2021). According to the World Health Organization (2020), physical and social distancing slows the spread of a virus because there is no physical contact and space between the newly infected individuals (Karaman, Alhudhaif, & Polat, 2021). This study shows that service robots in tourism and hospitality can be used efficiently for physical distance. Tourism and hospitality are some sectors that require the most social interactions, personal touches, and physicality than any other industry. With COVID-19 classified as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), shutdowns have impacted this business. New restrictions have hampered it in terms of social distancing and travel bans. The tourism and hospitality industry increasingly depends on robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence (AI). Consequently, human presence in public places such as airports, hotels, transportation systems, and restaurants is decreasing. Human-to-robot connections are also increasing in business and society (Network, 2021). Robots and other advanced devices such as socially conscious robotics are commonly used in service industries, including tourism and hospitality (Network, 2021).
In the past, a crisis has brought about technical advances and advancements. As a result, the current COVID-19 scenario has taken place. Artificial technology (AI) developments have created new opportunities for automation, such as using robotics in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industries due to the current economic crisis (Gaur et al., 2021; Zeng et al., 2020). Artificial intelligence has enabled robots to become more socially aware and emotionally sensitive (Chuah & Yu, 2021; Yan et al., 2021). Intelligent robots can understand emotional signals and behave like humans. They use artificial intelligence (AI) to communicate with humans (Kumar et al., 2022). These robots not only guide visitors and provide them with the information they need but also check guests in and out of hotels, clean airports and airport terminals, and provide consumers with groceries, luggage, and other necessities while keeping them safe (Jia et al., 2021; Pelau et al., 2021).
The concepts of hospitality and service are sometimes used simultaneously and falsely equated. There is a thin line between service and hospitality (Alamdari, 2017). Looking outward and making an effort to understand others is what hospitality is all about. Hospitality is the capacity to make others feel welcome, respected, valued, and engaged. Service is what you do for somebody, such as delivering a meal, while hospitality is how your behavior makes the visitor feel after giving the food or meal (Alamdari, 2017). Hotel employees must show that they care about the guest's pleasure and satisfaction when it comes to being deemed hospitable. Service and hospitality work together to create an unforgettable visitor experience. Still, excellent service cannot exist without the hospitality component, which is what creates an emotional bond that humans cherish. For example, smiling may significantly impact the host's mood and overall happiness (Alamdari, 2017). Even while robots are efficient at checking in and out visitors, answering inquiries, and providing room service, they cannot engage with guests because of the lack of emotion. As a result, everything in the hospitality industry revolves around how emotions are effectively perceived and reacted to. Even the most advanced robots can't actually prove a welcoming attitude since they're only computer programmes that can't form emotional relationships with people.
Crowded tourist areas are sterilized with drones (flying robots). Beneficial for normal and non-routine activities, UV sanitizers can identify high-risk areas that are difficult to detect with visual inspection (Afaq & Gaur, 2021; Ford, 2021). Regarding social distancing in public spaces like scenic beaches, drones are used in Hawaii, United States. It is becoming more common for visitors and locals to use automated vehicles (self-driving vehicles) to travel safely and efficiently (Englund et al., 2021; Kumakoshi et al., 2021). Above all, robots operate many hotels worldwide. One of these is the Henn Na Hotel in Nagasaki, Japan (Choi et al., 2021). The robotics carries luggage, guides visitors, operates, serves coffee, and cleans rooms. These robots can figure out where to go, eat and have fun. China robots cook and deliver food at Hema restaurant (Ma et al. 2021; Wang & Coe, 2021). High-touch industries such as travel, tourism, and hospitality are becoming high-tech through technological advances and robots (Bharwani & Mathews, 2021; Wu et al., 2021). The travel and hospitality AI industry is forecast to surpass $1.2 billion by 2026 and expand by more than 9.7 percent between 2021 and 2026 (Arc, 2022). The upheaval in Corona (COVID-19) has significantly impacted the hospitality and travel industry. As a result of COVID-19, the scope of robots in the industry has increased. It is projected that by the 2030s, a quarter of hospitality employment in the United States will be automated (Network, 2021). Because of their effectiveness, robotics in tourism and hospitality can also profoundly impact the future of the tourism industry. Robots will replace tourist guides in the post-COVID-19 future (Gaur et al., 2021).