Robotics in Travel and Tourism, 2021 Update - Thematic Research

Robotics in tourism can address a range of business and consumer concerns. Increased investment in this form of smart technology illustrates that the utilization of robotics in travel is only going to grow. The deployment of robotics lessens the chance of COVID-19 contraction for travelers. For example, robotics in the hotel sector has taken on a newfound importance, as concierge robots help to limit the frequency of human interaction between staff and guests. As a result, robots are now becoming less of a gimmick and more of a necessity for hotel companies looking to inspire traveler confidence. For businesses, investment in robotics to replace human jobs will help to boost bottom lines in the long-term. Although the initial cost of investing in robotics to replace human jobs will be high, many companies will make back what they have invested in just a short number of years, then after that, companies will continue to shrink fixed costs and increase profit margins.

This thematic research report takes an in-depth look at the utilization of robotics in travel and tourism. Firstly, the players section identifies some of the leading companies in robotics and categorizes their position in the value chain. After a technology briefing, a trends section is then provided, describing technology, macroeconomic, regulatory and enterprise trends. An industry analysis is then provided with a mergers and acquisitions section, which also includes travel and tourism robotics partnerships. After a timeline which tells the story of the development of robotics in tourism and beyond, a tourism industry analysis is provided which looks at key industry signals such as patents, hiring and company filings trends. Finally, the leading companies in the robotics theme are outlined, along with their competitive position and sector scorecards are delivered, showing how the different companies in each tourism sector compare in the theme of robotics.

Machine learning is an integral component in the technological structure of service robots. The technological theme of machine learning heavily links to the tourism industry-level theme of personalization. Services that are tailored to customers’ needs and wants continues to grow in importance in tourism, and robotics can help to meet this demand.

Key Highlights

• According to the publisher, the global number of inbound MICE travelers decreased by 79.3% YOY in 2020, inbound MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) arrivals may not even reach pre-pandemic levels by 2024. To inspire attendee confidence in large scale MICE events, robotics can be used to make the experience more COVID-secure, while giving the event a futuristic and unique feel.
• The number of filings mentioning robotics increased by 212%, when comparing 2020 to 2017. From Q1 2019 onwards the number of mentions increased significantly. 2020 was the leading year in terms of filing mentions for robotics, with many companies acknowledging that the utilization of this technology was important in maintaining and enhancing operations amid the pandemic.
• Tourism companies need to be aware of their social sustainability commitments and how investing in robotics to replace human jobs could impact image. 54% of global respondents in the publisher’s Q3 2021 Consumer Survey stated that they ‘somewhat’ or ‘completely’ agree that they are more loyal to brands that support social rights matters. With COVID-19 having stiffly decreased employment figures across the globe, and especially in tourism, consumers could react negatively to companies filling positions with robots, taking the stance that they value profits over people.

Scope

• This report provides an overview of robotics usage in travel and tourism.
• It identifies the need for robotics to instill traveler and business confidence.
• This report provides a detailed industry analysis of robotics in travel & tourism, discussing how it is being utilized in a range of different ways.
• We highlight travel and tourism companies that are leading in the robotics theme, such as Walt Disney, ANA Holdings, and Dubai Airports Company.

Reasons to Buy

• Understand the impact of robotics on the tourism industry, using use cases to help you understand how you can adapt and understand this theme.
• Assess the strategies that companies are adopting when using robotics.
• Discover companies that are leading in the space.
• To view real-world trends created by the adoption of robotics from across the travel & tourism space.
• The publisher’s thematic research ecosystem is a single, integrated global research platform that provides an easy-to-use framework for tracking all themes across all companies in all sectors. It has a proven track record of identifying the important themes early, enabling companies to make the right investments ahead of the competition, and secure that all-important competitive advantage.