Journal of Tourism and Development

Journal of Tourism and Development

Challenges of applying artificial intelligence in the health tourism industry

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Seyed Saeed Hashemi 1
Mahdieh Zahmatkesh Saredorahi 2
1 Associate Professor, Department of Tourism Planning, Faculty of Tourism Sciences, Tehran University of Science and Culture, Iran.
2 PhD student in Tourism, Faculty of Tourism Sciences, Tehran University of Science and Culture, Iran
10.22034/jtd.2025.529396.3087
Abstract
Artificial intelligence has played a significant role in various industries, including the health tourism industry. This technology can help the sustainable development of this sector by improving the quality of services, increasing productivity, and reducing costs. However, the successful implementation of artificial intelligence in health tourism faces numerous challenges, the recognition and analysis of which are essential. This research attempts to identify the practical challenges of artificial intelligence in the health tourism industry of Yazd province, provide effective solutions to overcome them, and contribute to the sustainable development of this industry at the regional and national levels. The research method was a mixed type (qualitative-quantitative), in which 15 key factors were extracted in the qualitative stage using interviews and literature review, and in the quantitative stage, the causal relationships and mutual effects of these factors were analyzed using FCMapper and UCINET6 software. The statistical population consists of 46 experts working in the field of health tourism who were selected purposefully. The findings showed that lack of planning and improper management of projects with a centrality of 16, challenges related to big data analysis with a centrality of 5.15, and lack of financial resources for research and development with a centrality of 2.15 are, respectively, the most important practical challenges facing artificial intelligence in the health tourism industry of Yazd province. Scenario simulations also emphasized that improving only one factor without considering other components not only does not solve the problems, but may also disrupt the balance of the system
Keywords
Artificial Intelligence
Tourism Industry
Health Tourism
Yazd Province
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