Maturidade digital de negócios turísticos: proposição de modelo de medição da transformação digital no turismo, a partir do setor de meios de hospedagens

Abstract

Technological advances in recent decades have profoundly changed social behavior and markets, including the hospitality and tourism sectors. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has reshaped the operational and strategic management of businesses, driving digital transformation. In this context, several studies and models attempt to measure the level of technology adoption in organizations. However, despite existing initiatives on digital maturity in different sectors, there is still no specific academic model for tourism that considers its specificities. The lack of studies on digital transformation in tourism and the growing importance of this topic highlights the need for a model that assesses the digital maturity of tourism businesses, especially in accommodation facilities. Thus, the question arises: How can digital transformation in tourism businesses in accommodation facilities be measured? Given this scenario, this thesis aims to develop a model to estimate the digital maturity of tourism businesses, focusing on the accommodation sector. The research is based on the positivist epistemological current, with a deductive approach and qualitative methods of an exploratory-descriptive nature. To this end, it adopts a systematic literature review, grounded theory, and the Adapted Delphi Method, with the participation of experts and a cross-sectional time frame. As main result, the Digital Maturity Model for Tourism Enterprises (DMMTour) is proposed, and structured in three dimensions: Digital Oriented Management, Processes and Technologies, and Marketing and Customers. The model aims to understand the level of digitalization of tourism businesses, ranging from the management and optimization of operational processes to the use of technologies to improve the guest experience and customer relationships. In addition to filling academic and market gaps, the DMMTour allows companies in the sector to assess their level of digital maturity and understand the challenges, opportunities, and strategies to improve their digitalization. To this end, the creation of the Digital Maturity Index (DMITour) is proposed, an indicator that assesses the implementation of the dimensions and sub-dimensions of the model and classifies the organization into five levels of digital maturity: (I) Digital Embryo; (II) Digital Beginner; (III) Digital Apprentice; (IV) Digital Expert; and (V) Digital Leader. The digital maturity model provides a practical tool for tourism companies to assess their progress in digital transformation and identify strategies to achieve more advanced levels of digitalization. The DMMTour contributes to both academic advancement in tourism literature and the competitive development of tourism companies.