Embracing broadscale applications of biometric technologies in hospitality and tourism : Is the business ready?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review viable biometric technologies and examine their applicability in the hospitality and tourism businesses. Design/methodology/approach – First, the different types of biometrics in the market with their advantages and disadvantages are reviewed, followed by a discussion of current applications within the hospitality and tourism sector. Findings – Potential business impacts of biometrics are identified such as increased consumer convenience, operational efficiency, and security. Meanwhile, despite its great benefits, consumers' privacy concerns that are raised during biometric data collection and management processes may keep the technology from realizing its full potential. Research limitations/implications – The paper only presents a glimpse of what may be done with the technology, as the potential extent of its usage is bound only by management's imagination while the possibilities that the technology brings to industry may be numerous. Practical implications – Hospitality and tourism companies must have clear goals and logical approaches for usage and implementation of biometric technologies. They also need to be acutely aware of any privacy, guest perceptions, attitude towards, and trust factors that may surround the usage of biometric technologies. Moreover, corporate responsibility and ethical usage of the information obtained from biometrics may influence guest willingness to use the technology. Originality/value – The paper has value in that there has been a lack of research on the impact of biometrics on the service industry, as well as user concerns towards the technology, rather than system development.