Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2026
This proceedings volume offers the latest developments in information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the tourism and hospitality industry. Feature papers presented at the International Federation of IT and Travel & Tourism (IFITT)’s 33rd Annual ENTER International e-Tourism Conference held in Breda, The Netherlands, this book demonstrates the breadth and maturity of contemporary eTourism research with strong focus on AI including large language models (LLMs), GenAI as a research instrument, AI-driven personalization, and the ethical implications of automation. The volume further emphasizes digital ecosystems and governance, with research on smart destinations, digital distribution, blockchain adoption, ICT lifecycles in tourism SMEs, and city metrics.
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) continue to revolutionize travel, tourism, and hospitality. Over 30+ years, the ENTER eTourism conference has been at the forefront of providing insight on the use and impact of new technologies for travel, tourism and hospitality practitioners and researchers. However, the rapid development and deployment of new developments, including generative AI (GenAI), service robotics, IoT, and Extended Realities (XR) technologies, among others, call for a rapid and careful reassessment of ICT in tourism, particularly including ethical and societal considerations.
Bridging the gap between visionary research and practical implementation to foster resilient tourism systems that serve businesses, communities, and the planet, this book is valuable to scholars, researchers, students, and practitioners in tourism and hospitality.
Peter O’Conner is Professor of Strategic Management at Adelaide University, South Australia. His primary research, teaching, and consulting interests focus on the use of technology in online retailing and marketing. Previously, he founded the Chair in Digital Disruption, sponsored by BNP Paribas, at Essec Business School in Paris, France.
Mattia Rainoldi is Professor and Director of Transnational Programmes at IMC Krems University of Applied Sciences. His research focuses on travel and tourism, with a particular emphasis on digital transformation, innovation, lifestyle mobilities, and digital research methods. His scholarly contributions range from edited volumes and conference proceedings to journal articles, including publications in leading academic journals such as Annals of Tourism Research and Journal of Travel Research. Mattia currently serves as Vice President on the Board of Directors of the International Federation for IT and Travel & Tourism (IFITT).
Julia Neidhart is a tenure-track Assistant Professor at TU Wien, Austria. Her research focuses on user modeling and recommender systems for tourism and digital platforms. She has published in leading journals, including Nature Human Behaviour, and serves as Associate Editor of the Journal of Information Technology & Tourism. Prof. Neidhardt has served as research track co-chair of ENTER e-Tourism 2019 and 2020 and ACM UMAP 2023. She leads the Christian Doppler Laboratory for Recommender Systems at TU Wien and, since 2023, holds the UNESCO Co-Chair on Digital Humanism.