THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS AMONG THREE-STAR HOTELS IN THAI NGUYEN: A MULTIPLE-CASE STUDY OF CURRENT PRACTICES, BARRIERS, AND SUPPORT NEEDS

Abstract

Rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI), particularly generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), are expanding the potential applications of these technologies in hotel marketing communications. However, access to and use of AI for individual tasks do not necessarily mean that AI has been integrated into organizational processes. This study aims to clarify the scope of AI use, the degree of AI integration, the barriers encountered, and the support needs associated with AI use among three-star hotels in Thai Nguyen. The study adopts a qualitative multiple-case design involving nine hotels and combines semi-structured interviews, reviews of digital communication channels, and evidence relating to AI-use processes. Data were analyzed within individual cases and comparatively across cases. The findings show that eight of the nine cases had experimented with AI, primarily for idea generation, content creation and editing, translation, and visual-content support, whereas applications involving personalization, data analysis, and system integration remained limited. In many cases, AI use originated from individual initiatives before being formalized at the organizational level. The most salient barriers concerned users’ AI capabilities, the quality and accuracy of AI-generated outputs, the absence of formal procedures, authenticity, data-related issues, and copyright. Support needs centered on hands-on training, guidance on prompt development, output verification, and process standardization. The findings underscore the importance of distinguishing between AI use and AI integration in hotel marketing communications