The impact of sustainability, digital technologies, and employee knowledge on the competitiveness of personalized tourist offer

Cariša Bešić; Srđan Bogetić; Mihalj Bakator; Ivana Petrevska

doi:10.5937/menhottur2400010B

Authors

Cariša Bešić University of Kragujevac, Faculty of Technical Sciences Čačak, Čačak, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5370-5328
Srđan Bogetić Belgrade Business and Arts Academy of Applied Studies, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1855-0767
Mihalj Bakator University of Novi Sad, Technical Faculty “Mihajlo Pupin”, Zrenjanin, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8540-2460
Ivana Petrevska Preschool Teacher Training and Business Informatics College of Applied Studies – Sirmium, Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4596-6098

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5937/menhottur2400010B

Keywords:

sustainable development, digital technologies, knowledge, tourism organizations, hotel industry organizations

Abstract

Purpose – The travel and hotel industry is undergoing significant shifts influenced by the digital revolution, evolving sustainable development practices, and changing tourist demographics. The primary aim of this study is to develop a theoretical framework that explores the interplay between digital technologies, sustainable development, and the customization of travel offers to meet the varied needs of different tourist generations (X, Y, Z). Methodology – The methodological approach of this paper involves a comprehensive literature review and theoretical analysis focusing on the impacts of digital technology adoption and sustainable development practices within the travel and hotel industry. Findings – The theoretical analysis revealed a significant potential for digital technologies and sustainability initiatives to improve the competitiveness of travel and hotel industry organizations. The findings suggest that a strategic emphasis on digital innovation and environmental responsibility, coupled with a focus on workforce development, can lead to more appealing and customized travel offers for tourists of various age groups. Implications – The travel and hotel industry must embrace digital technologies and sustainable development to remain competitive. The proposed theoretical framework lays the foundation for future research aimed at empirically testing these concepts and further understanding of customized travel offers in a digital and sustainable era.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abdollahi, A., Ghaderi, Z., Béal, L., & Cooper, C. (2023). The intersection between knowledge management and organizational learning in tourism and hospitality: A bibliometric analysis. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 55, 11–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2023.02.014

Alamineh, A. G., Hussein, J. W., Endaweke, Y., & Taddesse, B. (2023). The local communities’ perceptions on the social impact of tourism and its implication for sustainable development in Amhara regional state. Heliyon, 9(6), e17088. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17088

Aliyah, L., Lukita, C., Pangilinan, G., Chakim, M., & Saputra, D. (2023). Examining the impact of artificial intelligence and internet of things on smart tourism destinations: A comprehensive study. Aptisi Transactions on Technopreneurship, 5, 135–145. http://dx.doi.org/10.34306/att.v5i2sp.332

Altexsoft. (2023). Customer experience personalization in travel and hospitality using behavioral analytics and machine learning. Retrieved December 6, 2023, from https://www.altexsoft.com/blog/datascience/customer-experience-personalization-in-travel-and-hospitality-using-behavioral-analytics-and-machine-learning/

Binggeli, U., Chen, Z., Köpke, S., & Yu, J. (2023). Future of tourism: Bridging the labor gap; improving customer experience. McKinsey & Company. Retrieved December 5, 2023, from https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/travel-logistics-and-infrastructure/our-insights/future-of-tourism-bridging-the-labor-gap-improving-customer-experience

Bogicevic, V., Liu, S. Q., Seo, S., Kandampully, J., & Rudd, N. A. (2021). Virtual reality is so cool! How technology innovativeness shapes consumer responses to service preview modes. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 93, 102806. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102806

Bubanja, V., Bogetić, S., Bešić, C., Kalinić, Z., & Bubanja, I. (2022). New knowledge and skills for the digital age. In D. Ćoćkalo (Ed.), XII International Symposium Engineering Management and Competitiveness (EMC) (pp. 31–38). Zrenjanin, Serbia: Technical Faculty Mihajlo Pupin.

Bubanja, V., Bogetić, S., Bešić, C., Kalinić, Z., & Bubanja, I. (2023). Managing the reskilling revolution for the digital age: Case study-western Balkan countries. Journal of Engineering Management and Competitiveness (JEMC), 13(1), 37–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.5937/JEMC2301037V

Buhalis, D., & Karatay, N. (2022). Mixed reality (MR) for generation Z in cultural heritage tourism towards Metaverse. Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism (pp. 16–27). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-94751-4_2

Buhalis, D., Leung, D., & Lin, M. (2023a). Metaverse as a disruptive technology revolutionising tourism management and marketing. Tourism Management, 97, 104724. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2023.104724

Buhalis, D., Lin, M. S., & Leung, D. (2023b). Metaverse as a driver for customer experience and value co-creation: Implications for hospitality and tourism management and marketing. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 35(2), 701–716. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-05-2022-0631

Callarisa-Fiol, L. J., Moliner-Tena, M. Á., Rodríguez-Artola, R., & Sanchez‑Garcia, J. (2023). Entrepreneurship innovation using social robots in tourism: A social listening study. Review of Managerial Science, 17, 2945–2971. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-023-00646-9

Carlisle, S., Ivanov, S., & Dijkmans, C. (2021). The digital skills divide: Evidence from the European tourism industry. Journal of Tourism Futures, 9(2), 240–266. https://doi.org/10.1108/JTF-07-2020-0114

Chaudhuri, R., Chatterjee, S., Vrontis, D., Galati, A., & Siachou, E. (2023). Examining the issue of employee intentions to learn and adopt digital technology. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 15(3), 279–294. https://doi.org/10.1108/WHATT-02-2023-0020

Cheng, X., Xue, T., Yang, B., & Ma, B. (2023). A digital transformation approach in hospitality and tourism research. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 35(8), 2944–2967. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-06-2022-0679

Çolakoğlu, Ü., Anış, E., Esen, Ö., & Tuncay, C. S. (2023). The evaluation of tourists’ virtual reality experiences in the transition process to Metaverse. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-09-2022-0426

Cuomo, M. T., Tortora, D., Foroudi, P., Giordano, A., Festa, G., & Metallo, G. (2021). Digital transformation and tourist experience co-design: Big social data for planning cultural tourism. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120345

Derco, J., & Tometzová, D. (2023). Entry-level professional competencies and skills in tourism – The case of Slovakia. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education, 32, 100437. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2023.100437

Dias, A., Sousa, B., Santos, V., Ramos, P., & Madeira, A. (2023). Wine tourism and sustainability awareness: A consumer behavior perspective. Sustainability, 15(6), 5182. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065182

Đorđević, D., Ćoćkalo, D., & Bogetić, S. (2016). The analysis of marketing concept implementation in domestic enterprises. Journal of Engineering Management and Competitiveness (JEMC), 6(2), 120–128. http://dx.doi.org/10.5937/jemc1602120D

Gomes, S., Lopes, J. M., & Ferreira, L. (2023). Looking at the tourism industry through the lenses of industry 4.0: A bibliometric review of concerns and challenges. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-10-2022-0479

Guedes, A., Faria, S., Gouveia, S., & Rebelo, J. (2023). The effect of virtual proximity and digital adoption on international tourism flows to Southern Europe. Tourism Economics, 29(6), 1643–1661. https://doi.org/10.1177/13548166221116704

Hadjielias, E., Christofi, M., Christou, P., & Drotarova, M. H. (2022). Digitalization, agility, and customer value in tourism. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121334

Huang, A. Y., Fisher, T., Ding, H., & Guo, Z. (2021). A network analysis of cross-occupational skill transferability for the hospitality industry. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 33(12), 4215–4236. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-01-2021-0073

Huang, A., & Baker, M. (2021). Exploring skill-based career transitions for entry-level hospitality and tourism workers. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 48, 368–373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2021.07.007

Kathuria, S., & Tandon, U. (2023). Conceptualizing blockchain in tourism consumer experience: Implications for tourism marketing. Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication. https://doi.org/10.1108/GKMC-01-2023-0012

Kumar, A., & Vohra, R. (2023). Impact of deep learning models for technology sustainability in tourism using big data analytics. Deep learning technologies for the sustainable development goals: Issues and solutions in the post-COVID era (pp. 83–96). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5723-9_6

Lan, J., Wong, I. K. A., Fong, V. H. I., & Guo, J. W. (2023). Duality of conscientiousness and service knowledge growth: The role of self-efficacy and self-deception. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 54, 426–436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2023.02.004

Li, Y., & Terason, S. (2023). Configuring the pattern of sustainable tourism development as affected by the construction of a high-speed railway system. SAGE Open, 13(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231181368

Litavniece, L., Kodors, S., Adamoniene, R., & Kijasko, J. (2023). Digital twin: An approach to improving tourism competitiveness. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes. https://doi.org/10.1108/WHATT-06-2023-0074

Liu, C., & Huang, X. (2023). Does the selection of virtual reality video matter? A laboratory experimental study of the influences of arousal. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 54, 152–165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2022.12.002

Mahendru, M., Arora, V., Chatterjee, R., Sharma, G. D., & Shahzadi, I. (2023). From over-tourism to under-tourism via COVID-19: Lessons for sustainable tourism management. Evaluation Review. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193841X231189805

Masiga, J. (2022). What next for travel and tourism? Here’s what the experts say. World Economic Forum. Retrieved December 5, 2023, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/06/what-next-for-travel-and-tourism-industry-experts-explain/

Massari, F. S., Del Vecchio, P., & Degl’Innocenti, E. (2022). Past for future – museums as a digitalized “interaction platform” for value co-creation in tourism destinations. European Journal of Innovation Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-09-2022-0521

McKinsey & Company. (2023). The future of hotels: Customized experiences, sustainable practices. McKinsey Global Publishing.

Milovanović, V., Chong, K. L. D., & Paunović, M. (2022). Benefits from adopting technologies for the hotel’s supply chain management. Hotel and Tourism Management, 10(2), 91–103. https://doi.org/10.5937/menhottur2202091M

Musleh, M., Subianto, A., Tamrin, M. H., & Bustami, M. R. (2023). The role of institutional design and enabling environmental: Collaborative governance of a pilgrimage tourism, Indonesia. Journal of Local Government Issues (LOGOS), 6(1), 75–90. https://doi.org/10.22219/logos.v6i1.22218

Nguyen, D. T., Kuo, K.-C., Lu, W.-M., & Nhan, D. T. (2023). How sustainable are tourist destinations worldwide? An environmental, economic, and social analysis. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480231168286

OECD. (2020a). Rebuilding tourism for the future: COVID-19 policy responses and recovery. Paris: OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/5b0fd8cd-en

OECD. (2020b). Mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on tourism and supporting recovery. OECD Tourism Papers, 2020(3). Paris: OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/47045bae-en

OECD. (2022). OECD tourism trends and policies 2022. Paris: OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/a8dd3019-en

One Planet network. (2023). Sustainable tourism programme. Retrieved December 4, 2023 from https://www.oneplanetnetwork.org/programmes/sustainable-tourism

One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme. (2020 & 2021). Glasgow declaration: A commitment to a decade of climate action. Glasgow, Scotland.

Palos-Sanchez, P., Saura, J. R., Velicia-Martin, F., & Cepeda-Carrion, G. (2021). A business model adoption based on tourism innovation: Applying a gratification theory to mobile applications. European Research on Management and Business Economics, 27(2), 100149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iedeen.2021.100149

Perčić, K., & Spasić, N. (2021). How Millennials and Generation Z organise travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hotel and Tourism Management, 9(2), 79–94. https://doi.org/10.5937/menhottur2102079P

Piya, S., Triki, C., Al Maimani, A., & Mokhtarzadeh, M. (2023). Optimization model for designing personalized tourism packages. Computers & Industrial Engineering, 175, 108839. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cie.2022.108839.

Rajesh, S., Abd Algani, Y. M., Al Ansari, M. S., Balachander, B., Ray, R., Muda, I. … & Balaji, S. (2022). Detection of features from the internet of things customer attitudes in the hotel industry using a deep neural network model. Measurement: Sensors, 22, 100384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.measen.2022.100384

Rajkamal, R., Gond, H. K., Pandey, P. K., Borlikar, R. R., & Singh, A. P. (2023). A study of the MICE tourism industry’s workforce and the variables influencing customer relationship management. Atna Journal of Tourism Studies, 18(1), 89–102. https://doi.org/10.12727/ajts.29.4

Rane, N., Choudhary, S., & Rane, J. (2023). Sustainable tourism development using leading-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4642605

Ratna, S., Saide, S., Putri, A. M., Indrajit, R. E., & Muwardi, D. (2024). Digital transformation in tourism and hospitality industry: A literature review of blockchain, financial technology, and knowledge management. EuroMed Journal of Business, 19(1), 84–112. https://doi.org/10.1108/EMJB-04-2023-0118

Samaddar, K., & Mondal, S. (2024). AR and VR-based travel: A responsible practice towards sustainable tourism. International Journal of Tourism Cities, 10(1), 105–128. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJTC-05-2022-0135

Senbeto, D. L. (2023). The greener, the better? Probing green innovation in pilgrimage tourism destinations. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480231151674

Shafiee, S., Jahanyan, S., Ghatari, A. R., & Hasanzadeh, A. (2023). Developing sustainable tourism destinations through smart technologies: A system dynamics approach. Journal of Simulation, 17(4), 477–498. https://doi.org/10.1080/17477778.2022.2030656

Shin, H., & Baek, S. (2023). Unequal diffusion of innovation: Focusing on the digital divide in using smartphones for travel. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 55, 277–281. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2023.04.012

Singh, S., & Dutt, C. S. (2023). The adoption of the UN sustainable development goals in hotels in Dubai. Tourism and Hospitality Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/14673584231164941

Sulyok, J., Lőrincz, K., & Veres, Z. (2022). Whose responsibility is it? Evaluation of sustainable tourism development at Lake Balaton. Hotel and Tourism Management, 10(2), 9–23. https://doi.org/10.5937/menhottur2202009S

Tiago, F., Gil, A., Stemberger, S., & Borges-Tiago, T. (2021). Digital sustainability communication in tourism. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 6(1), 27–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2019.12.002

Tian, J. (2023). Does technological innovation have an impact on employment in the hospitality industry? International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-03-2022-0370

Ul Hameed, W., Nawaz, M., Nisar, Q. A., Basheer, M. F., Imtiaz, S., & Zafar, M. B. (2022). Open innovation solution: New model in the hospitality industry. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, 13(4), 742–762. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTT-11-2021-0325

United Nations. (2020). Policy Brief: COVID-19 and Transforming Tourism. United Nations.

UNWTO. (2020). Priorities for Tourism Recovery. Madrid, Spain: World Tourism Organization.

UNWTO. (2020). UNWTO Briefing Note – Tourism and COVID-19, Issue 1 – How are countries supporting tourism recovery? Madrid, Spain: World Tourism Organization. https://doi.org/10.18111/9789284421893

UNWTO. (2021). The Economic Contribution of Tourism and the Impact of COVID-19. Madrid, Spain: World Tourism Organization. https://doi.org/10.18111/9789284423200

UNWTO. (2022a). World Tourism Day 2022: Rethinking Tourism. Retrieved December 4, 2023 from http://www.unwto.org/world-tourism-day-2022/official-messages

UNWTO. (2022b). Rethinking Tourism – From Crisis to Transformation. World Tourism Day 2022 Report. World Tourism Organization.

UNWTO. (2023). World Tourism Barometer, 21(1&2), 1–5. World Tourism Organization.

Van Nuenen, T., & Scarles, C. (2021). Advancements in technology and digital media in tourism. Tourist Studies, 21(1), 119–132. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468797621990410

Verma, S., Warrier, L., Bolia, B., & Mehta, S. (2022). Past, present, and future of virtual tourism – A literature review. International Journal of Information Management Data Insights, 2(2), 100085. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jjimei.2022.100085

Vrontis, D., Christofi, M., Giacosa, E., & Serravalle, F. (2022). Sustainable development in tourism: A stakeholder analysis of the Langhe region. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 46(5), 846–878. https://doi.org/10.1177/1096348020982353

World Bank Group. (2018a). Tourism and the Sharing Economy: Policy & Potential of Sustainable Peer-to-Peer Accommodation. Washington, D.C: World Bank Group.

World Bank Group. (2018b). The Voice of Travelers. Washington, D.C: World Bank Group.

World Economic Forum. (2023). Jobs of Tomorrow: Large Language Models and Jobs. Switzerland: World Economic Forum,

World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). (2022). Staff shortages.

World Travel & Tourism Council and Trip.com Group. (2021). Trending in Travel 2021.

Yallop, A. C., Gică, O. A., Moisescu, O. I., Coroș, M. M., & Séraphin, H. (2023). The digital traveller: Implications for data ethics and data governance in tourism and hospitality. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 40(2), 155–170. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCM-12-2020-4278

Yang, X., Zhang, L., & Feng, Z. (2023). Personalized tourism recommendations and the E-tourism user experience. Journal of Travel Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875231187332

Ye, X., Wang, J., & Sun, R. (2022). The coupling and coordination relationship of the digital economy and tourism industry from the perspective of industrial integration. European Journal of Innovation Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-08-2022-0440

Zvaigzne, A., Mietule, I., Kotane, I., Sprudzane, S., & Bartkute-Norkuniene, V. (2023). Digital innovations in tourism: The perceptions of stakeholders. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes. https://doi.org/10.1108/WHATT-06-2023-0080