What is the impact of technology on travel and tourism?
The travel industry has been revolutionized by several technologies in the past few years and what we expect to happen in the soon future, which we want to share with you, is what we anticipate will occur in the near future for the travel industry.
We travel and plan our vacations differently today due to technological advancements. Travel companies are only able to stay competitive by digitizing their processes nowadays, since technology impacts the industry significantly.
Travel apps, online travel platforms, and blogs have made travel easier in recent years. In the travel industry, millennials and Generation Z have played a crucial role – since they’re passionate about traveling and enjoy using new technology at the same time.
A new age of technology has transformed the travel industry, and companies that do not adapt to this new trend will go out of business sooner or later if they do not follow it.
As technology advances, business efficiency and productivity are increased and different processes are optimized, resulting in the reduction of manual work and an improvement in customer service.
There are several technologies that have revolutionized the travel industry in the recent years and what we expect will happen in the near future, which we want to share with you.
How does digital transformation impact the travel industry?
Travel companies need digital transformation to survive the recent 2020-2021 years and pandemic. To decrease social interaction between customers, travel companies should improve their services. Airport check-ins can be completed on the internet, and bookings can also be made on the internet.
According to a July 2020 survey, about 55 percent of respondents worldwide were excited about potentially personalizing their travel experiences. For the purposes of improving the customer experience, travel companies use a variety of technological solutions. People search for information online, use apps as a personal guide, and book flights and accommodation through websites or apps in order to find out more information.
Travel companies should interact with travelers online and ensure that they interact with them in a proper way, since travelers conduct much of their pre-travel planning online. The majority of companies currently have chatbot solutions in place in order to engage their customers online, for example. As you can see, this is not the full list of travel tech solutions available in the market today.
Another Survey
The September 2020 study solicited opinions from respondents in several countries about the preferred potential applications of technology for travel. There were approximately 38 percent of those surveyed travelers worldwide who stated that they would like to see technology help to reduce the amount of queues and congestion in public places. 29% of respondents believe technology will help provide advance notice of travel delays.
- There is a 52% share of travel agencies and tour operators in the EU 27 that purchase cloud computing services.
- In the world of travel and hospitality, 26% of companies use chatbots to interact with customers.
- Over the next three years, 84% of airlines worldwide expect to be able to trial all technologies.
In this article, we are going to take a look at the top travel tech solutions for the tourism industry for 2022 that you can utilize.
Apps that can help you travel
It is common for travelers to use their smartphones to make bookings, shop, or perform other actions. Travelers use apps to find the best hotels and restaurants and read reviews. Communicating through messengers has also been found to be popular with consumers. The majority of us use our smartphones to store our tickets while we are traveling. You can use some travel apps as your travel guide right in your pocket, as well as find out where the airport lounges are located with some of these apps.
Conversational AI that can interact with users
Since people are using apps to plan their trips, messengers with chatbots are convenient. A chatbot that uses artificial intelligence can provide a quick answer without requiring you to search FAQs or talk with customer service (something introverts don’t enjoy). Chatbots can reduce the cost of hiring more customer service agents and the cost of manual labor for travel companies.
Check-in via contactless technology
In the years since COVID, people have begun to isolate themselves from the activity socially. Airports and hotels offer contactless mobile check-in to customers in an effort to reduce the number of shared touchpoints.
Cashless payments
As a result of the COVID era, contactless transactions and cashless payments have become a wider part of our everyday lives. People don’t want to handle cash because of the virus. These changes require travel companies to integrate top-notch payment solutions for their customers. It’s also convenient and fast when you use contactless payments. Travel industry apps are developed to enable users to place their phones near credit card readers so that they can swipe their cards wirelessly. An appropriate hygienic payment method for pandemic times, this is secure and convenient.
Augmented reality and virtual reality
There are a number of industries that already rely on these tools. Users can use augmented reality to use fitting rooms in the fashion and beauty industries, or to visualize their homes. Every aspect of our lives is being transformed by VR technology, including the workplace. With VR, museums can even offer in-person exhibitions through online exhibitions.
Robotics
As of now, this technology doesn’t play a significant role in our daily lives, but it will in the future. Increasingly, robots are being used in the travel industry to automate processes and decrease human error. The use of robots in restaurants and hotels includes cooking, serving, and concierge functions. Robots can be used in airports to detect insecure activities, such as weapons, in order to ensure airport security. Can you imagine a world where your luggage follows you as if it were a pet after you leave your house? In other words, this is the nearest future that we can see.
Wearables and the Internet of Things (IoT)
IoT is a technology that has a wide range of applications in a wide range of industries. A number of top-notch technologies have been incorporated into the tourism industry that are connected to various devices. It is possible to use IoT solutions in airports or hotels to provide their guests with excellent services by using connected devices.
There are different ways in which travel companies use wearables to enhance the customer experience. There are several airlines that offer smartwatch boarding passes to their customers, including Air Berlin and Iberia, for example.
Big data and artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) can help tourism companies process a large amount of information and personalize the guest experience. These technologies allow search aggregators like Skyscanner to offer users personalized recommendations based on their search history.
By using artificial intelligence, companies can save time and money, and reduce the possibility of human error. With AI technology, developers can process large amounts of data more quickly, serving more customers. A big data analysis can provide insight into the behavior of customers, or any other data necessary for the improvement of customer service, on a deep level. Travel companies have been able to adjust the services they offer as a result of these findings.
Technology based on recognition
Using this kind of technology can simplify and speed up the process of purchasing and providing security. Recognition technology consists of a range of features such as facial/fingerprint recognition, biometrics, among others.
The recognition technology is one of the most important elements for the pandemic time – it minimizes the interaction between individuals.
Several companies offer virtual assistant services these days.
Many of us already have virtual assistants like Siri or Alexa. In everyday life, we use virtual assistants, so why not when we travel? The travel industry is also embracing this technology in a big way. As a result of VA, travelers get information more quickly, or even get their own personal virtual guide. It is possible for the VA to act as a concierge and help with bookings, navigations, etc.
Takeaway
Technology is transforming the travel industry, and businesses must adapt to these changes. Through information technology, travel companies are able to communicate with their customers around the globe, and they can meet their demands in a timely manner.
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