Implications of Digital Technologies for the Global Hospitality and Tourism Labour Market

The advent of digital technologies and their subsequent adoption and integration in tourism and hospitality enterprises has had mixed implications for businesses, customers, and employees. While existing studies that explore the benefits and challenges of digital transformation for businesses abound, studies which explore the implications of digital transformation on the labour market, in general, are scant. The objectives of this chapter are to (i) describe how digitalisation impacts the global tourism labour market and (ii) propose some intervention conduits to protect the vulnerable sections of the tourism labour force. Underpinned by the conceptual research approach, this chapter draws on existing literature, personal abstraction, and sectorial expertise. It shows that integrating digital technologies in enterprises disrupted labour relations, compromised workers’ collective bargaining power, altered income and working conditions, distorted working time and work intensity, generated discrimination in digital work, and worsened worker surveillance and control. The chapter concludes that while highly digitally skilled workers benefit from integrating digital tools in their operations, non-skilled, independent, and contracted workers seem to be on the losing end. It recommends that the welfare of employees be prioritised as enterprises move into digital transformation.