Identifying and Analyzing the Barriers to Hotel Smartification in Iran Using Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM)

Hotel smartification is recognized as a key strategy for enhancing service quality and competitiveness within Iran’s hospitality industry. Despite the numerous advantages of these technologies, their implementation is accompanied by challenges and obstacles that must be identified and analyzed for the successful execution of digital transformation projects. Therefore, this study set out to identify and rank the obstacles and risks associated with hotel smartification in Iran, thereby providing a deep understanding of these factors to facilitate effective planning for hoteliers and policymakers. Methodologically, the research employs a descriptive-survey approach based on a mixed-methods (qualitative-quantitative) perspective. In the qualitative phase, thirteen key obstacles were identified through interviews with five tourism industry experts and a review of the related literature. In the quantitative phase, with the participation of sixteen professors and Ph.D. students, the data were analyzed using fuzzy cognitive mapping and FCMapper and UCINET6 software. According to the findings of the study, system downtime, cybersecurity threats, and maintenance and repairs were identified as the three main obstacles to hotel smartification in Iran, whose centrality rate was 4.54, 4.34, and 3.72, respectively. These factors directly impact hotel operational performance and customer satisfaction. Furthermore, high initial costs and vendor dependency were recognized as financial and technical obstacles with centrality of 2.79 and 1.3, respectively. On the other hand, sanctions and import restrictions, with centrality of 2.79, highlight the industry’s vulnerability to macroeconomic challenges.