Robots in tourism and Sustainable Development Goals: Tourism Agenda 2030 Perspective article

Purpose The purpose of this perspective paper is to investigate the role of robots in tourism’s contribution to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Design/methodology/approach With a deep analysis of the 17 SDGs and their 169 targets, the authors provide an interpretation on both the positive and negative impacts of robots in tourism towards the achievement of the SDG. Findings For several SDGs, the positive impact of robots in tourism is evident, whereas for others, it can be debated as the adoption of robots can lead to both positive and negative impacts, mostly dependent on how robots will be used. In particular, robots can provide a decent work environment for tourism and hospitality (TH) employees (SDG 8) who perform dangerous tasks while decreasing the consumption of resources (SDGs 2, 6, 7, 12, 13) due to their contribution to a company’s effectiveness and efficiency. In the meantime, robots have some impacts on the environment, both in terms of the use of resources (their manufacturing relies on rare Earth materials and robots are energy demanding) and output, especially for the management of toxic waste (e.g. batteries). Research limitations/implications The main limitation of this perspective paper is the lack of empirical measurement of the effects of robots in tourism on the achievement of the SDGs. However, it is a necessary exploration as a foundation for future research. Practical implications This perspective paper may be useful for robot manufacturers in identifying the positive and negative aspects of robots when designing sustainable robots (in terms of energy efficiency, management of the end-of-life of components, etc.) to conform to the expectations of the SDGs. It can be useful to TH companies when their managers evaluate whether to adopt robots in service operations or not. Social implications This contribution discusses the social implications in adopting robots in TH, specifically in terms of new opportunities for employment and in the substitution of humans in dirty, dull and dangerous tasks. It helps policymakers adopt the best policies for fostering the use of robots in TH with an eye to the environmental and social ramifications of robots. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this perspective paper is one of the first studies to investigate the role that robots can play in achieving the SDGs by TH companies.