Hotel room access control: an NFC approach ecotourism framework

Purpose This study aims to highlight that security and flexibilities remain the main points of contention in the cordiality business. This research points to planning a framework that empowers hotel users to get to the room using a mobile access key. Advancing secured facilities, mobile phone “Near Field Communication” (NFC) innovation as the entrance device by carrying out an application containing an imitated mobile key for explicit verification access is used. Design/methodology/approach The proposed system is evaluated by triangulation of experimental, numerical and rational evaluation using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with Malaysian hotel guests and employees. Findings The discoveries with the hypothesis supported validated that the suggested solution can eliminate physical cards, boost protection and encourage a contactless ecosystem. Theoretical, management and societal contributions are discussed here. Research limitations/implications This experiment comes with the constraints that it was conducted in only two hotels and does not fully reflect the choices of a wider range of travellers. Secondly, the cost of existing NFC smart locks is still relatively high, and along with the development of technology, the price will decrease when supply exceeds demand. Practical implications To promote high-security attributes, NFC technology as the access system by implementing an application containing an emulated smart key for specific authentication access is used. The host-card emulation enables cost-effectiveness profit and initiating a defence system in the pandemic era. Social implications To promote high-security attributes, NFC technology is used as the access system by implementing an application containing an emulated smart key for specific authentication access. The host-card emulation enables cost-effectiveness profit and initiating a defence system in the pandemic era. Originality/value The novelty of this study comes from the use of commonly available smartphone NFC features that are yet to be applied in the tourism ecosystem. The research provokes the applied concept of mobile smartkeys.