(photo from Key West International Airport)
According to a new report from GlobalData, “ Robotics in travel and tourism ”, the robotics industry is expected to grow in the travel and tourism sector, but without compromising human employment.
The service robotics industry is expected to grow more than 21 percent annually to reach $216 billion in 2030. Between 2020 and 2030, the number of consumer and logistics robots is expected to grow by 29-21 percent, as they will be used as fleet cleaners, language translation assistants and other support functions for their counterparts.
Cloud robotics is also expected to grow in the hospitality industry: Huazhu Hotels Group and BTG Homeinns Hotels Group, which account for approximately 7 and 5.5 percent of the global market share, are investing in Shenzhen ExcelLand Technology, a mobile robotics platform provider.
“Robotics in travel and tourism used to be seen as a gimmick used as far back as 2015 to serve guests without improving staff efficiency,” said Sarah Koop, an analyst at GlobalData. “But as the technology improved, investment began to increase, leading to room service robots, UV cleaning services, drone inspection services, translation services and customer service to improve operational efficiency.”
Additionally, the report notes the rise of robotics mentioned in applications from travel industry companies from 2016 to 2022, which increased from 2018 to 2019 and remained stable throughout the pandemic as they were deployed in airports and hotels for higher-than-human disinfection abilities could.
