Our experts Stanislav Ivanov and Craig Webster conducted the first global study on customers’ attitudes towards robots in travel, tourism and hospitality.

The major findings of the research are:

• Respondents tend to favour using robots to collect garbage, clean common areas, and carry or store luggage, while respondents tend to be against using robots to offer security services or assist in emergency situations.
• Respondents are slightly more in favour of using robots for the check-out process than for other aspects of the reception experience in a hotel.
• In general, respondents consider robots as very suitable for housekeeping tasks, and show support for robot use for the delivery of laundry and the taking of laundry orders.
• The respondents, as a whole show a general willingness to have robots do many tasks in the food service industry, apart from preparing food.
• In terms of personal services offered by robots in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry, the respondents did not show a high level of approval for such services as hairdressing, giving massages, dancing with guests, or babysitting.
• In terms of the use of robots for events, the data suggest that respondents are generally in favour of using robots to supply information to event participants.
• The data from the survey show a great deal of scepticism in terms of accepting the use of self-driving vehicles, whether a car, train, bus, ship, or airplane. Self-driving airplanes are the technology that respondents seem to be most against.
• The data suggest that customers expect that the use of robots will cause a reduction in costs to them as end consumers of services.

The full report can be downloaded here.