The transformative power of AI and AR in customer-centric services in tourism & hospitality sector: Looking back to predict the future outlook. In R. C. Ho, B. L. Song, & P. K. Tee (Eds.), Managing customer-centric strategies in the digital landscape (pp. xx-xx). IGI Global

In this chapter, we will look at how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR) are bringing big changes to the hospitality and tourism industries, especially in post-pandemic era. AR, which started as an idea in the 1960s, is now widely used to improve visitor experiences by adding digital information to real-world places. AR is special because it mixes digital and real-world elements, making it perfect for interactive tourism.The main goals of this chapter are to describe how AI and AR have evolved, examine their impact on customer service and business operations. AI is changing how businesses serve their customers by using AI and AR tools to offer smart and quick assistance. We will discuss how AI and contactless services with self-service machines have become important. These technologies make customer service more personalized and efficient in fields such as 'smart tourism' and how AI-driven AR helps build resilience with theoretical underpinnings such as Flow Experience (FE) and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM).