Losing touch: uncomfortable encounters with tourism technology

Tourism linked technology is a key research theme with a bevy of advocates and analysts. The aims of this work were to report encounters involving user-based difficulties with tourism technology and to note managerial directions for maintaining quality holiday experiences. Using an autoethnographic approach, and concentrating on transport systems and a high-tech apartment hotel in two Austrian cities, the researchers uncovered multiple annoying and uncomfortable facets of technology design. Key problems were the need to be online, language difficulties, timing and scheduling limitations. The lack of touch generated a sense amongst users of being out of touch. Recommendations were directed at thoroughly trialling installations for a range of users, improving supplementary instructions and always having some accessible personnel.

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CAUTHE 2019: 29th Annual Council for Australasian University Tourism and Hospitality Education Conference: sustainability of tourism, hospitality & events in a disruptive digital age

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978-0-9945141-4-1

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