Exploring service innovation archetypes of generative artificial intelligence in tourism: Integrating the views of tourists and tourism technology entrepreneurs

Abstract

The rapid emergence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI), particularly large language model (LLM)-based chatbots such as ChatGPT, has accelerated digital transformation across the tourism industry. Although GAI enhances service efficiency, personalization, and decision-making, it also raises concerns regarding trust, bias, ethical use, and uneven adoption across tourism enterprises. This study uses the Service Innovation Archetype framework to examine how GAI reshapes supply–demand interactions and service ecosystems. Adopting a phenomenological approach, this study explores the lived experiences of tourists and tourism technology entrepreneurs to uncover how GAI impacts value co-creation, managerial decision-making, and structural innovation. Findings reveal that current research often lacks theoretical integration and overlooks the complex feedback loops between tourists' perceptions and providers' strategies. Thus, this study contributes to a deeper conceptual understanding of GAI's role in tourism innovation and provides a critical insight into guiding the responsible, inclusive, and sustainable adoption of GAI technologies in tourism.