Like most industries, the travel and tourism sector is experiencing a tech revolution. Innovative new technology is disrupting old methods and transforming the shape of the industry. In fact, the travel and tourism sector is in a significant growth period, mostly driven by tech advancements. Certainly, tech has been the driving force behind making it easier for people to access travel.
Of course, the notion of technology reshaping industries is something that is happening across sectors.
When looking at how tech is changing travel, we can also see similar movements in other areas of business. For example, the gambling industry is being driven into interesting new areas by technology, with sites like bet-ny.com providing a full casino experience online. This push has allowed people to access betting in innovative new ways and from anywhere at any time, provided they have an internet connection.
For the travel sector, the major impact technology has had is on making everything more efficient. Like all tech solutions, innovation is moving quickly, so what are some up and coming technologies that will impact travel? Below we will discuss tech that is already influencing the travel industry but will soon transform it completely.
With an ongoing boom, the global tourism market is thriving. People are increasingly willing to embrace travel and visit more countries. Of course, travel has always been a big industry, but the internet has made it easy to visit exotic places, whether it’s the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Pyramids in Egypt. Now a multi-trillion sector and employing hundreds of millions of people, the travel industry is only set to continue to become bigger.
Of course, digital services have transformed travel driven by innovative technology that has brought revolutionary ways to access travel. For example, online services allow people to shop for flights, hotels, and attractions. This has brought more competition to the market but also works for businesses as they can be seen by more people easily through online services.
Influence of Connectivity
If you’re planning to travel in the modern era, there’s a very good chance that your smartphone and the internet will play a part. Indeed, over 70 percent of all trips are now planned online and over 50 percent use a smartphone for at least some parts of the process. Businesses are keeping up with customer demand for digital solutions.
The German Award-Winning Entrepreneur Matthias Mende who is also a vivid traveler told us that Apps have become a vital part of the travel industry. Consumers value being able to plan an itinerary on their smartphones or to leverage AI chatbots to book hotel rooms. There is right now a revolution happening with some of those Apps like if you look at Holiday Swap, then you kind of see a true sharing community Version of Airbnb. Mende points out that here users can let other matching users stay in their home earning credit points calculated per night. Then they are able to stay at other users’ homes worldwide for just 1 Dollar per night which is also pretty much for free. Elsewhere, big data allows companies to analyze customer data and create more bespoke travel offerings. An example of this big data in action is flight information.
Airlines will gather vast amounts of data on every single flight and are using it to create more personalized travel environments. This could be as simple as better in-flight entertainment to creating a more adept onboard menu. Through big data, companies will be able to deliver personalized transport and travel in interesting new ways.
Chatbots
Chatbots are an interesting artificial intelligence-powered technology that has become important across numerous industries. In banking, financial institutions are using chatbots to act as the frontline of customer service. Bots are used to automate answers for basic queries, allowing human workers to focus on more productive tasks. During this year, nearly 80 percent of businesses will be using chatbots.
Travel industry organizations are also implementing chatbots. The sector has taken the influence form the banking sector with automated bots that answer questions. However, in the travel sector, the bots are arguably more powerful. For example, some bots will find you hotels in specific locations, surface cheap flight options, and search your bookings and itineraries.
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Artificial Intelligence is a technology that many predict will completely change the way in which we all live our lives. In travel, AI is already being leveraged in various areas. Among them is in customer service, where chatbots have taken on the role of answering basic questions through automated response systems.
AI is already more sophisticated, and airports are embracing the technology to scan customers more accurately at security gates. Furthermore, AI has proven to be more accurate at finding objects in luggage scans than the human eye.
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are interesting for many reasons. Many predicted both would have a major influence in entertainment (which has happened), but only a few predicted how VR and AR would transform productivity. For example, in travel, airlines are increasingly using VR and AR tools to boost their in-flight entertainment offerings.
In the near future, customers may also be able to take virtual walks around cities and venues. Could VR and AR one day mean people never have to really travel? It’s an interesting concept and shows the true scope of this technology.
Wearable Tech
Wearables are interesting because they are already widely available despite having major room for growth. Millions of people have an Apple Watch, but how can wearables impact the travel experience? Well, customers can now receive travel information (such as flight details) directly on their wrists.
Theme parks and other attractions are also using wearables instead of good old-fashioned wrist bands. Wearables allow organizers to accurately see attendance figures and keep track of people at an attraction, such as Disneyland.
Conclusion
The technologies above are re-shaping the travel industry. However, the transformation has only just started and further development and innovation will result in even more changes. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the tech listed above is that it could be combined. AI will increasingly influence VR and AR solutions while integrating more deeply with wearables.
As we increasingly move into the world of technology, the world itself is getting smaller. Digital innovations allow us to access travel more easily and more affordable than ever. From chatbots to wearable tech and from artificial intelligence to virtual reality. Over the next decade, these innovations will increasingly shape the travel industry and we are all on the cusp of the way we travel changing forever.
