Understanding the impact of ChatGPT on tourism and hospitality: Trends, prospects and research agenda

The prevalence of ChatGPT (and generative artificial intelligence in general) has precipitated a paradigm shift in diverse industries, including tourism and hospitality. ChatGPT revolutionalises all business functions (from marketing to operations), empowering tourism and hospitality organisations to transform and innovate their business models. This study seeks to comprehensively examine the use and implications of ChatGPT in tourism and hospitality by discussing the current and future state of the technology, while also suggesting an agenda for future research. To that end, six areas, namely, business intelligence and tourism analytics, tourism marketing and experience, hospitality services, cultural and heritage tourism, travel services, and destination management, are elaborated on in depth. By compiling views solicited from international experts, this groundbreaking opinion piece unveils profound insights into the evolutionary journey of an emerging technology that is shaping tourism and hospitality. The paper provides useful implications for tourism scholars and professionals alike.