Using Robotization and Automatization to Achieve Competitive Advantage in the Hospitality Industry

The tourism industry has become one of the most important components in the service sector. The number of arrivals in international tourism recorded continuous growth (excluding the period of the COVID-19 pandemic that started in March 2020), which caused further tightening of competition. On the other hand, tourists are more demanding, experienced, and educated and demand adequate accommodation. The question for hospitality businesses is how to compete in the market; precisely because of this, adapting to the wishes and needs of guests has become more critical than ever in current market conditions. Considering the increasing presence of technology in our lives, as well as its numerous advantages, the use in hospitality businesses of modern technological solutions, such as robotization and automation, is one way these businesses can adapt, which is the subject of this work. We present how the implementation of service automation in different hospitality industry sectors can positively and negatively influence the services. We explain how specific processes in the hotel and restaurant industries can be automated and what benefits they bring to guests and businesses. In addition, we list the potential problems that hospitality businesses and guests can encounter after this type of technology is implemented.