| Abstract: |
The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into hospitality and
tourism presents profound ethical challenges, yet the industry lags behind in
addressing them. Unlike sectors with established AI governance frameworks,
hospitality and tourism remain highly dependent on human interaction, making
ethical considerations particularly complex. This scoping review explores AI
ethics in hospitality and tourism through the lenses of epistemology and the
ethics of belief, examining issues of transparency, bias, privacy, and
algorithmic decision-making. We critically analyze how AI systems in
hospitality construct and act upon beliefs, distinguishing between justified
and unjustified AI-driven assumptions in service automation, personalization,
and pricing strategies. By mapping risks across different AI applications
(from biometric surveillance in hotels to AI-generated recommendations in
tourism) we categorize ethical concerns based on their impact and regulatory
landscape. In addition to diagnosing these ethical risks, this study proposes
actionable solutions to guide the responsible adoption of AI in hospitality
and tourism. We introduce a sectoral risk framework to classify AI
applications from unacceptable to minimal risk, offering clear regulatory
pathways. We also present a structured AI life cycle approach, outlining
ethical safeguards at each stage (from problem definition to deployment and
feedback) ensuring AI systems align with fairness, accountability, and
consumer trust. Ultimately, this research advances theoretical discourse on AI
ethics in hospitality while providing practical guidelines for industry
stakeholders, policymakers, and researchers seeking to develop AI-driven
innovations responsibly. |