Dr. Ajay Aluri

Dr. Aluri is the founding director of the Hospitality Innovation and Technology Lab and Associate Professor in the College of Business and Economics at West Virginia University. He received his Ph.D. in Hospitality Administration and master’s degree in International Studies from Oklahoma State University. His bachelor’s degree is in computer science and information technology and also received certifications in Business Data Mining. Dr. Aluri’s education, research interests, and focus in the areas of hospitality information technology and management and information systems, have given him special insight into how these areas impact international hospitality and tourism organizations, society, and education. He is an internationally recognized scholar who focuses on innovation and technology in the hospitality and tourism industry. His current focus is consumer behavior research regarding the use of emerging technologies such as augmented reality, data mining, Internet of Sound, Internet of Things, robotics, and virtual reality. His research has been published in several top journals. Dr. Aluri is an editorial board member of most recognized hospitality and tourism journals and serves in the board of ICHRIE. He received several awards from the international, national, and regional organizations for his outstanding contributions in research and excellence in hospitality and tourism education.

ABSTRACT

IoT and the choice of tourism destination and supply

Internet of Things, or simply IoTs, have gone from being simply a “buzz” word to one of the top emerging technologies for mainstream consumers and travelers. What makes the concept of the IoT system complex is that it means different things for different businesses and consumers and it all depends on their needs. For the tourism industry, businesses should enable IoT technologies with the use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, wireless communication, and data management based on their goals and objectives. In order to implement an IoT eco-system in the tourism industry, businesses should have strategies for data security, privacy, and management. When these technologies are integrated with the organization goals and objectives, IoT can be a platform at a micro-level in an organization or be used at a macro-level to create smart cities in the tourism industry. Dr. Aluri will discuss the IoT concept as it relates to the travel and tourism industry and explore these applications at the micro vs. macro-level and how they affect a tourist’s choice of tourism destination and supply. Dr. Aluri will be discussing some of the IoT projects and partnerships underway at the Hospitality Innovation and Technology (HIT) Lab at West Virginia University.