Heidar Ahmadi

The tourism industry faces unprecedented challenges and opportunities in the age of digital transformation. Artificial intelligence, as a driving technology of this transformation, can play a decisive role in creating sustainable competitive advantage. However, what turns technology into competitive advantage is the organization's ability to effectively manage and utilize the knowledge embedded within it. This study aims to investigate the impact of artificial intelligence on sustainable competitive advantage with the mediating role of knowledge management in the tourism industry. This research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-correlational in terms of method. The statistical population consisted of 119 managers, experts, and administrative staff from ten hotels in Tabriz, of which 115 usable questionnaires were returned (response rate: 96.6%). Data were collected using standardized questionnaires: Chen et al. (2022) for artificial intelligence, Li et al. (2006) for sustainable competitive advantage, and Lawson (2003) for knowledge management, and were analyzed using SmartPLS software. The results showed that artificial intelligence has a positive and significant effect on sustainable competitive advantage (β = 0.597), artificial intelligence on knowledge management (β = 0.608), and knowledge management on sustainable competitive advantage (β = 0.502). Furthermore, knowledge management plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between artificial intelligence and sustainable competitive advantage (β = 0.305). Artificial intelligence contributes to creating sustainable competitive advantage in the tourism industry both directly and indirectly (through knowledge management). Knowledge management acts as a strategic bridge between technology and competitiveness. Simultaneous investment in AI infrastructure and strengthening knowledge management processes lays the groundwork for achieving superior performance and sustainable competitive advantage i