Technological Innovation in Tourism 4.0: Exploratory Study of Technological Innovation in Tunisia's Tourism Ecosystem

Abstract

This research explores innovations related to integrating Industry 4.0 technologies in the Tunisian tourism sector, focusing on transforming the user experience. In the context of the remarkable growth of Tunisian tourism, with more than 10 million visitors in 2024, innovation through digital technologies is becoming a critical economic lever for sectoral competitiveness and sustainable growth. Through an exploratory qualitative approach, twenty-one international economic and tourism experts, participating in the International Tourism Exhibition Oasien and Saharan (ISSOT 2024) in Tozeur, were interviewed during semi-structured interviews. The objective was to identify innovation opportunities and risks related to adopting advanced technologies (artificial intelligence, virtual reality, intelligent data management) in the tourism sector. The results reveal the potential benefits of this digital transformation in terms of innovation and improving user experience while highlighting the major challenges related to data security and skills adaptation. This study provides strategic insights to Tunisian tourism professionals to develop strategic innovation approaches integrating 4.0 technologies.