The robotics industry is expected to grow within the travel and tourism sector, but without harming human employment opportunities, according to a new “Robotics in Travel and Tourism” report by GlobalData.

The service robotics industry is expected to grow by a compound annual growth rate of over 21 percent in 2030, reaching $216 billion. Consumer and logistics robots are expected to grow by 29 percent and 21 percent between 2020 and 2030, as they are implemented as cleaning fleets, language translation check-in assistants and in other assistive roles to their human counterparts.

Cloud robotics is also expected to grow within the hospitality industry, with Huazhu Hotels Group and BTG Homeinns Hotels Group, which comprise approximately 7 and 5.5 percent of the global market share, investing in Shenzhen ExcelLand Technology, a robotics mobile platform provider.

“Robotics in travel and tourism was considered as a gimmick in the past, used as early as 2015 for guest experiences without improving efficiency for staff,” said Sarah Coop, Analyst at GlobalData. “But, as the technology improved, investment has started increasing, resulting in robots for room service deliveries, cleaning services using UV light, inspection services using drones, translation services, and customer service to improve operational efficiency.”

Additionally, the report noted the growth of robotics being mentioned within tourism and travel industry company filings from 2016 to 2022, which grew from 2018 to 2019 and remained stable throughout the pandemic as they were implemented in airports and hotels to disinfect on a higher level than human ability could.