The digitalization of tourism: They promise experiences and gave us the worst possible one'

"Tourism is doing what banks did some years ago: the sector is embarking on the digitization of all possible services to lower costs, reduce human errors, streamline and extend operations and make decisions based on data. But several studies show that the dehumanization of customer service can lead to undesired consequences. These may include the inability to be specific regarding the holiday offer, the depersonalization of care and human resources, and the ineffective response to incidents."

"Brana Jianu, a researcher at Surrey University, UK, and author of a study published in Science Direct, says that digital management is transforming the way hotels operate, from scheduling shifts to assigning tasks, with algorithms making decisions that were previously reserved for human managers. This change, which she describes as seismic, questions not only the future of frontline management, but also the general employee experience within hotels."

The tourism sector is rapidly digitizing services to lower costs, reduce errors, streamline operations and enable data-driven decisions. Dehumanized customer service can cause inability to tailor holiday offers, depersonalized care for guests and staff, and ineffective incident responses. Algorithmic management is shifting hotel operations such as scheduling and task assignment from human managers to software, increasing risks of worker dehumanization and alienation. Managers need to adopt coaching roles to keep staff central. Automating repetitive administrative tasks can free employees to deliver closer, personalized attention and make human contact a competitive differentiator.

Read at english.elpais.com