The Impact of AI-Driven Solutions on Value-Based Selling in B2B Hospitality Markets

Abstract

The integration of artificial intelligence into B2B hospitality sales is rapidly transforming traditional sales processes, offering new opportunities for value-based selling. However, while AI has been widely studied in B2C and broader technology contexts, its specific impact on B2B hospitality markets remains underexplored. This study addresses this research gap by investigating how AI-driven solutions influence value-based selling practices from the seller’s perspective within the hospitality industry. The research employed a qualitative approach, conducting ten semi-structured interviews with experienced professionals across different segments of the hospitality B2B sector. Through thematic analysis, the study explored how AI tools are currently utilized, the benefits perceived by sellers, and the future skills necessary for successful AI integration. The findings reveal that AI tools significantly enhance operational efficiency, support personalized customer engagement, and provide strategic insights for sales professionals. Nevertheless, the study also demonstrates that while AI can automate many administrative and analytical aspects of the sales process, it cannot replicate the human elements essential to trust-building, emotional connection, and value co-creation. Interview participants consistently emphasized that successful B2B hospitality sales will continue to rely heavily on personal relationships, strategic empathy, and human judgment. Managerially, the study suggests that hospitality organizations should focus not only on technological adoption but also on developing the human competencies necessary to complement AI capabilities. Key skills for future sales professionals include data literacy, adaptability, strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, and cross-functional collaboration. By bridging theoretical concepts of value-based selling with empirical insights from the hospitality sector, this thesis contributes to both academic literature and practical management understanding. It underscores that in an AI-augmented future, technology will enhance, rather than replace, the indispensable human dimension of B2B hospitality sales.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	English
Supervisor	Robert Füreder (Supervisor)