question: PurposeThis study aims to explore the factors affecting customers’ attitudes to the adoption of robots in hotels and travel agencies.Design/methodology/approachStructural equation modelling was used to test the extended technology acceptance model based on data collected from 570 customers of hotels and travel agencies.FindingsThe findings revealed that hotel customers have more positive attitudes to service robots than their peers in travel agencies.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the literature on robots in tourism and responds to the call to investigate customers’ attitudes to the adoption of robots in developing countries.