See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/360895931

Hotel Technology Innovations as Drivers of Safety and Hygiene in Hotel

Customers

Chapter in Smart Innovation · January 2022

DOI: 10.1007/978-981-16-9701-2_47

CITATIONS READS

5 1,183

4 authors, including:

Isabel Andrés-Marques Alexandra Matos Pereira

Lusophone University of Humanities and Technologies University of Coimbra
8 PUBLICATIONS 16 CITATIONS 15 PUBLICATIONS 100 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Alexandra Matos Pereira on 28 October 2022.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 Hotel technology innovations as drivers of safety and
hygiene in hotel customers

Isabel Andrés Marques1[0000-0003-1915-0706], Isabel Borges2,3,4[0000-0003-4183-475X], Alexandra

Matos Pereira1,3[0000-0001-6928-2040], José Magalhães[0000-0001-6430-014X]
1TRIE- Lusófona University, Lisboa, Portugal
2CIDI-IESF-Fafe Institute of Higher Studies, Fafe, Portugal
3CEGOT-Coimbra University, Coimbra, Portugal
4
REMIT-Portucalense University - Infante D. Henrique, Porto, Portugal

[email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected];[email protected]

Abstract. Technology innovations are making their mark within the hospitality
industry and in the present COVID-19 sanitary crisis they will be a major driver
of hotel strategy.
The COVID-19 disease is highly contagious, and its fear is likely to lead to dis-
trust of facilities and spaces shared by different people, particularly in hotels
where hotel customers encounter various people and use a variety of spaces.
Such contact and use may expose individuals to a perceived health risk what
raised issues in the hospitality industry and lead to the redesigning of safety
measures and hygiene standards and to the introduction of technology innova-
tions to help manual processes or replace personal interactions to make them se-
cure and safe.
As the hotel customer’s perception of sanitary and hygienic procedures and
health safety is crucial for the recovery of the hotel industry, in this article the
main objective is to understand how hotel technology innovations influence hotel
customers’ perception of hygiene and safety which influences their perceived
health risk and hotel selection behaviours. Therefore, this study focused on dif-
ferent scenarios associated with hotel technologies, such as kiosk check-in sys-
tem, mobile check-in system, robot cleaning system and ultraviolet (UV) light
cleaning system.
The findings indicate that robotics, artificial intelligence, and human-robot inter-
actions have gained an increased presence to help manage the spread of COVID-
19 and that these new preferred technologies for making a safe and secure hotel
environment for the guests and employees are paving their way to the new normal
in post-COVID-19 pandemic times.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; Hotel technology innovation; Health safety;

Cleanliness and Hygiene.
2

1 Introduction

Destinations can only attract visitors if they can provide a safe and secure environment
in which tourists feel protected from threats during their stay [1]. Safety and hygiene
were the areas most affected and most subject to change during the COVID-19 pan-
demic, leading to the creation of various risk reduction strategies. Rapidly, all tourism
stakeholders became aware of the need for safety and hygiene both for tourism service
providers and consumers.
With the perception of an external risk that they do not control, tourists adopt new
consumption practices, which have been materialized in cases such as: more trip can-
cellations [2], more trips by car [3], reduction of intensive contact with people, and
favouring outdoor activities, last minute bookings [4] and greater concern for hygiene,
as well as attention to ecotourism [5].
Despite the negative impacts of COVID-19, this crisis represents a unique oppor-
tunity to rethink and reinvent tourism, one of Europe's most distinctive and successful
sectors, and one of its best exporters [6]. The tourism sector is expected to grow grad-
ually in the coming months towards a new normal, with the introduction and massifi-
cation of vaccination and through coordinated actions that raise again the willingness
to travel to the tourist, in which the use of technologies should be prevalent, namely
technologies capable of offering contactless experiences.
According to the OECD [7], the digital economy is having a profound impact on the
tourism sector, transforming processes of communication with tourists and marketing
services, opening doors to new ways of delivering services and improving the consumer
experience. Science and technology are now global. It is a reality. It is necessary to join
forces in the development of artificial intelligence, the robotics revolution, nanotech-
nology, biometrics, among thousands of other expanding industries that will become a
technological supernova that will make possible something that humanity never imag-
ined [8].
As the hotel customer’s perception of sanitary and hygienic procedures and health
safety is crucial for the recovery of the hotel industry, in this article the main objective
is to understand how hotel technology innovations influence hotel customers’ percep-
tion of hygiene and safety which influences their perceived health risk and hotel selec-
tion behaviours. This study focused on different scenarios associated with hotel tech-
nologies, such as kiosk check-in system, mobile check-in system, and robot cleaning
system, and ultraviolet (UV) light cleaning system and an international survey was con-
ducted to achieve the research purpose.
The following sections review the literature on safety and hygiene and on technology
innovations as risk-reduction strategies and protection measures to reassure guests
about health safety. Lastly, practical implications and future research directions are dis-
cussed.
 3

2 Literature review

2.1 Safety and Hygiene

The current priority for the hospitality industry is to create satisfying experiences for
customers without compromising on safety. Therefore, (re)designing hospitality expe-
riences during the pandemic is a crucial topic that deserves to be addressed in hospital-
ity research [9], namely, to examine and categorize the most common safety measures
currently undertaken by hotels to create satisfying and safe experiences. In general,
these protocols include new cleaning and sanitation procedures, increased attention to
safety in communal spaces, and protective equipment [10].
Since the beginning of the pandemic, customer experience design has gained in-
creasing importance, as a means of guaranteeing not only customers’ safety, but also
preventing the spread of the virus among hotel personnel, providers, and more broadly,
the community [10].
As emphasized by Tasci and Pizam [11], safety is a complex concept that includes
both a cognitive and affective response to the servicescape. Hotels, often along with a
team of (medical) experts, are redesigning their existing health and safety processes to
fit the “new normal.”
Hygiene is a common factor among the variety of methods proposed by different
institutions to deal with the current COVID-19 crisis. In fact, it is being emphasized as
the key precaution to reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus and is intrinsically
related to clean living [12]. Enhancing hygiene can significantly reduce the risk of in-
fection from diseases that may endanger life [12].
Research to date has shown that hygiene, cleanliness, and safety protocols are the
most important measures taken by businesses in the hospitality and tourism industry,
both during and post epidemic/pandemic times [13]. The hygiene of hotel products and
services is a key factor in determining customer satisfaction, perceived service quality,
and revisit intention [14], [15], [16]. Hence, during the hotel industry’s recovery post-
COVID, the hygiene and cleanliness of hotels should become the focal point [17], [18].
The pandemic crisis of COVID-19 put hygiene awareness in an unprecedented po-
sition. According to the results of a study conducted by [19], one of the biggest impacts
of this health crisis was the awareness about hygiene and health. Indicating that for an
upcoming trip, tourists will be more concerned than ever about the cleanliness of air-
ports, public spaces, hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions and daily necessities, but also
about the access conditions and quality of care offered at the destination.
The travel reluctance during and after the COVID-19 pandemic is resultant from
high health risk, so it´s important to improve perceptions of safety, reducing customers’
anxiety levels and implement risk-reduction strategies. Perceived health risk mediates
the relationship between expected interaction and hotel booking intention [20]. Indeed,
health and safety are paramount in this new era. It’s crucial to have a risk-reduction
strategy, invest in technology innovation will play a key role in the hotel industry’s
recovery.
In this sense, technologies can serve as mediators to achieve this goal and prepare
the industry for future unforeseen events affecting the industry and the world [21], so
4

the pandemic has unexpectedly become a catalyst for the search for innovation and
integration of new technologies [22]. Kussmann [23] alleges that implementing tech-
nology innovations for reducing guest interactions with hotel employees and for en-
hancing hotel cleanliness can be an effective strategy to reduce health risk for hotel
customers.
Therefore, to meet higher levels of hygiene, cleanliness, and safety protocols, the
hotel industry may embrace technology-enabled solutions to provide contactless ser-
vice [24], [17].

2.2 Hotel technology innovations

An important means for reducing risk is technology innovation [25]. Technology inno-
vation refers to a combination of innovations associated with technology developments,
with the objective of improving existing products or services in an incremental way or
creating new ones in a radical way [26],[27].
The COVID-19 pandemic not only increased opportunities for the improvement of
technology-based solutions, but also provided a rare opportunity to deeply examine the
research and practice in the tourism industry [28]. Effectively, the pandemic generated
an enormous effort in the search, development and application of technological inno-
vations to overcome the damage caused by COVID-19 [29].
According to Lau [30], many hospitality managers claim that COVID-19 was an
unexpected challenge, but also a rare opportunity for hotels to embrace a variety of new
technologies and new business models that can enhance hygiene, promote social dis-
tancing, and provide guests with a convenient and personalized experience.
The adoption of new technology systems can reduce perceived health risk by trans-
forming hotel service experiences in a way to both reduce social interactions and im-
prove cleanliness.
First, technology innovations can minimize the interactions between customers and
employees. Rules such as the use of masks and social distancing are seen as the new
normal, and contactless technologies are considered solutions capable of isolating peo-
ple and keeping businesses open. These solutions include QR Codes, contactless check-
in in hotels, digital keys, touchless payments or even restaurant orders via apps [31]. In
fact, most branded hotels are already adopting technology systems for social distancing.
Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt hotels have implemented technologies that will reduce staff
interaction with hotel customers, such as mobile check-in systems, kiosk check-in ma-
chines, and robot cleaning systems.
Also, technology applied to smartphones and tablets can be used in contactless ser-
vices such as check-in, opening room doors, controlling the ambience of the room itself,
and even the service itself in the rooms, through connectivity with bars and restaurants
[32], reinforcing the perception of hygiene and safety.
These digital keys aim to deliver a more dynamic environment where guests can
have higher levels of freedom and privacy in choosing how to check-in or access their
hotel rooms [33]. Besides, digital keys can allow guests access to various areas of the
hotel that normally require a key, such as fitness centres, executive floors, lifts, car
 5

parks, among others [32]. Although digital keys were already on the market before the
pandemic began, the technology has been increasingly used and accepted by guests as
a safe alternative to traditional practices [34].
Given that social distancing is important for reducing health risk during the COVID-
19 pandemic, from the guest's perspective, check-in/out procedures are important as
many times they are related to the negative perception associated with long queues [35].
According to Avery [36], streamlining check-in/out related processes reduces waiting
time in queues, and some customers are willing to give up some privacy in exchange
for benefits related to ease, convenience, and more security, at check-in/out time [37].
These perceptions of security, privacy and trust in technological systems that facilitate
check-in/out were also corroborated by Xu et al. study [37].
Several hotel companies such as Hilton, Yotel or Ling Hotels have already imple-
mented these innovative technologies and are able to provide check-in/out and pay-
ments, for example, through facial recognition, using artificial intelligence [13].
Second, technology innovation can be a basis of advanced cleaning tools for hotels.
High levels of hygiene through cleaning technologies moderate the expected impacts
of interaction [20]. Technological innovation in cleaning systems allows tourists to de-
velop a certain level of expected hygiene [38], [39]. Individuals today are able to virtu-
ally visit a hotel's restaurant, its fitness centre, spa, restaurant menu, room layout etc.
to get updates on hygiene and cleanliness standards [40].
Hotels recently updated their cleanliness procedures and began to adopt advanced
cleaning technologies for enhanced disinfection (e.g., electrostatic sprayers, ultraviolet-
light technology, etc.) [41]. When it comes to technologies that incorporate ultraviolet
for germ identification and mitigation in hotels, although sometimes not visible to the
average traveller, with these innovations, hotels seek to maintain hygiene and safety
standards for their guest. For example, the Best Western hotel chain has started to equip
its housekeeping teams with cleaning equipment with built-in ultraviolet technologies
to ensure a high level of cleanliness [42].
In China at the start of the pandemic, cleaning robots were particularly effective,
where ultraviolet-enhanced technology was used to disinfect surfaces and limit poten-
tial virus contamination [43]. Additionally, the hygiene and cleanliness of robots should
also be considered. Therefore, humanoid robots with multi-linguistic abilities and mov-
able robots will have more acceptance.
At a time when the pandemic is affecting the industry globally, interactions should
be reduced or done with caution, and robots can begin to be used to mitigate the im-
pacts. Whether it is room service or fetching coffee, robots can be used to perform
simple tasks that were previously done by staff. Robots can accomplish tasks related to
logistics, disinfection, and provide COVID-19 information to people and reduce the
threat of infection [39].
The hotel chain Yotel, successfully implemented robots in its hotels, reducing the
number of staff and allowing the remaining professionals to focus on delivering the best
service [44]. Other hotel chains such as Hilton Hotels and Resorts or Starwood Hotels
have recently launched their first robot porters. Hotels in Guangzhou are also using
robots for tasks that cannot be performed by staff during the pandemic, such as prepar-
ing room-service meals, serving as a waiter in a restaurant, doing housekeeping
6

services, delivering masks or disinfectant, or in the front-desk, to protect guests and

hotel workers [30].
Experience drawn from COVID-19 shows that robotic technology can be used effi-
ciently for cleaning, food delivery and room-service care, or in providing relevant in-
formation to the guest ([39]; [45]). If a guest becomes infected and forced to remain in
quarantine in their room, robots to deliver food, amenities, or other items, are effective
in preventing the risk and safety of hotel staff. In essence, robots provide a technologi-
cal shield between tourists and hospitality employees that facilitates physical distancing
and providing a competitive advantage during pandemic and post-pandemic times [46].
According to Van et al. [47] the easy implementation of robots in hotel facilities is
going to be a new competitive advantage for tourism and hospitality companies. Nota-
bly, service robots are expected to become a global market with revenues of around 34
billion by 2026, with 1.3 million robotic installations [48]. If recent robotic develop-
ment continues, and proper oversight policies are implemented, some industry experts
predict that between 400 million and 800 million of today’s jobs around the world, and
one-quarter of the hospitality jobs in the USA, will be automated by the 2030s [49].
Despite this concern for the adoption of new technologies to increase levels of hy-
giene and safety, the perception of other social risks has increased dramatically as the
pandemic has progressed. Digital transformation can potentially threaten and replace
existing structures and jobs within organisations [50], however, there is always a need
to improve efficiency and streamline operations through technology [51].

3 Method

The objective of this exploratory study is to analyse how tourists perceive safety and
hygiene through technology innovations used in the hospitality industry and how that
affects their perception of safety.
Considering the objectives and characteristics of the study, it was decided to develop
an exploratory study with a descriptive data analysis. The empirical research is based
on quantitative research design.
The selection of items and wording of the questions was done through an inductive
reasoning process based on a systematic review of the extant literature [52], based on
the importance of technologies in the hospitality industry. Based on the literature re-
view, four digital technologies that have been implemented by the hotel industry were
selected Digital Keys, Room-service Robots, Room-cleaning Robots and Check-in Ro-
bots.
A structured questionnaire was applied, with sociodemographic and closed-answer
questions, based on a 7–10-point Likert scale and multiple-choice questions, to test the
relationship between technological innovations in hotels and tourists' perception of hy-
giene and safety in travelling during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The survey was conducted during the 2021 lockdown of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Surveys were sent to tourists through an online platform, ensuring the total anonymity
of respondents. The study was carried out during the months of May and June 2021 in
 7

a convenience sample of 300 respondents from Western Europe, Central and Eastern
Europe, Asia, Africa, the Mediterranean and Middle East, and South and North Amer-
ica.
The survey respondents were limited to those who had stayed at a hotel during the
COVID-19 outbreak. In other words, the survey was designed to contain a screening
question, asking if the respondent had stayed at a hotel at any time in 2020; the respond-
ent was asked to skip to the next question if he or she had experienced a hotel, or stop
if the respondent did not have that experience.
Prior to conducting the survey, this study provided the respondents with clear expla-
nations on its purpose and guarantee of total confidentiality of their personal infor-
mation. A total of 307 samples were collected during the 60-day survey period, of
which 7 were excluded, as they were determined to be unusable for the empirical anal-
ysis. As such, a total of 300 samples were used for the empirical analysis.

4 Results

Sociodemographic profile
Most respondents were young people aged between 18 and 34 years, representing
80.67%. Few participants were under 18 years old, 3.33%, and over 64 years old, cor-
responding to 0.67%. The results showed that most of the travellers were young and
middle-aged. Most of the survey participants travel between one and three times a year,
representing 53.85%, followed by 31.44% who travel less than once a year. Only
14.72% of the participants said they travel three times a year.
Demographic analysis was conducted to confirm the sample characteristics. Of the
respondents, 49% were men and 51% were women. Meanwhile, few participants were
under 18 (3.33%) and above 55 (2.34%). 49% were in their 20 s, 31.67% in their 30 s,
13.66% in their 40s, showing that respondents in their 20 s and 30 s made up the largest
population among those surveyed. In terms of education levels, 10% of the respondents
had graduated from a professional college, 65% had graduated from university, and
25% were school graduate or higher. The annual income of the survey respondents,
with reference to EU salaries is as follows: 27% had income below €15,000, 38% be-
tween €15,000 and €45,000, 22% between €45,000 and €75,000, and 13% over
€75,000.

Data Analysis
According to Table 1, respondents recognised that the Covid-19 pandemic had a
very impactful effect on the feeling of Safety and Hygiene in the hospitality sector.

Table 1. How did the Pandemic affect the concern for Safety and Hygiene in Hotels?

N Minimum Maximum Average Standard Deviation

Safety 300 0 10 7,4 2.657
Hygiene 300 0 10 8,5 2.245
8

When it comes to determine familiarity with hotel technology innovations in the

hospitality sector, results show that robots performing room-service tasks were the least
known technology by respondents, followed by ultraviolet room-cleaning robots (Table
2).
This may be due to the high cost and still low acceptance that technology is trust-
worthy and free of risk, with only the best examples in the Alibaba group that, late
2018, opened its first futuristic hotel named after Flyzoo Hotel, fully outfitted with the
latest technologies (e.g., an artificial-intelligence management system, robotic technol-
ogies, and facial recognition) and has drawn worldwide attention [52], or the “Connie
Robot” in Hilton Hotels, a concierge who helps guests to figure out places to visit and
dine, and to find things on the hotel’s property, developed by IBM, [53].
On the other hand, the technology innovations respondents were most familiar with
were digital keys and check-in Robots, with an average of 2.4, respectively, on a scale
of 1-4 points.

Table 2. Familiarity with Hotel Technology Innovations (1-4 scale).

Standard
Hotel Technology Innovations Average N
Deviation
Check-in Robots 2,4 1,006 300
Room-service Robots 1,2 0,272 298
Room-cleaning Robots 1,1 0,227 300
Digital keys 2,4 1,027 300

Regarding the question which of the technologies used in hotels most enhances the
perception of hygiene and security, the use of room-cleaning robots and room-service
robots in hotels indicated a higher perception of hygiene (Table 3). The results also
show that the variable “digital keys” was far more significant when it comes to the
perception of security.

Table 3. Which technology helps the most in the perception of Security and Hygiene?

Hotel Technology Innovations

Hygiene and Security in
Check-In Room- Room- Digital Total
Hotels Robots Service Cleaning Keys
Robots Robots

Security N= 93 84 88 166 431

Hotel HS % 21,6 19,5 20,4 38,5 100
Hygiene N= 113 190 240 130 673
% 16,8 28,2 35,7 19,3 100

The survey participants were also asked to rate their agreement to the question: "The
adoption of innovative technologies as an option to reduce personal interactions, avoid
crowding and increase hygiene standards, can be a key action to allow safe travel and
 9

prevent industry shutdown during pandemic times”, an average of 5.6, within the
frames 0 to 7 of a multi-point rating option, show a strong agreement with the statement.
The majority of respondents agree with the fact that technology innovations can play a
key role in combating the constraints imposed by the pandemic.
Thus, and taking into account these findings, it is possible to conclude that technol-
ogy innovations used in the hospitality sector can help to improve the perception of
hygiene and safety and gives the tourist a stronger sense of security to travel and re-
duces tourist’s health risk perception in pandemic and post-pandemic times.

5 Discussion and conclusions

The COVID-19 pandemic has made tourists perceive a high degree of health risk when
they visit destinations or hospitality facilities. Even after the pandemic, most tourists
will be reluctant to travel, due to health concerns, which makes it critical for hospitality
and tourism practitioners to implement risk-reduction strategies [20].
The customer journey needs to be redesigned to meet the new safety standards re-
quired by the sanitary crise and to reassure customers before, during and after their stay
at the hotel [54].
Even though adopting new technologies may bring extra costs for hotel owners, a
study by Shin and Kang [20] indicates that technological innovations will play a major
role in attracting guests even after the pandemic. Technology assists and helps to pro-
vide safer accommodations. For the tourism industry, it has generated systematic
changes in customer priorities and preferences.
Technology is not technicism - it's about being more creative when using the hotel
venue and human capital; it's about knowing how to maintain the hospitality and touch
that defines the hospitality sector through technologies that facilitate it [44]. The im-
portance of the “human touch” is still there and it’s important not to lose it. But auto-
mation and digital transformation is there to help to improve guest service, to gain ef-
ficiency and to focus on something really important nowadays: creating remarkable
guest experiences.
The COVID-19 pandemic forces hotels - indeed, the entire hospitality and tourism
industry - to adopt new working practices to provide customers with an immediate
sense of safety. Importantly, technology innovation will be the front-runner in the
changes that the hospitality industry will go through the years after the pandemic. In
this regard, this study suggests useful practical implications. First, this research shows
that hotel technology innovations can be a critical means for hotel risk management to
alleviate customers’ perceived health risks.
Tourism associated products and markets need to make an effort to adapt to reduce
the post-covid tourist's perception of risk and safety. So much so that according to the
WTTC [22], the vast majority of Tourism professionals and experts do not anticipate a
return to pre-covid levels before 2024. This supports the idea that a resilient and safety-
focused return is needed.
Several limitations should be acknowledged to provide future research directions.
While this study focused on the impact of hotel technology innovations on perceived
10

hygiene and safety, future research needs to examine the impact of other critical factors,
such as service quality or customer satisfaction.
Given that social distancing is an essential step in preventing the spread of corona-
virus, these new technology systems can reduce hotel customers’ risk of infection by
minimizing physical interactions with hotel employees. However, the COVID19 pan-
demic standard operating process which is being used by the hotel industry may not
remain for the future. By using the technology innovation, the hotel industry can pro-
vide more safe, contactless, and quick service to the customers. Post-COVID 19 would
have a new normal and that might be a new way for the hotel industry.

References
1. Yousaf, A., Amin, I., & C Santos, J. A. (2018). Tourist's motivations to travel: A theoretical
perspective on the existing literature. Tourism and hospitality management, 24(1), 197-211.
2. Huang, J. H., & Min, J. C. (2002). Earthquake devastation and recovery in tourism: The
Taiwan case. Tourism Management, 23(2), 145-154.
3. Fall, L. T., & Massey, J. E. (2006). The significance of crisis communication in the aftermath
of 9/11: A national investigation of how tourism managers have re-tooled their promotional
campaigns. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 19(2-3), 77-90.
4. Hystad, P. W., & Keller, P. C. (2008). Towards a destination tourism disaster management
framework: Long-term lessons from a forest fire disaster. Tourism management, 29(1), 151-
162.
5. Higgins-Desbiolles, F. (2020). The “war over tourism”: challenges to sustainable tourism in
the tourism academy after COVID-19. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 29(4), 551-569.
6. Manifesto for EU COVID-19 Research. Call for Action: Accelerate Social and Economic
Recovery by investing In. November 2020. https://tourismmanifesto.eu/whats-new/
7. OECD - Tourism Trends and Policies 2020 (Summary in English). (2020).
https://doi.org/10.1787/d8fbf45e-en
8. Ascolese, G., Llantada, J. (2019). The Next Great Tourism Revolution: A Report on Travel
and Tourism Trends. https://www.wearemarketing.com/uploads/media/de-
fault/0001/21/be54a5f27191d02797ff03 aaacd4b799f25beb11.pdf
9. Sigala, M. (2020). Tourism and COVID-19: Impacts and implications for advancing and
resetting industry and research. Journal of business research, 117, 312-321.
10. Bonfanti, A., Vigolo, V., & Yfantidou, G. (2021). The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on
customer experience design: The hotel managers’ perspective. International Journal of Hos-
pitality Management, 94, 102871.
11. Tasci, A. D., & Pizam, A. (2020). An expanded nomological network of experienscape.
International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
12. Yu, J., Seo, J., & Hyun, S. S. (2021). Perceived hygiene attributes in the hotel industry:
customer retention amid the COVID-19 crisis. International Journal of Hospitality Manage-
ment, 93, 102768.
13. Pillai, S. G., Haldorai, K., Seo, W. S., & Kim, W. G. (2021). COVID-19 and hospitality 5.0:
Redefining hospitality operations. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 94
(January), 102869. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2021.102869
14. Barber, N., & Scarcelli, J. M. (2010). Enhancing the assessment of tangible service quality
through the creation of a cleanliness measurement scale. Managing Service Quality: An In-
ternational Journal.
 11

15. Moon, H., Yoon, H. J., & Han, H. (2017). The effect of airport atmospherics on satisfaction
and behavioral intentions: testing the moderating role of perceived safety. Journal of Travel
& Tourism Marketing, 34(6), 749-763.
16. Pizam, A., & Tasci, A. D. (2019). Experienscape: expanding the concept of servicescape
with a multi-stakeholder and multi-disciplinary approach (invited paper for ‘luminaries’ spe-
cial issue of International Journal of Hospitality Management). International Journal of Hos-
pitality Management, 76, 25-37.
17. Hao, F., Xiao, Q., & Chon, K. (2020). COVID-19 and China’s hotel industry: Impacts, a
disaster management framework, and post-pandemic agenda. International journal of hospi-
tality management, 90, 102636.
18. Jiang, Y., & Wen, J. (2020). Effects of COVID-19 on hotel marketing and management: a
perspective article. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
19. Chebli, A., & Ben Said, F. (2020). The Impact of Covid-19 on Tourist Consumption Be-
haviour : A Perspective Article. Journal of Tourism Management Research, 7(2), 196– 207.
https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.31.2020.72.196.207
20. Shin, H., & Kang, J. (2020). Reducing perceived health risk to attract hotel customers in the
COVID-19 pandemic era: Focused on technology innovation for social distancing and
cleanliness. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 91(August), 102664.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102664
21. Mizrachi, I., & Gretzel, U. (2020). Collaborating against COVID-19: bridging travel and
travel tech. Information Technology and Tourism, 22(4), 489–496.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-020-00192-0
22. World Travel & Tourism Council, & Wyman, O. (2020). To Recovery & Beyond: The Fu-
ture of Travel & Tourism in the Wake of COVID-19. World Travel & Tourism Council,
September 14–22. https://wttc.org/Research/To-Recovery-Beyond
23. Kussmann, H., 2020. Will the Coronavirus Crisis Force Hoteliers to Implement New Tech-
nologies Faster? Retrieved from. https://www.hotel-online.com/press_rele ases/release/will-
the-coronavirus-crisis-force-hoteliers-to-implement-new-technologies-faster/.
24. Gursoy, D., & Chi, C. G. (2020). Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on hospitality industry:
Review of the current situations and a research agenda.
25. Adam, I. (2015). Backpackers' risk perceptions and risk reduction strategies in Ghana. Tour-
ism Management, 49, 99-108.
26. Zeithaml, V. A., Bitner, M. J., & Gremler, D. (2017). Services Marketing: Integrating Cus-
tomer Focus Across the Firm (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
27. Wooder, S., & Baker, S. (2012). Extracting key lessons in service innovation. Journal of
Product Innovation Management, 29(1), 13-20.
28. Sein M.K. (2020). The serendipitous impact of COVID-19 pandemic: A rare opportunity for
research and practice. International Journal of Information Management, 55.
29. O’Leary, D. E. (2020). Evolving information systems and technology research issues for
COVID-19 and other pandemics. Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic Com-
merce, 30(1), 1-8.
30. Lau, A. (2020). New technologies used in COVID-19 for business survival: Insights from
the Hotel Sector in China. Information Technology & Tourism, 22(4), 497-504.
Doi.org/10.1007/s40558-020-00193-z
31. Fipra (2020), Despite Devastating Blow, Covid19 Gives Tourism Industry A Chance to Re-
deem Itself, [online] available at: https://fipra.com/update/despite-devastating-blow-
covid19-gives-tourism industry-a-chance-to-redeem-itself/ (accessed 24 August 2020).
12

32. Torres, A. M. (2018). Using A Smartphone Application as A Digital Key for Hotel Guest
Room and Its Other App Features. International Journal of Advanced Science and Technol-
ogy, 113, 103–112. https://doi.org/10.14257/ijast.2018.113.11
33. Cheong, S. N., Ling, H. C., Teh, P. L., Ahmed, P. K., & Yap, W. J. (2017). Encrypted quick
response scheme for hotel check-in and access control system. International Journal of En-
gineering Business Management, 9, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1177/1847979017720039
34. Banak, B. H. (2020). Top 10 hotel trends in 2020: Are they here to stay? | By Heidi Banak
–Hospitality Net. November 2020–2022. https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opin-
ion/4101787.html
35. Rasinger, J., Fuchs, M., Beer, T., & Höpken, W. (2009). Building a mobile tourist guide
based on tourists' on-site information needs. Tourism Analysis, 14(4), 483-502.
36. Avery, P. (2008). Self-Service Check-in at Hotels and Motels Contents : Kiosk Market
Place, 1–46.
37. Xu, F. Z., Zhang, Y., Zhang, T., & Wang, J. (2021). Facial recognition check-in services at
hotels. Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management, 30(3), 373–393.
https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2020.1813670
38. Zemke Dina Marie V, Neal Jay, Shoemaker Stowe, & Kirsch Katie. (2015). Hotel cleanli-
ness: will guests pay for enhanced disinfection? International Journal of Contemporary Hos-
pitality Management, 27(4), 690–710.
39. Zeng, Z., Chen, P. J., & Lew, A. A. (2020). From high-touch to high-tech: COVID-19 drives
robotics adoption. Tourism Geographies, 22(3), 724-734.
DOI:10.1080/14616688.2020.1762118
40. Hollis, L.K. (2020). InterContinental Hotels Group Pilots 3D Virtual Reality Tech to “rein-
vent Event Planning. https://www.travolution.com/articles/113909/intercontinental-hotels-
group-pilots-3d-virtual-reality-tech-to-reinvent-event-planning.
41. Garcia, I. (2020). Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott Will Introduce New Cleaning Protocols
Retrieved from https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/a32367701/hilton-hyatt-and-mar-
riott-new-cleaning-protocols-coronavirus/
42. Best Western, 2021. https://www.bwhhotelgroup.com/content/bwh-hotelgroup/en_US.html
43. Demaitre, E. (2020). COVID-19 pandemic prompts more robot usage worldwide. Retrieved
March 30, 2020, from https://www.therobotreport.com/covid-19-pandemic-prompts-more-
robot-usage-worldwide/
44. Hospitality, R. I., & Human, T. (2020). Providing High-Touch Through High-Tech.
45. Yang, Y., Zhang, H., & Chen, X. (2020). Coronavirus pandemic and tourism: Dynamic sto-
chastic general equilibrium modeling of infectious disease outbreak. Annals of tourism re-
search, 83, 102913. doi: 10.1016/j.annals.2020.102913
46. Seyitoğlu, F., & Ivanov, S. (2020). Service robots as a tool for physical distancing in tourism.
Current Issues in Tourism, 359. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2020.1774518
47. Van Doorn, J., Mende, M., Noble, S. M., Hulland, J., Ostrom, A. L., Grewal, D., et al.
(2017). Domo arigato Mr. Roboto: emergence of automated social presence in organiza-
tional frontlines and customers’ service experiences. Journal of Service Research, 20(1), 43–
58. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670516679272.
48. Marr, B. (2019). Robots as a service: A technology trend every business must consider
Forbes (2019, August 5). Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernard-
marr/2019/08/05/robots-as-a-service-a-technology-trend-every-business-must-con-
sider/#182d90f924ea/
49. Bowen, J., & Morosan, C. (2018). Beware hospitality industry: the robots are coming.
Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes. 10, 726-733
 13

50. Hinings, B., Gegenhuber, T., & Greenwood, R. (2018). Digital innovation and transfor-
mation: An institutional perspective. Information and Organization, 28(1), 52-61.
51. Serrano, F., & Kazda, A. (2020). The future of airport post COVID-19. Journal of Air
Transport Management, 89 (May), 101900. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtra-
man.2020.101900
52. Quivy, R., & Campenhoudt, L. V. (1998). Manual de Investigação em Ciências Sociais,
Gradiva. Lisboa, Portugal.
53. Liu, C., Hung, K., Wang, D. & Wang, S. (2020) Determinants of selfservice technology
adoption and implementation in hotels: the case of China, Journal of Hospitality Marketing
& Management, 29:6, 636-661, DOI: 10.1080/19368623.2020.1689216
54. Trejos, N. (2016), March 09). Introducing Connie, Hilton’s new robot concierge.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/roadwarriorvoices/2016/03/09/introducing-connie-
hiltons-new-robot-concierge/81525924/
55. Rivera, M. A. (2020). Hitting the reset button for hospitality research in times of crisis:
Covid19 and beyond. International journal of hospitality management, 87, 102528.

View publication stats