Book Review: Tourism, Hospitality and Digital Transformation edited by Tajeddini, K., Ratten, V. and Merkle, T. (Routledge; 1st Edition (2019); Pages: 242)

Abstract

Digitalization has profoundly changed and keeps changing the way people live, work and travel and has opened up unprecedented opportunities for tourism and hospitality firms to compete in global markets. Rapidly evolving multiplicity of technological novelties (e.g., robotics, artificial intelligence, Internet of things, blockchain and cryptocurrency) has influenced tourism and hospitality industries in all aspects of its operations. Digital innovations and technological novelties are changing the way work is organized and services delivered, and also presents opportunities to capture and process data and information on supply and demand, and integrate operations along value chains and business ecosystems. In line with the technological revolution, there is a dynamically increasing demand for unique, seamless tailor-made travel experience beyond mass tourism. Accordingly, tourism and hospitality firms have started leveraging technology to reinvent the customer experience through service innovations. Although digitalization has opened up unparalleled opportunities for tourism and hospitality firms of all sizes to reach new heights in profitability, successful digital transformation has been a great challenge for many firms. With a compilation of eleven chapters edited by the renowned contemporary tourism, hospitality and strategic management scholars, namely Kayhan Tajeddini, Vanessa Ratten and Thorsten Merkle, this book is a timely effort which critically analyzes various challenges tourism and hospitality industries face in coping up with digital transformation and how the two sectors have strategically responded to such challenges.