Consumer behaviour in tourism and hospitality after service robots

Abstract

In line with recent technological advancements, the use of artificial intelligence and service robots has increased significantly over the past decade. Studies are needed to explore social, emotional, and relational elements pertaining to the use of service robots. This is extremely important as tourism and hospitality service encounters traditionally involve intense and frequent social interactions between customers and service providers. Thus, this conceptual study reviews some of the major studies such as the technology acceptance model and uncanny valley theory from the perspective of the use of service robots in tourism and hospitality with a view to explore the implications of the use of service robots for consumer behaviour. The chapter shows that the study of service robots as an area of research is still in its infancy and there is still much research needed to understand various aspects regarding the adoption and use of service robots in tourism and hospitality. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.