Project Details
Description
New technologies and service solutions based on them influence the entire tourism sector through transforming the tourist experience by facilitating, speeding up and personalising tourism service processes. The objective of the Future Technologies in Tourism Services project is to facilitate the adaptation of tourism businesses to the changes brought about by artificial intelligence and robotics. The objective is pursued by producing an exploratory report addressing the role of artificial intelligence and robotics in the tourism sector, taking into account the specificities of Lapland as an operational environment.
During the project, workshops based on service design thinking are organised with the objective of sparking the interest of companies in familiarising themselves with the opportunities opened up by artificial intelligence in the tourism sector. Further objectives are to promote innovation and productivity among tourism entrepreneurs and to make them better prepared to react to new market situations. During the project, the terms “artificial intelligence” and “robotics” are defined and the possibilities they bring to the tourism sector are discussed and envisioned. The project also discusses the opportunities artificial intelligence and robotics bring to tourism entrepreneurs and identifies the future challenges the entrepreneurs should be aware of — and to prepare for — already now.
Artificial intelligence and robotics create and enable e.g. new kinds of service situations. With these situations come new modes of working, management and organisation. Robotization and artificial intelligence free people from routine work, which enables directing the freed-up capacity towards work tasks creating more value or allows for completing existing work tasks more thoroughly than before with the help of artificial intelligence. The contribution of robotics to routine tasks can also create new possibilities, for example for re-examining the work tasks of employees with a long career or ageing employees and, thus, renew work motivation and enhance well-being at work. All these changes are significant with regard to well-being at work as well as the competitive and marketing situations brought about by artificial intelligence and robotics.
In the future, artificial intelligence and robotics may also bring possibilities for companies and organisations for lengthening the careers of their employees. There have already been trials during which artificial intelligence, based on health-related data, has identified an individual’s declined work ability two years prior to their retirement on work disability pension. Traditionally, the focus of work health efforts has been on individuals who are already in ill health or whose work ability has already declined. Currently, artificial intelligence is being introduced into contexts of occupational health care. If companies and organisations choose to use artificial intelligence in their occupational health care in the future, it could function as a new tool for reacting to early signs of declining health and, as such, could enable providing targeted, personalised support for those who need it. Therefore, it would render it possible to prevent decline of work ability, absences due to illness, as well as invalidity—and thus lengthen careers.
By combining service design and digitalization it is possible to promote new contributions to the tourism sector regarding the versatility of service processes. In the present project, modes of working utilized in service design—such as joint development and different service design tools created for the purpose of developing and testing ideas—are combined creatively with the objective of identifying the benefits of artificial intelligence and robotics in the tourism sector. In the service design workshops organised during the project, entrepreneurs and other actors in the tourism sector have the opportunity to discuss these themes. Another objective of the workshops is to encourage networking among entrepreneurs and, thus, to promote productivity and well-being at work.
During the project, workshops based on service design thinking are organised with the objective of sparking the interest of companies in familiarising themselves with the opportunities opened up by artificial intelligence in the tourism sector. Further objectives are to promote innovation and productivity among tourism entrepreneurs and to make them better prepared to react to new market situations. During the project, the terms “artificial intelligence” and “robotics” are defined and the possibilities they bring to the tourism sector are discussed and envisioned. The project also discusses the opportunities artificial intelligence and robotics bring to tourism entrepreneurs and identifies the future challenges the entrepreneurs should be aware of — and to prepare for — already now.
Artificial intelligence and robotics create and enable e.g. new kinds of service situations. With these situations come new modes of working, management and organisation. Robotization and artificial intelligence free people from routine work, which enables directing the freed-up capacity towards work tasks creating more value or allows for completing existing work tasks more thoroughly than before with the help of artificial intelligence. The contribution of robotics to routine tasks can also create new possibilities, for example for re-examining the work tasks of employees with a long career or ageing employees and, thus, renew work motivation and enhance well-being at work. All these changes are significant with regard to well-being at work as well as the competitive and marketing situations brought about by artificial intelligence and robotics.
In the future, artificial intelligence and robotics may also bring possibilities for companies and organisations for lengthening the careers of their employees. There have already been trials during which artificial intelligence, based on health-related data, has identified an individual’s declined work ability two years prior to their retirement on work disability pension. Traditionally, the focus of work health efforts has been on individuals who are already in ill health or whose work ability has already declined. Currently, artificial intelligence is being introduced into contexts of occupational health care. If companies and organisations choose to use artificial intelligence in their occupational health care in the future, it could function as a new tool for reacting to early signs of declining health and, as such, could enable providing targeted, personalised support for those who need it. Therefore, it would render it possible to prevent decline of work ability, absences due to illness, as well as invalidity—and thus lengthen careers.
By combining service design and digitalization it is possible to promote new contributions to the tourism sector regarding the versatility of service processes. In the present project, modes of working utilized in service design—such as joint development and different service design tools created for the purpose of developing and testing ideas—are combined creatively with the objective of identifying the benefits of artificial intelligence and robotics in the tourism sector. In the service design workshops organised during the project, entrepreneurs and other actors in the tourism sector have the opportunity to discuss these themes. Another objective of the workshops is to encourage networking among entrepreneurs and, thus, to promote productivity and well-being at work.
Key findings
Hankkeen loppuraportti (hankkeen tulos) kokoaa yhteen hankkeen eri työskentelyvaiheet ja tulokset. Raportti sisältää seuraavat asiat
- Mitä tekoälyllä ja robotiikalla tarkoitetaan?
- Mitä tekoäly ja robotiikka voi(si)vat mahdollistaa matkailualalla?
- Millä tavalla tekoäly ja robotiikka tällä hetkellä hahmotetaan Lapin matkailualalla?
- Näkemyksiä, mitä tekoäly ja robotiikka voisivat lähitulevaisuudessa tarkoittaa Lapin matkailualalla.
- Mitä vaikutuksia uusilla teknologiolla (tekoälyllä ja robotiikalla) uskotaan olevan Lapin matkailualalle.
Esiselvityshankkeen perusteella lähdetään suunnittelemaan laajempaa hankekokonaisuutta aiheesta.
- Mitä tekoälyllä ja robotiikalla tarkoitetaan?
- Mitä tekoäly ja robotiikka voi(si)vat mahdollistaa matkailualalla?
- Millä tavalla tekoäly ja robotiikka tällä hetkellä hahmotetaan Lapin matkailualalla?
- Näkemyksiä, mitä tekoäly ja robotiikka voisivat lähitulevaisuudessa tarkoittaa Lapin matkailualalla.
- Mitä vaikutuksia uusilla teknologiolla (tekoälyllä ja robotiikalla) uskotaan olevan Lapin matkailualalle.
Esiselvityshankkeen perusteella lähdetään suunnittelemaan laajempaa hankekokonaisuutta aiheesta.
Funding
- European Social Fund ESF: €70,712.00
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