International Journal of Sub-Saharan African Research (IJSSAR)

Background: Emerging technologies are transforming hotel operations. In five-star-rated hotels, emerging technologies have become important tools for enhancing operational efficiency. Whereas numerous studies have examined emerging technologies in the hospitality industry in relation to guest experience and service innovation, limited empirical attention has been paid to how adopting these technologies influences operational efficiency in five-star-rated hotels in developing countries, particularly Zanzibar. This gap is important because Zanzibar’s hotel sector operates in a competitive tourism environment, where efficient service delivery, process coordination, and effective resource utilization are essential to operational efficiency.
Objective: This study examined the influence of the adoption of emerging technologies on the operational efficiency of five-star-rated hotels in Zanzibar.
Method: This study adopted a mixed-methods convergent parallel design. Quantitative data were collected from 252 managers of five-star-rated hotels using structured questionnaires, and qualitative insights were obtained through open-ended questions. A census approach was used to include all eligible hotel managers, and stratified sampling ensured the representation of hotel departments. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA), whereas qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. Results: The findings show that five-star-rated hotels in Zanzibar have adopted emerging technologies, with cloud computing recording the highest adoption score, followed by big data analytics, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, blockchain, and virtual and augmented reality. Respondents reported that positive operational efficiency outcomes included improved work performance and service delivery speed, reduced errors, time and cost savings, and improved communication. The MANOVA results demonstrated a statistically significant multivariate effect of the adoption of emerging technologies on operational efficiency (Wilks’ Lambda = 0.668, F (15, 673.978) = 7.070, p < 0.001). The between-subjects effect on operational efficiency was also significant, F (5, 246) = 9.749, p < 0.001, R² = 0.165. Bonferroni post-hoc comparisons indicated that minimal adopters performed significantly lower than moderate and advanced adopters.
Conclusion: This study concludes that the adoption of emerging technologies significantly enhances operational efficiency in five-star-rated hotels in Zanzibar by improving service speed, reducing errors, strengthening interdepartmental coordination, supporting timely decision-making, and improving resource utilization.
Unique Contribution: Although emerging technologies have been widely studied in developed hospitality markets, empirical evidence from luxury hotels in developing tourism destinations, such as Zanzibar, remains limited. This study fills this gap by demonstrating that operational efficiency improves significantly as hotels progress from minimal to advanced technology. This study contributes to the hospitality technology literature by providing empirical evidence from Zanzibar.
Key Recommendation: This study recommends that five-star-rated hotels in Zanzibar support continuous staff training, digital competence development, and leadership support