Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed many industries, including tourism, and much
research has focused on countries in the Global North. This study aimed to discover factors
influencing the adoption of artificial intelligence in sustainable tourism within the Global
South, with specific reference to South Africa. Using a cross- sectional, quantitative research
approach based on a positivist paradigm, the study employed questionnaires as the primary
data collection method. The questionnaire was developed through an extensive review of
relevant literature and grounded on the theoretical frameworks of UTAUT, ECM, TTAT, and
TOE. Data were collected from a sample of 1, 049 employees working across various tourism
organisations in the Gauteng province, South Africa, and analysed using Partial Least Squares
Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). Findings revealed significant positive
relationships between competitive pressure and continuance use, facilitating conditions and
post- adoption confirmation, personal development and post- adoption, social influence and
post- adoption confirmation, as well as between post- adoption confirmation and perceived
satisfaction. Additionally, there was a significant positive correlation between perceived
benefits and continuance use, perceived satisfaction and continuance use, perceived
satisfaction and habit, perceived trust and habit, perceived trust and perceived satisfaction, and
top management support and continuance use. Conversely, negative and insignificant
relationships were found between effort expectancy and post- adoption confirmation, personal
wellbeing and post- adoption confirmation, performance expectancy and post- adoption
confirmation, as well as perceived susceptibility and post- adoption confirmation. The study
also identified a negative and insignificant relationship between habit and continuance use, as
well as perceived compatibility and continuance use. These findings suggest that technology
interaction is not a one- time event but an ongoing, context- dependent process, with employee
perceptions evolving from initial adoption to continued use or potential avoidance.
Consequently, different psychological and environmental factors influence each stage of
employee behaviour. Thus, this study contributes to the growing body of knowledge in
information systems and social science research, particularly concerning AI and sustainable
tourism.