Digitalisation in tourism: It’s more than technology, big data and apps

Industry 4.0 is unleashing massive social and economic changes across the world, yet an appreciation of the changes ahead, and mature policy discussions are patchy. Returning to Australia after spending five years in Europe, in this post I reflect on some of the differences in public discussions and identify six (6) recommendations for creating a mature policy space to navigate the changes ahead.

Industry 4.0 — it’s not just about manufacturing

Industry 4.0 is an umbrella term used to denote massive transformations taking place in the organisation of economic and social life as a result of digitalisation and technological advances. Mazali (2017) argues that the shift is not just an economic-technological one, but it also involves massive social and cultural transformation. The depth and breadth of change anticipated means that mature policy conversations are needed (Santos, 2017).

Put simply, automation, digitalisation, interconnectivity, big data, vertical and horizontal integration, new forms of production and consumption, and new business models and logics, are driving social and economic transformation, but the breadth and depth of these implications are little understood.