Artificial Intelligence in Tourism and Hospitality Crisis and Disaster Management

This study investigates the underexplored role of artificial intelligence (AI) in tourism crisis and disaster management. While AI has been extensively adopted in tourism to enhance personalization and efficiency, its integration into crisis contexts remains limited. Drawing on Mitroff’s five-phase model of crisis management, the research employs qualitative interviews with 20 global experts to explore AI applications across signal detection, preparation, containment, recovery, and learning. Findings highlight AI’s potential in early warning systems, risk modeling, automated communication, and postcrisis recovery strategies. However, ethical concerns, data privacy issues, and uneven access to technological resources present significant barriers. Larger tourism organizations are better positioned to adopt AI solutions, whereas small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face challenges such as high implementation costs and limited digital capacity. The study highlights the importance of implementing inclusive policies and developing capacity-building initiatives to ensure equitable technological integration. It offers novel insights into AI’s potential to strengthen resilience in the tourism sector.