The Future and Challenges of Applying Innovative Technologies in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry in Asia

Abstract

Technological innovation is a major actor in the tourism and hospitality industry over the past few decades. Technology shrinks costs by replacing expensive human labor with innovative labor of technology itself. Innovative technology use boosts operational efficiency and improves customer services and experiences. This chapter aims to underpin the future challenges of using new technological innovations in Asia’s tourism and hospitality industry by answering the following questions: Will growing technological innovation flourish tourism and hospitality business in Asia? Can technology knit the Asian region with the rest of the world into a one-touch digital electronic market place? Would the use of new technology in the Asian tourism industry transmit world culture and infiltrate the conservative Asian ideas and tradition by eroding previous generations’ values? Can reduced travel costs harm Asian travel business by shifting the customers into Europe? What would be the impact of using increased technological innovation in tourism on the environment? These questions’ answers will show whether applying innovation in tourism changes the game rules and saturate the market.