BIP: Technology Enhanced Experiences in Hospitality Industry

This course explores the integration of augmented, virtual, and extended  reality technologies in the hospitality industry, focusing on enhancing customer and employee experiences. Participants will gain hands-on experience through individual and group projects, such as creating digital twins and virtual guidance for destinations, while learning to build business cases for immersive technology solutions.

 

 

Please be aware that your home university may set a different application deadline depending on their internal selection process.

 

Registration dates 24 January 2025 28 February 2025
Course dates 05 May 2025 09 May 2025
Registration is open
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BIP: Technology Enhanced Experiences in Hospitality Industry

Course Highlights

Hospitality businesses increasingly combine high-tech and high-touch  approaches to create engaging and memorable experiences for guests and employees. In this course, you will learn how immersive  technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), or, as quite often nowadays, extended reality (XR) technologies can best enhance experiences in the hospitality business. You will get to work on two hands-on projects where you will create immersive hospitality experiences.

The students will do two projects during the course. First is a digital twin project done in the virtual part of the course as a solo project. The second project is to create virtual guidance for a destination. It is done during the physical part in a group of two or three students.

  • Introduction to augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), extended reality (XR)
  • Extended reality solutions in hospitality business
  • Extended reality as part of the customer experience
  • Building a business case for leveraging extended reality technology in hospitality business

Learning Outcomes

Following this course, participants will be able to:

  •  Identify realistic opportunities for applying different extended reality solutions in the hospitality business
  • Critically assess the impacts of extended reality solutions on customer experience
  • Build a realistic business case for leveraging extended reality technology in hospitality settings

Physical Mobility

The physical mobility part will be running from 5 to 9 May 2025 in Helsinki. The focus of the physical part is the virtual guidance project.

Day 1
9:15-11:30: Welcome session
12:30-16:00: Planning and storyboarding a virtual guidance

Day 2
9:15-11:30: Visiting the project destinations
12:30-16:00: Project work in groups – content creation

Day 3
9:15-11:30: Guided project work
12:30-16:00: Project work in groups – content creation

Day 4
9:15-11:30: Guided project work
12:30-16:00: Project work in groups – finalising the projects

Day 5
9:15-11:30: Project presentations

 

Virtual Component

The course material will be in Haaga-Helia’s learning platform for students to access. There will be four online lectures.

  • XR basics – What are virtual and augmented reality, and how can they be used in the hospitality industry?
  • Planning and storyboarding a digital twin – What more is a digital twin than a copy of a location? What is the added value it can provide for the hospitality industry?
  • Content production and tools – Which tools should be used in the course and how? What other options are there?
  • User testing – how to collect study user experience and why is it important?

Requirements

  • It is recommended to have a basic understanding of the hospitality and tourism business.
  • A basic understanding of ICT tools is recommended. You need to use office tools, search for information, and install applications on a phone or a PC.
  • The course language is English. You need to be able to work in English.

Application Process

To apply for the course, students are required to submit a motivational letter (300 words) explaining their interest in the program and how it aligns with their academic or professional goals. The deadline for  applications is End of February 2025. Applications should be sent to your Mobility Officer.

 

Please ensure your motivational letter highlights any relevant background in hospitality, tourism, or technology, as well as your proficiency in English. For further inquiries, contact the mobility officer using the same email address.

Professors

  • Jouko Loijas (Haaga-Helia UAS)
  • Aarni Tuomi (Haaga-Helia UAS)
  • Juan Luis Blanco Guzman (University of Seville)

More information