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Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic has made significant changes in all spheres of life: the interaction of people and institutions, work and communication, movement and travel. The decisions taken today to stabilize the situation will form the basis of a new life order. It is extremely important that the principles of sustainable development form the basis of the decisions made, and digitalization becomes their integral part, since it is its implementation in all life processes that has ensured the continuous functioning of the economic and communication industries, made education, work and even travel possible.
The current situation has shown that increasing the sustainability of economic and social systems, the availability of recreation and quality management is possible only if new technologies and innovations are used.
Of particular importance in this process should be the tourism industry, as the source of every tenth job in the world and a catalyst for the development of many industries: accommodation facilities, restaurant business (catering), transport (transportation and rental), travel agencies and operators, show places (cultural facilities, sports and entertainment industry, etc.), public service facilities. Thus, recreational facilities cover many different sectors of the economy and public life, and it is all the more important to find ways to stabilize the current situation and form the basis for future development, including conditions of restrictions.
In addition, the difficulties of recent years have shown the importance of tourism for maintaining mental health: according to United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (2021), research, disruption of the daily routine in the daily lives of children and adolescents, increased time spent at home, online learning and limited physical and social interaction have led to increased levels of stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as an increase in alcohol and psychoactive substances use, externalization of behavioral problems. All this makes the issue of tourism accessibility important not only in terms of maintaining financial stability, workplaces and a source of gross value added, but also a way to preserve the mental health of nations.
The relevance of the presented study is due to the high importance of recreational facilities in ensuring the sustainable development of territories and the potential for the use of digital technologies by recreational facilities. The aim of the work is to identify creative solutions in the field of digitalization of recreational facilities.
In the historical aspect, changes in the organization and experience of leisure activities have always been closely linked with technological advances, for example, with cinema and television. Technological advances in transportation have played an important role in making recreational destinations such as beach resorts and the countryside accessible. The invention of the phonograph, television, and cinema allowed "to redefine ordinary leisure activities, dramatically increasing our sense of interdependence and access to information and entertainment". Thus, technological change is associated with a change in the concepts of leisure and the way it is organized, affecting both the availability of travel destinations and the experience of getting it.
In his works of 1980-1990. P. Mokhtarin and S. Handy noted that leisure with technological devices can perform the same functions as the traditional one. Increasing use of information and communication technologies can affect the demand for personal travel in various ways. On the one hand, since information and communication technologies offer alternative ways to carry out various activities, they can replace the tourist trip, thus eliminating it altogether. However, in some cases, activities based on information and communication technologies may not directly and consciously replace travel, but supplement it with new activities, ways of organizing leisure activities during travel that would not take place otherwise. Then there may not be a direct impact on travel (although there may often be indirect effects). On the other hand, information and communication technologies can actually stimulate the demand for travel. I. Solomon, P. Mokhtarin refer to such results as substitution, neutrality and complementarity, respectively. Another possibility has also been identified: modification, in which the journey is not generated or replaced, but somehow modified due to the impact of technology.
Joe Bryce in his work "The Technological Transformation of Leisure" noted that computer technologies and the Internet are becoming important spaces for organizing modern leisure, creating new spaces that can change the concepts and organization of leisure.
It is the last statement that best characterizes modern reality - since technological innovations, globalization and digitalization, which have long outgrown the implementation stage and are an integral part of the society life, and, accordingly, economic sectors, today they are in many ways the defining features of the development of humankind (Trofimovskaya, Vershinina, 2022). In this situation, tourism, as an industry that quickly responds to fundamental changes in all areas of the socio-economic and socio-cultural life of society, was one of the first to feel the impact of the fundamental changes caused by the fourth industrial revolution. The tourism industry got the opportunity to expand the target audience, increase the visibility of display objects and create new “points of attraction”, improve the quality of service and learn from experience, and therefore develop at an accelerated pace.
Over the past decades, technological development has revolutionized the tourism industry. The development of technology has “forced the tourism industry to completely transform a large part of the organizations”. Although the scope of digital transformation differs in its details, researchers agree that digital transformation is not only the introduction of new technologies, but also the change of people, processes and organizations along with the changes caused by technology. Digital transformation is characterized by complexity, high rate of change and uncertainty and is driven by projects that require professionals to have a variety of skills to manage and benefit from them.
Initially, information technology was integrated into the tourism and hospitality industry to facilitate service delivery activities. Essential activities in tourism and hospitality such as accommodation, transportation, communication, etc. have been supported by information technology, benefiting both service providers and travelers.
Tourism was one of the first sectors to digitize business processes on a global scale, resulting in online flight and hotel reservations becoming digital pioneers. As information and communication technology (ICT) have become a global phenomenon, tourism has consistently become an early sector for the introduction of new technologies and platforms (Digital transformation, 2022; Wang & Huang, 2019).
Materials and methods
The study is based on the use of data collection and processing methods, comparative analysis, system-structural and descriptive methods. The use of these methods made it possible to consider changes in the organization of the activities of recreational facilities in a historical aspect and to identify their close relationship with advances in technology, to propose a conceptual model for the use of information and communication technologies in the recreational industry, and to identify creative solutions in the field of recreational facilities digitalization.
Results and discussion
The limited capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a significant changes in the operation of recreational facilities, shifting the focus from personal visits to destinations to their virtual substitutes (Polskaya, 2022).
The tourism industry, by its nature, is an industry that involves international travel and predetermines the presence of competition at the meso- and macro levels, and the use of digital technologies is the most important way to maintain competitive advantages. To identify creative decisions in the field of digitalization of recreational facilities, it is important to have an idea of the level of ICT development in general and use independent assessments of the development of the digital economy.
An important indicator of the development of the digital economy is the Network Readiness Index (2022). Because network availability is a multi-dimensional concept, the network readiness index (NRI) is a composite index consisting of three levels.
The primary level consists of four pillars that make up the main parameters of network readiness (Fig 1).
Source: Compiled by the authors based in Network Readiness Index (2022).Fig. 1 -Network Readiness Options
Each of the main pillars is divided into additional sub-pillars that make up the second level. The third level consists of individual indicators distributed across various sub-components and components of the primary and secondary levels. All indicators used in NRI refer to the main and auxiliary components.
Launched in 2002 with the World Economic Forum, NRI was redesigned in 2019 by its founders and co-editors, Sumitra Dutta and Bruno Lanvin, under the auspices of the Portulance Institute, to reflect the need to integrate technology and people within an effective governance structure to have an impact on the economy, society and the environment.
The 2021 Networked Readiness Index assesses a total of 130 countries across 60 variables, which together account for almost 95% of the world's gross domestic product (GDP). The Netherlands is ranked 1st as the most network-ready society. The biggest rise in the rankings came from the United States, which rose from 8th position to 4th in the 2021 index, displacing Singapore (7th) and Switzerland (6th) from the top five. The remaining 5 countries in the top ten are: Sweden (2nd), Denmark (3rd), Finland (5th), Germany (8th), Norway (9th) and the United Kingdom (10th).
Let us dwell in more detail on the place of the Russian Federation in this rating. Russia ranks 43rd in the ranking. The main advantage is related to the human factor, the management component presents the greatest opportunity for improvement (Fig 2).
Source: Network Readiness Index (2022)
Fig. 2 -Network accessibility index of the Russian Federation in 2021 points.
In the ranking of upper-middle-income countries, Russia ranks 3rd, after China and Malaysia; in the regional ranking among the CIS countries - 1st place, ahead of Armenia and Kazakhstan. As for the pillars, Russia's strengths are linked to inclusiveness and accessibility. Promising areas are the sub-pillars "Technologies of the Future", "Quality of Life" and "Regulation".
Indicators where Russia performs particularly well include active mobile broadband subscriptions, cybersecurity, and adult literacy rates. Weakest economic indicators include ICT regulatory framework, e-commerce legislation, affordable and clean energy (Network Readiness Index, 2022).
Let's take a closer look at creative digital solutions for the hospitality industry, structuring them according to how they affect work processes.
Interactive workflows: virtual, augmented and mixed reality, as well as dematerialization. Local documentation management/update; instant coordination of work schedule, inventory and transport; search for contractors and bid support; selection and conclusion of a contract. Process efficiency can be dramatically increased through more transparent and faster collaboration.
Expanded Reality (ЕR) is a generic term for virtual, augmented and mixed reality technologies. The term is often used interchangeably with immersive technology, but there is a distinction: ЕR covers both digital and physical reality, while immersive technology usually only refers to digital reality. Augmented Reality (AR) overlays digital content on top of the real world, while Virtual Reality (VR) creates a fully simulated environment. Mixed Reality (MR) is somewhere in between, using elements of both AR and VR. The popularity of all three types of realities is growing as hardware improves and developers look for new ways to use them.
ЕR is changing tourism by giving people new ways to experience the world around them. Virtual reality can take people to different places, and augmented reality can add new elements to familiar sites. MR allows people to interact with virtual objects in the real world. This technology allows people to explore new destinations and learn about different cultures from the comfort of their homes. ЕR technology is increasingly used in the travel industry to provide customers with a unique and immersive experience.
Using ЕR technology, recreational facilities can provide potential customers with the opportunity to get, for example, a virtual tour of a hotel before they book a room. Now this is possible thanks to technology that allows guests to explore every corner of the hotel from their computer or mobile device. Virtual tours are 360-degree videos that offer a 'walk-around' mode of rooms, allowing you to explore each room in an immersive way. Some hotels also include information about amenities, local attractions, and restaurants in the hotel's area.
Social virtual reality platforms are gaining widespread adoption, which make it possible to communicate with other travelers around the world. Comprehensive Reality can also be used for educational purposes, such as learning about other cultures or historical events.
In addition, these technologies help not only to determine the place of travel, but also allow you to reduce emotional pressure and take a virtual trip to those who cannot afford it. The problem of maintaining ecological balance in some regions of the planet is particularly acute, which limits the throughput of the destination and makes it impossible to visit. In this case, virtual reality technologies also help to meet the demand.
So, ЕR-technologies provide the following advantages:
can provide more information about the destination or tourist attraction, which will help tourists make the right decision about which place to visit to best meet their leisure needs;
can improve customer service in the travel and tourism industry by providing employees with new ways to interact with customers; analysis of user requests will allow you to adapt products to the needs of guests, in the best way to meet their needs, expand your customer base and increase the number of repeat visits;
by creating a comprehensive offer for visitors, including places and accommodations, and display, the owners of recreational facilities can attract new visitors, and visitors - to receive additional products or unique price offers;
provide the opportunity to travel without leaving the place of usual residence.
ЕR technology can also create customized itineraries for travelers and help them find the best deals on flights and accommodation, provide information about local attractions and restaurants. As augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies continue to evolve, companies are finding new and innovative ways to use this technology.
Kiosks for registration in places of accommodation. Continuous improvement of corporate resource planning of companies is necessary to obtain a long-term sustainable competitive advantage in a dynamic market.
In addition to augmented reality technologies, other creative digital solutions are actively used in the tourism industry.
Check-in kiosks at accommodation facilities not only speed up the check-in process, but also give the consumer a choice: wait for the help of a hotel employee or check in on their own, without interaction with other persons. In addition, this technology allows significant cost savings on guest service and provides a high level of service, even with a reduction in the staff of the accommodation due to rising labor costs. Self-service options such as check-in kiosks can bring many benefits to guests, employees, hotel owners and managers.
Most travel starts from airports. They are economic generators and influence the development of tourism and business in the regions. Applications developed by airports and transport companies are widely used, allowing using their own smartphone in real time to receive a list of flights, their statuses and destinations, and receive landing notifications. Self-service kiosks at airports allow you to speed up the movement of passengers through the airport and reduce daily operating costs.
The advantages of using self-service kiosks are as follows.
Reduced waiting time at the front desk. If guests really don't need staff assistance, they can quickly complete the necessary tasks (such as check-in or check-out) with a kiosk that completes tasks quickly and efficiently. The more guests using the kiosks, the fewer guests are left in line at the front desk, so guests who really need personal assistance from a front desk employee can get it faster.
Kiosks provide social distancing and contactless service, making the stay of guests and employees safer. When guests are confident that the hotel has adequate safety and hygiene measures in place, they are more likely to book a room. Keeping employees comfortable and safe in the workplace can significantly reduce employee turnover.
Additional sales can increase revenue. A self-check-in kiosk may offer value-added options, and this extra income can be an important factor in increasing financial resilience, especially during times of crisis.
Automating repetitive tasks allows employees to work more efficiently. If a portion of the guests check in at the kiosks, the front desk staff can spend their time on more meaningful tasks such as establishing guest relations and handling complaints.
Kiosks can reduce their environmental impact by reducing the use of paper. In many hotels, front desk staff print receipts and hand out maps of the area, which requires a lot of paper. When guests are in control of the check-in and check-out process, they can choose whether they receive paper documents or electronic versions.
The relationship of equipment, tools and workers:
accelerated data collection and analysis through surveys, scanning, progress tracking - monitoring of incidents, performance, inventory in real time;
energy-saving technologies - by optimizing consumption and quickly troubleshooting;
optimization of transport performance - through localization, fuel savings, minimizing downtime, security tracking.
Internet of things. The Internet of Things (IoT) is closely related to personalized service, as it allows collecting data about guest preferences, as well as optimizing the surrounding conditions for these parameters (room temperature, noise level, lighting, water temperature, etc.).
IoT is a one-of-a-kind global network structure that can integrate virtual and physical systems using intelligent interfaces, recognizing them by a unique identifier.
The IoT industry is used primarily in accommodation facilities, at all stages of the guests' stay: from the moment of check-in (automatic check-in at the time of arrival and key generation in the application), through the stay (allowing guests to adapt the various room systems (air conditioning, ventilation, heating , room lighting, etc.) to suit their needs through their own mobile devices (using a mobile application) or devices provided by the accommodation facility after returning to their permanent location (generating personalized offers, bonuses, etc.).
Thus, IoT allows you to analyze the preferences of guests by tracking the commands used, and subsequently provide personalized service both at the time of their stay at the accommodation and subsequently, stimulating repeat visits.
The use of delivery robots can also automate hotel room service, providing fast, safe and reliable room deliveries (Blinov et al., 2014).
The use of IoT by accommodation facilities is not limited to providing a comfortable stay for guests, but also affects operational processes, carrying out periodic diagnostics of equipment and notifying about possible risks of deterioration in its condition, which allows you to eliminate a malfunction before a breakdown with minimal financial, time and labor costs.
For transport service providers, IoT also allows to improve the quality of service, as well as optimize the routes and arrival intervals of transport. Passengers always know in advance about the arrival time of transport, its possible delays, and data analysis by data operators allows to optimize transport flows, ensuring its uniform loading and fully satisfying the demand for the service.
It is clear that IoT technologies are being used in the transport industry in many ways, from passenger information to data management and the provision of new services. The ICT sector is actively investing in IoT technologies and services, more components and “bridge technologies” will be available in the future, which will facilitate the large-scale deployment of IoT.
Chat-bots. Chat-bots are an important creative solution in the field of digitalization of recreational facilities. Chat-bots are a software decision based on the use of artificial intelligence technology that can not only accumulate information, but also provide interaction with people. By the nature of interaction with users, chat-bots can be divided into two groups. The first group is made up of chat-bots, interaction with which is carried out according to a predetermined pattern: the user is offered a limited list of questions/situations, by choosing which the user receives a predetermined answer. The second group is made up of chat-bots developed on the basis of artificial intelligence, capable of analyzing incoming non-template questions and formulating answers that are not predetermined by the algorithm.
Service robots. Given that the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed many aspects of the tourism and hospitality industry, it is not known how long the pandemic will last and how seriously it will further affect the industry. The longer the current situation continues, the more people will perceive the threat that remains in the memory of customers even after the COVID-19 crisis. Many researchers and practitioners predict a transition to a "new normal" in which service providers need to continuously strengthen safety and hygiene practices. As a way to provide a contactless service and alleviate customer safety concerns, AI-enabled service robots can be widely deployed in a variety of services such as hotels, airports, restaurants, and event venues (Efimova, 2014).
Among the main results to be achieved through the application of creative decisions in the field of digitalization of recreational facilities, the World Tourism Organization highlights the following:
Smart travel facilitation is embodied in a comprehensive smart travel model that “includes smart visas, borders, security processes and infrastructure that will revolutionize tourism. Through the consolidation of these tools, passengers can book their flights and check-in online, have boarding passes on their smartphones, pass through automated boarding gates, and even check their boarding passes electronically to board aircraft. These measures both facilitate travel for tourists, reduce the time of their organization, and increase safety” (Digital transformation, 2022).
Smart Destination (SD) - a territory representing the final destination of a tourist with a technology development strategy, innovation based on the principles of sustainability, accessibility and inclusiveness throughout the entire tourism cycle: before, during and after the trip. “Smart destination is focused on both residents and tourists, takes into account multilingualism, cultural characteristics and seasonality when planning tourism” (Digital transformation, 2022).
It is UD “that is the key to the transformation of the tourism sector. By constantly and accurately measuring, integrating and analyzing data for effective decision making, prioritization and anticipation of problems, they create a comfortable and exciting experience for tourists by effectively managing local resources” (Digital transformation, 2022).
The concept of SD emerged with the development of information and communication technologies (ICT) and is extremely important for the tourism industry. As a related concept, SD is described in terms of collecting and aggregating information from tour operators, infrastructure and individuals related to a particular destination. This information is then digitized, creating commercial and social value for those who visit the destination and carry out their commercial activities in it, with a focus on sustainability, experience and efficiency. Um and Chang argue that smart tourism not only enhances tourism resources, but also manages tourism, improves quality of life and improves communication. Lee et al. emphasize that smart tourism is a holistic approach in which ICTs support the marketing and delivery of tourism products and services to destinations. SD use the technological infrastructure to create a digital environment (ecosystem). This digital environment is essential for a destination to become more efficient in terms of creating and sharing knowledge and enhancing the tourism experience.
Romanova G.M. and Onishchenko E.V. express a similar point of view, defining in their study among the most promising projects for the digital transformation of the domestic tourism industry and one of the main factors for the further successful development of tourism in the regions of our country, the development and use of regional integrated digital technology platforms, which, on the one hand, should combine various information systems , capable of collecting and processing data for decision-making in the tourism development management system in the regions, organically fitting them into the requirements of the development of the modern economy, and on the other hand, should contribute to the digital transformation of business, science, education and society.
Creation of new jobs. Every tenth job in the world is directly or indirectly provided by the needs of the tourism industry. “As in other sectors of the economy, intelligent automation is changing the nature of some tourism professions and completely eliminating others. However, creative digital growth will also create new job opportunities that could outpace the automation of existing roles, especially as the sector is forecast to grow strongly” (Digital transformation, 2022).
“The future of travel is based on technology, so tourism jobs will require both technical and advanced social skills used to effectively implement and manage smart initiatives. Startups and micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises - the drivers of technological innovation and entrepreneurship in the tourism sector - will play an increasingly important role in developing the skills needed for the work of the future. Therefore, the tourism industry should prioritize these forms of business organization so that they can become an integral part of the tourism value chain, as well as the development of education, training and policies based on technology and skills that stimulate innovation and decent employment” (Digital transformation, 2022).
The study allows us to propose a model for the use of information and communication technologies in the recreational industry as the basis for creative decisions in the field of digitalization of recreational facilities (Fig 3).
In the proposed model, two directions of influence on work processes are presented: the management of existing processes, as well as the creation of new processes. Management of existing processes (human resources, legal, infrastructure, financial, energy) is implemented by creating an ecosystem that allows for faster and more efficient interaction of existing processes. The creation of new processes is implemented through tools that automate trust, by creating new ways and tools for carrying out activities through information and communication technologies. The interaction of these directions predetermines the creation and application of new means and methods of information transfer, which forms the media environment and media space.
Fig. 3 - Conceptual model for the use of information and communication technologies in the recreational industry.
To build a model in fig 3 based on modern Information and communication technologies (further - ICT) structure (Polskaya, 2022). The application of the above conceptual model of the impact of information and communication technologies on work processes in the field of recreation leads to the formation of new products for the industry, the application of which is possible in other areas, and also allows finding creative solutions in the field of digitalization of existing recreational products.
Factors limiting the application of the proposed model were not found. At the same time, the introduction of a model for the use of information and communication technologies in the recreational industry will allow solving a number of social and environmental problems that go beyond the scope of the industry (Fig 4).
Fig. 4 - Directions of the impact of digitalization of recreational facilities on the socio-economic environment, taking into account the problems.
The introduction of a model for the use of information and communication technologies in the recreational industry will lead both to positive effects in the industry itself and will have an impact on the solution of socio-economic problems.
Thus, a positive impact will be exerted on leveling the level of development of information and communication technologies in the regions of the Russian Federation. According to official data from Rosstat, on average in the Russian Federation, 81.9% of organizations use digital technologies and 35.6% of enterprises use global computer networks, except for the Internet. At the same time, in the Chechen Republic, 70.97% of organizations use digital technologies, in the Belgorod region - 96.07%. Only 19.58% of enterprises in the Republic of Dagestan use global computer networks, in addition to the Internet, while in the Tambov region this figure reaches 50.14% (Science, innovation and technology, 2022). Such a significant gap in the levels of digitalization of the regions has a negative impact on all sectors of the economy, leads to social tension and technological backwardness.
The digitalization of economic sectors leads to an increase in the level of information support for state and municipal government (SMG) and the population. This, in turn, increases the awareness and consciousness of the population, the speed and quality of public services are growing, which allows you to quickly monitor possible problems and solve them preventively.
Creating new ways to promote goods / services, increasing demand for existing products become possible with the use of digital technologies. So, with the help of digital technologies, you can effectively and at minimal cost inform a huge audience about your product, analyze the target audience for better interaction with it, and increase brand awareness. Digital technologies provide the opportunity to connect people in new and different ways, allowing users to manage social connections over distance and time.
In addition, the widespread introduction of digital technologies, as well as their adaptation to various sectors of the economy, stimulates the creation and implementation of new digital solutions, which, in turn, can be adapted to other industries, bringing in them a positive effect from implementation.
The positive impact is also associated with the use of technologies in the production process (reducing energy consumption, reducing the number of consumables used), the replacement of physical goods with virtual goods (e-commerce instead of office operations, e-books instead of physical books), resource-saving sensors (lights out when there are no people, stopping watering after saturation of the soil with water).
The use of creative solutions in the field of digitalization of recreational facilities is an innovative tool for transforming the principles of operation of the entire tourism system, increases the competitiveness of enterprises in the tourism and hospitality industry, and ensures a modern level of quality of tourism and hotel services and their information support.
Conclusions
The study made it possible to identify creative decisions in the field of digitalization of recreational facilities, which by their nature can be divided into two groups. The first group consists of augmented reality technologies and check-in kiosks, their use is no longer limited to the tourism industry, they are a separate, independent digital product that can function autonomously. The second group is represented by tools, the use of which in the field of digitalization of recreational facilities is a creative decisions. This group includes the Internet of things, chat-bots based on the use of artificial intelligence technology and service robots.
Digitalization is already having a positive impact on the environment and has great promise, with manufacturing innovation, smart assets and efficient use of resources contributing to more sustainable industries.
The digitalization of recreational facilities should innovate and generate new business opportunities to ensure the continued competitiveness, growth and sustainability of the sector.
As a basis for creative decisions in the field of digitalization of recreational facilities based on the modern structure of ICT, a conceptual model for the use of information and communication technologies in the recreational industry is proposed, which determines two areas of impact on work processes: management of existing processes, as well as the creation (control) of processes, including new. The first and second directions are implemented by creating an ecosystem that allows more efficient interaction of existing processes. The first direction remains under the control of a person, the second direction is embodied through tools that automate trust, by creating new ways and tools for carrying out activities through information and communication technologies. The interaction of these areas predetermines the creation and application of new means and methods of information transfer in the field of digitalization of recreational facilities.
Further research will be aimed at reducing the risks and barriers to the introduction of ICT at recreation facilities, as well as monitoring the determination of the readiness of economic systems to apply creative decisions in the field of digitalization of recreation facilities.
The article was prepared within the framework of the RSF grant No. 22-28-20520 "Creation of a prototype of a digital guide on the history of the Crimean sanatorium and resort infrastructure of the Soviet period (on the example of the city of Evpatoria)".
