Service Through Personal Encounters or Technology; the Preferences and Privacy Concerns of Generation Z

Abstract

Companies nowadays use service personalization, both online and in the real world and most consumers have higher satisfaction with a product tailormade to their needs. Personalized recommendation systems, booking mobile applications are there to make the guest experience better and to tailor the products and experiences to the guest's needs. However, to be able to provide such service, personal data collection is inevitable. Even in the case of a satisfied consumer, privacy concerns are always present. As the hospitality service product become more digitalized, it is essential to consider if the Personalization - Privacy paradox is equally real for all age groups or target groups the hotel has. Would different age groups have different digital security concerns from each other? In this research paper, we only look at the example of Gen-Z tourism students and their willingness to share personal information in exchange for personalized service and whether they prefer these services online over face- to -face encounters.