Technology readiness and adoption in the airline industry : an emerging market perspective

Abstract

Technology is moving at a very fast rate and digital technology is revolutionizing our lives. Not everybody is ready for this digital change. This dissertation is a cross-sectional study investigating the attitudes of a sample of participants who volunteered to take part in a survey using an anonymous online questionnaire on attitudes towards digital passports. The questionnaire was shared on social media. The results show that there was significant difference in attitudes towards using a digitalized passport between those between 18 and 25 years of age and 50+ age groups. The difference between students and non-students was marginal. These findings, although not found from a representative sample of the Maltese population, show that any policy which involves a change from something physical to something digital and which involves people over 50, must be introduced gradually and with care. A social marketing campaign preceding the introduction of a new digital document, such as a digitalised passport, can help those members of society who are less ‘technology ready’ or who have more difficulty in accepting new technology.