Digitalization in Tourism (Advances in Hospitality and Tourism)

Digital technologies are reshaping tourism faster than ever before, transforming how businesses operate, how destinations engage with visitors, and how travelers experience the world. From artificial intelligence and digital marketing to sustainable tourism strategies and cultural heritage preservation, the tourism industry is entering a new era of innovation and strategic adaptation. This volume explores these developments and presents a comprehensive view of how digital transformation is redefining one of the world’s most dynamic industries.

The book examines the impact of digitalization on tourism businesses, digital leadership and organizational maturity, the rise of the digital traveler, and the integration of intelligent technologies into hospitality and tourism operations. It also explores digital destinations shaped by social media, customer-centric innovation in medical tourism, and crisis management in an increasingly connected world. Special attention is given to sustainable tourism and cultural heritage preservation, showing how digital tools can support responsible development while enhancing visitor engagement and destination resilience. The volume also addresses ethics, responsibility, and future perspectives in digital tourism.

Combining conceptual approaches with practical applications, this book offers valuable insights for researchers, educators, tourism professionals, and policymakers, examining the business models, strategic management practices, and technological innovations shaping the future of travel and hospitality.

Hulya Akdemir Cengiz, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Safranbolu Faculty of Tourism at Karabük University, Türkiye. Her expertise focuses on tourism marketing, digital marketing, and consumer behavior. She has published widely in international journals, presented globally, and completed a TÜBİTAK-funded postdoctoral project in the United States on virtual and augmented reality technologies in memorable tourism experiences.

Seza Zerman, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Safranbolu Faculty of Tourism, Karabük University, Türkiye. Her research interests include sustainable tourism, storytelling in tourism, hospitality marketing, and social media marketing. She has studied and taught internationally and is currently leading a TÜBİTAK-supported project on storytelling intention in tourism in the United States.

Aysegul Acar, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Recreation Management at Karabük University, Türkiye. Her work focuses on finance, tourism marketing, sustainable tourism, and hospitality management. She has published extensively, completed postdoctoral fellowships in the United States, and has led international research projects on tourism and hospitality education.

Faizan Ali, PhD, is a Professor at the J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics, University of Galway, Ireland. A globally recognized scholar in consumer behavior and human-computer interaction in hospitality and tourism, he has published over 130 papers and book chapters and has been ranked among the top 2% of scientists worldwide by Clarivate Analytics.