The Robotics and the Future of Tourism and Hospitality: Attitudes and Perspectives of Future Employees

Abstract

This qualitative study explores tourism and hospitality students’ attitudes and perceptions toward the adoption of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) in the sector. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 third- and fourth-year students from Faculty of Tourism at Eastern Mediterranean University in Northern Cyprus to elicit views about benefits, challenges, and likely impacts on future careers. Thematic analysis identified six core themes: efficiency, service improvement, unemployment concerns, cost-saving considerations, the importance of human skills, and education/upskilling costs. Participants perceived robots as a means to improve operational efficiency and service consistency while expressing significant anxiety about job displacement, privacy, and the erosion of interpersonal service quality. Findings suggest students favor a balanced approach in which routine tasks are automated but human staff remain responsible for emotionally demanding and complex interactions. The paper contributes empirical evidence on the next generation’s perceptions of service robotization and discusses implications for curriculum design, workforce upskilling, and managerial integration strategies. Limitations include a small purposive sample and single-method design; recommendations are offered for mixed-methods, longitudinal research, and policy measures to support workforce transition.