Purpose The hospitality industry experienced an unanticipated challenge from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, research in this area is scarce. Accordingly, this study aims to unfold a three-angled research agenda to intensify the knowledge advancement in the hospitality sector. It proposes a theoretical framework by extending the protection motivation theory (PMT) to explain the guest’s intent to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics as a protective measure in reaction to COVID-19. Design/methodology/approach The research is centered on outlining the pertinent literature on hospitality management practices and the guest’s transformed behavior during the current crisis. This study intends to identify a research agenda based on investigating hospitality service trends in today’s changing times. Findings The study sets out a research agenda that includes three dimensions as follows: AI and robotics, cleanliness and sanitation and health care and wellness. This study’s findings suggest that AI and robotics may bring out definite research directions at the connection of health crisis and hospitality management, taking into account the COVID-19 crisis. Practical implications The suggested research areas are anticipated to propel the knowledge base and help the hospitality industry retrieve the COVID-19 crisis through digital transformation. AI and robotics are at the cusp of invaluable advancement that can revive the hotels while re-establish guests’ confidence in safe hotel practices. The proposed research areas are likely to impart pragmatic lessons to the hospitality industry to fight against disruptive situations. Originality/value This study stands out to be pioneer research that incorporated AI and robotics to expand the PMT and highlights how behavioral choices during emergencies can bring technological revolution.

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PurposeResearch on food tourism has a significant impact on destination attractiveness. However, components interfacing food experiences and memory are under-researched topics in food tourism literature. Therefore, this study aims to present a framework based on the components of rememberable food experiences while travelling through the lens of the diffusion of sensory stimulation.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a qualitative application of “Memory-Work”, a social constructionist archetype suggested for food tourism-related research. A survey was conducted, and the respondents were asked an open-ended question.FindingsThe analysis found the components instigating these food experiences: Peculiar food and drink experience, setting/geographical location, companions and social interactions, celebrating occasions and touristic components (e.g. serendipitous travel experience and food nostalgic memory). Predominantly, rememberable food tourism experiences are more explicit than memorable tourism experiences.Research limitations/implicationsThe components mentioned in this framework illustrate that various food-related experiences should be involved in destination marketing. Service providers could use these components to create unique destination stories.Originality/valueThis study is the first to present a newly developed framework for food tourism service providers that incorporates sensory impressions with food memories to explore the connection between food memories associated with a destination.

Purpose Social customer relationship management (SCRM) is an evolving strategy gaining prominence in the hotel industry by cultivating new, improved relationships through engaging customers on social media (SM) platforms. Accordingly, this study aims to assess the effect of SCRM on customer service and customer loyalty (CL) in the hotel industry. This study also explores the moderating effect of COVID-19 (EC) on the relationship between (customer engagement [CE] and improved customer service [ICS]) and (CE and trust [TR]). Design/methodology/approach This study develops and tests the SCRM model using structural equation modelling on a sample size of 214 responses. The questionnaire was administered online to the customers of five preselected global hotel chains. The criteria for selecting the participants were that they must have tweeted from their Twitter handle by using # (hashtag) hotel name to resolve any customer service issues. Findings Results denote that CE significantly impacts ICS. CE was also found to exert a substantial effect on TR. The moderating EC was also found to be significant, but the effect was weak. Although the customers were extensively impacted by the pandemic and were initially hesitant to visit hotels, SCRM proved to be a powerful tool to gain back customer trust (CT) and develop CL by upsurging the shadows of COVID-19. Practical implications This study suggests that viable enforcement of the SCRM system can assist in real-time monitoring and tracking of customers' activities. This can develop a more profound connection with customers through CE which can boost the co-innovation process. Originality/value This study denotes a pioneer attempt to investigate the relationships between SCRM, CE, CT, ICS, CL and COVID-19 in the same framework in a SM context.

The COVID-19 crisis has hindered travelling and transformed air passengers' expectations, which profoundly impacted airlines, affecting tourism-related activities. Therefore, it is essential to determine the air passenger's perception regarding the airline services that create positive and negative opinions. Accordingly, this research note (RN) assesses air passenger's engagement with the airline service providers (ASP) on Twitter. This RN turns to social capital theory as a theoretical base to evaluate how the passengers engage with the ASP to depict their expectations on Twitter. The authors conducted two analyses. First, python was applied for tweet mining and sentiment analysis (SA) to identify the polarity in passenger's engagement with five ASP. This analysis depicted the positive sentiments of the passengers towards the ASP. Second, a qualitative analysis was carried to identify the themes that shape passenger's expectations before and after the outbreak of COVID-19 as they engage with the ASP on Twitter. This RN appears to be a pioneer in presenting a thematic model for the airline industry that compares air passenger's expectations on Twitter before and after the outbreak of COVID-19.