A Review of Key Factors Affecting the Adoption of Self-Service Technologies in Tourism.

Abstract

During the past ten years self-service technologies (SSTs) have attracted research attention especially in the banking, retail and airline sectors. The infusion of technology in the service encounter has been identified as being advantageous to both the service provider and the consumer. Service provider companies may reduce costs, increase consumer satisfaction and tap into new markets which have been made accessible via the Internet. From a consumer’s point of view, SSTs can save money and time, provide convenience, and in some cases, enjoyment. All the above mentioned advantages are achievable only if SSTs gain adoption among consumers. In light of the importance of consumer participation in SSTs, this paper reviews the state of the SST adoption literature in an attempt to identify the most important influencing factors. Seven factors emerged as the ones of key research interest in the literature and they are discussed in more detail. These include risk, trust, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, technology readiness, preference for personal contact and demographic variables. Previous research has shown that SSTs are not a uniform group and adoption factors differ across SST types and in various contexts and cultures. The paper reviews the SST classifications to date in search of a comprehensive, widely agreed one, which may facilitate adoption research. The tourism context has not been included extensively in the SST literature except for the travel industry where airlines are among the best in utilizing online search, reservations and check-in. The rapid development of technology and increasing price and quality competition in the marketplace has put pressure on tourism companies to adapt their strategy in order to remain viable.

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