Issues and concerns in technology decisions: the hotel operator's perspective

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the challenges in adopting and executing technology within the hospitality industry in India. The paper recognizes the upcoming trends and their impact on the expansion of the industry. Technology plays an integral role in strategic decision making, yet the service industry has only been able to utilize the technology superficially but has not been able to integrate its functions with other business operations. This paper seeks to explore the issues in taking on and implementing new technologies in the hotel organization globally and in India. Design/methodology/approach – Personal interviews were conducted with general managers of global chains of hotel organizations in India to gain an insight into the challenges faced by the hotels globally and at the unit level in adopting and applying the technologies in their business operations. The research also provides information on future trends in technology that might lead towards the enhancement of the service delivery process. Findings – This research helps in identifying the key internal and external challenges that the hospitality industry faces in adopting new innovative strategic IT solutions, hence leading to reluctance towards investment in IT. This research further amalgamates the key findings and presents a framework titled “Strategic importance of technology and challenges for hospitality industry”. Practical implications – The paper recommends practical solutions for policy makers and practitioners that can be applied globally. Originality/value – The research addresses the real life problems impacting the hospitality industry across the globe and has collected inputs from hotel experts or executives of international chains in India.