Thaindian News

Auckland, Oct 13 (IANS) Robo-bar staff, even robo-sex and hotel rooms that change colour, could be commonplace in future travel scenario.

Tourism futurologist Ian Yeoman from University of Wellington, New Zealand, said that by 2050 mass tourism would spawn a range of new indoor tourism products.

It would include indoor artificial ski centres, circuses, zoos, golf courses and recreated landscapes, as well as giant cruise ships, according to a Wellington statement.

Even robot “prostitutes” that would not pass on diseases such as HIV could make an appearance, said Yeoman.

Tourism operators could turn to robots as cheap labour. For instance, robo-waiters at cocktail bars, remote-controlled camera-carrying guard dogs in hotel lobbies and self-cleaning hotel rooms were all likely, said Yeoman.

“Robotics will become important, because you’re going to have labour shortages in the future,”he said, adding “But you’re talking about extreme futures.”

Yeoman said technology would also revolutionise hotel bedrooms, with beds that sensed a guest’s comfort needs and chemical wallpaper that could change colour to suit a guest’s mood.

Of course, special pills could override a traveller’s need for sleep. “If you look at some of the research from the US Army Research Centre, what they do at the moment, when soldiers go into battle, they’re given sleep deprivation tablets,” he said.

“To a certain extent you could replicate that into travel and tourism, taking a tablet to do a 24-hour experience,” added Yeoman. These findings were presented at a tourism conference.