DOES COVID-19 DRIVE ROBOT ACCEPTANCE? AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF SERVICE ROBOT IN HOSPITALITY

ABSTRACT

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to explore the acceptance of robots as social distancing agents and to understand how guests may respond to the application of service robots in a hospitality setting as a way to achieve a zero-COVID-19 travel experience. This study contributes to the current knowledge in the area of service robot application by providing a better insight of, and guests response to, service robot operation in hotels. Design/Methodology/Approach - To obtain information from participants, the semi-structured interview method was used. articipants were hotel guests who had stayed in hotels where robots performed human tasks. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings - The findings suggest that robots are perceived as effective social distancing agents even though the participants experienced instances of robot incompetency during their stay at a hotel with robotics-based services. Participants also believe that with improved smart robot services, hotels can resume operations and guests can stay in hotels during the pandemic period without unnecessary worries. Originality - In light of the findings, some future research directions are suggested for researchers to further understand and explore the wider application of robotics in social distancing.