Ernesto Batista Sanchez

Challenges and opportunities of responding to a paradigm shift in the tourism marketplace: the case of the Cliffs of Moher 

Prior to the onset of the Covid Pandemic in 2020, it was already clear that certain forces 

were at work that signified the tourism sector (like many other sectors of the economy) had 

already entered the start of a “new paradigm”. The forces of technological disruption through digitisation and robotics were already in evidence in certain sub-sectors of the tourism sector as was an advancing recognition that “Climate Change” and its implication(s) would soon require more immediate attention. This research aims to explore how a paradigm shift in the tourism marketplace will influence tourism visitor attractions. 

From the customer side, it aims to identify what are the factors that consumers value about the implementation of technology during the entire customer journey, how it provides engaging experiences and how it helps to position the sustainable image of the visitor attraction in the consumer minds. From the supply side, it will contribute to the understanding of the impact of technology in enhancing sustainability, labour productivity and the development and understanding of tourist experiences during all the stages of the customer journey. Moreover, it will provide insights of how the operation of the visitor attraction impacts the development of the region where it is located.