Rethinking smartness in hospitality and tourism: a critical reflection

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to critically interrogate the ontological instability and conceptual dilution of the term “smart” within tourism and hospitality. It problematizes how the ubiquitous adoption of “smartness” has outpaced its theoretical grounding, leading to category collapse and symbolic inflation. Design/methodology/approach Through a conceptual and philosophical reflection grounded in post-structuralist thought, this paper examines how smartness operates as a floating signifier. It integrates insights from service theory, hospitality philosophy, and recent empirical findings on smart hotels to analyze how technology affects the emotional and relational dimensions of the guest experience. Findings The study identifies that the overextension of smartness has weakened its analytical utility, particularly as it conflates digital presence with meaningful innovation. The discourse often neglects contextual appropriateness, emotional resonance, and human-centric values, especially in high-touch hospitality environments. In response, the paper proposes the reflective experience intelligence framework as an alternative framework for rethinking smart innovation. Practical implications The paper provides actionable guidance for policymakers, hoteliers and destination managers to move beyond symbolic smartness and toward sustainable, inclusive and experience-driven innovation strategies. Originality/value This study offers a rare ontological critique of smart tourism and hospitality, moving beyond techno-optimism to advocate for a more ethically grounded, relational and context-sensitive conceptualization of smartness. It introduces a five-component framework that reorients smart technology implementation around values of empathy, accountability and human-technology partnership.