Technology is crucial to the tourism and travel industry, helping businesses with day-to-day operations while improving the customer experience. For this reason, hotels, airlines, restaurants, and other companies must keep up with the latest technology trends within the travel industry. In this article, you can learn more about these new tech trends.
Travel technology is a broad term that is used to describe the application of IT, e-commerce, and similar technology solutions within the fields of tourism, travel, and hospitality. Hotel and tourism technology may be intended to assist businesses and their employees, improve the travel experience for customers, or both.
A trend can be defined as a general development within a particular field or as a general shift in behavior. Within hospitality, several factors are responsible for changes in consumer behavior and, therefore, are responsible for many of the travel tech trends that are most relevant. Emerging technology, including voice search, virtual and augmented reality, facial recognition technology, and the Internet of Things, has led to the adoption of smart speakers in hotels, virtual reality tours from travel companies, and new, seamless ways to check-in, without having to queue and speak to reception staff.
Discover The Key Technology Trends in the Tourism & Travel Industry
1. Voice Search & Voice Control
Smartphones, smart speakers, and AI assistants have all helped to increase the relevance of voice search as far as technology trends in the travel industry are concerned. In particular, a growing number of travel customers are using voice search to find and book airline tickets, hotel rooms, and travel experiences.
It is, therefore, crucial to design your website with voice search in mind, so that you can capitalize on this trend.
2. Robots
Robotics technology is one of the most exciting forms of travel technology, and it is constantly improving. Within hotels, for example, robots have been used in concierge-like roles, helping to greet guests when they arrive and provide information. Some hotels have expanded their use further, involving them in cleaning and luggage handling.
Within restaurants, robots can potentially have a role in food preparation and food service. In airports, they can detect concealed weapons, while some manufacturers also use robotics to create luggage cases that intelligently follow you. Moreover, travel agents use robots for pre-screening, making waiting times more productive for customers.
3. Contactless Payments
Another important form of travel tech is the ability to accept contactless payments. This will allow travel companies to process payments much more quickly, including when customers do not have access to cash, or their credit or debit card. It can also enhance the customer experience, because it is a time saver.
4. Virtual Reality (VR)
Virtual reality has been an emerging technology in a number of different sectors, but its role within the tourism industry is especially significant. After all, it provides travelers with the ability to experience far away locations from the comfort of their own home, and can be the difference in whether they ultimately complete a booking.
5. AI Chatbots
AI-powered chatbots can be one of the single most sensible travel technology investments you can make, because these chatbots can provide customers with swift answers to questions on a 24/7 basis, regardless of staff availability. This can be essential for living up to current expectations of customer service.
Typically, these chatbots are at their best when answering common questions, which have standard answers. Yet, advances in AI technology mean modern chatbots continually improve as they have more and more interactions. They can also be especially good at responding to queries about policies and other measures or procedures.
6. CyberSecurity Measures
Cybersecurity is a major focus area for those in travel management roles, because companies in the industry are increasingly at risk from cyber-attacks and more vulnerable to other kinds of data breaches. Travel companies are a major target, because they employ many people and have access to abundant customer data. Some of the biggest threats in this area include phishing attacks and ransomware attacks, although the modern reliance on data also leaves companies at risk from human error caused by their own employees too. This requires investment in cybersecurity training and various hardware and software solutions to keep your business safe. It is also important to keep up with the latest regulations and to comply with data protection laws.
7. Internet of Things (IoT)
One of the most exciting emerging travel technology trends is the Internet of Things (IoT), which involves internet-based interconnectivity between everyday devices, allowing them to both send and receive data. We already see examples of its role within the travel and tourism industry, and this will only increase.
8. Recognition Technology
Finally, recognition technology is especially interesting within this list of key tech trends, due to its potential for removing friction from purchases and making interactions seamless. The technology itself includes fingerprint recognition, facial recognition, retina scanning, and various other biometric identifiers.
Such technology is already being used in some hotels to allow access to rooms via fingerprints or to allow for semi-contactless check-outs. However, in the future, it is hoped that this technology may allow customers to pay for meals in the hotel restaurant simply by walking through the exit.
9. Augmented Reality (AR)
Augmented reality is similar to virtual reality, but involves augmenting a person’s real surroundings, rather than replacing them. One of the major plus points of this particular technological trend is that it is cheaper than VR, with users requiring only a smartphone or tablet device with internet access.
Through graphical overlays, those in the tourism industry can greatly enhance the customer experience, providing customers with valuable information or even pure entertainment. For instance, apps can allow photographs to be augmented through filters and effects. Details about local destinations can also be displayed as a customer points their smartphone at them, providing information at the exact time that it is most relevant.
10. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Away from robots, artificial intelligence is being used in other ways too. Perhaps the most obvious use within the travel and tourism industry is for customer service purposes, with chatbots possessing the ability to deliver rapid response times to problems or queries. It is also able to continuously learn from interactions with customers.
In addition, hotels and other companies operating in the tourism industry can use artificial intelligence to accurately and continuously sort through data. It can draw conclusions about business performance or trends associated with customer satisfaction and even intelligently manage inventories.
11. Big Data
In modern tourism management, big data is a fact of life, and almost all successful companies employ their own data collection techniques. One of the biggest uses for this data is to improve personalization, with travel companies using the information they gather to make specific adjustments to their offerings.
Another valuable use of data is to analyze current business performance. In particular, hotel owners can use big data for revenue management purposes, using historical occupancy rates and other past trends to better anticipate levels of demand. When demand is predictable, pricing and promotional strategies can also be optimized.
12. Metaverse & Travel
Another of the technology trends travel industry businesses need to be aware of is the growth of the metaverse. This expands upon virtual reality and augmented reality technology, providing a digital environment where social interactions can take place. This allows users to interact with others while exploring digital recreations of travel destinations.
3. NFTs Enter the Travel Industry
NFTs are a significant technology trend in general, but also one of the technology trends travel industry stakeholders must become familiar with. NFTs are digital assets on the blockchain and represent unique digital items. NFTs are often associated with digital art, and some in the industry are already partnering with local artists in mutually beneficial ways, but the technology can also power customer loyalty schemes too.
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