Technology is important for enterprises and firms operating in the tourism sector. It has the potential to increase the efficiency of business operations while also enhancing the customer experience, but hotels and other businesses must keep up with emerging tech trends in the industry to avoid falling behind competitors. Hence, today in this article we will enlist 7 emerging tech trends of digital transformation in the travel and tourism sector
Mobile App to Drive Sales
The content presents numerous opportunities for businesses operating in the travel & tourism sector. A significant challenge is figuring out how to combine relevant travel content from various sources so that it can be used by both travel vendors and travelers.
WeChat (China) – a single app that contains multiple apps – is one area that is gaining popularity, as it allows users to connect social media, make a purchase, order food, book cabs, reservations, rooms, and more. As 5G devices and networks become more common, we expect mobile applications and content to evolve even further.
IoT
The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to internet-based connectivity between gadgets that allow them to send and receive data.
The best example is Lufthansa, which is using IoT to reduce stress and anxiety associated with missing luggage. Passengers can follow their luggage through the Lufthansa app using a link found on their mobile boarding pass.
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Social Media and Travel Bookings
- Over 1 billion people use Instagram every month
- 81% of people use Instagram to help research products and services
Travel photos incite new wanderlust in viewers, according to a survey, more than 40% of travelers aged between 18 and 33 prioritize ‘Instagrammability’ when choosing a holiday destination.
With the growing influence of social media, industry participants are striving to create a similar digital experience. Smartphones have surpassed laptops as the preferred platform for travel research, booking, and content sharing among the younger generation and emerging economies. As a result, tourism and travel companies and businesses must change their strategies and focus on providing a mobile-friendly user experience.
Artificial Intelligence(AI) and Chatbot
AI technology has cemented its place in digital marketing trends, and the travel and tourism industry is no exception. A chatbot is a computer program that allows humans to communicate interactively using pre-programmed artificial intelligence. Chatbots are classified into two types based on how they interact with humans: auditory (sound) and textual (text).
The use of Chatbots on a travel business website is growing rapidly.
The major benefit of chatbots is to work 24/7 and answer customer queries, requests like processing a booking request, reporting the weather, displaying the locations of ATMs, etc.
Augmented and Virtual Reality Marketing
Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) reach out to potential travelers in a new way. Different room and activity options can be sampled via these digital environments, which has a quick impact on decision-making before arrival.
AR and VR are enhancing travel and tourism marketing. Hotels can create an immersive experience by giving customers a sneak peek of their rooms and travel destinations.
Voice Search and Control
As far as tech trends in the travel and tourism industry are concerned, smart speakers, smartphones, and AI assistants all helped to increase the relevance of voice search. An increasing number of travel customers, in particular, use voice assistants to find and book airline tickets, hotel rooms, and so on.
As a result, it’s essential to keep voice search in mind when designing your website so that you can capitalize on this trend as much as possible.
And apart from that, voice control is becoming increasingly important in actual travel experiences. Voice-controlled devices are used in hotel rooms to control temperature, heating, lighting, etc within the room, as well as to gather tourist information without having to speak with a staff member. This trend will spread to other sectors of the industry as well.
Contactless Payments
It is also a new travel technology trend; contactless payments allow travel businesses and companies to process payments more quickly. In cases where customers do not have access to cash or their credit or debit card. It can also enhance the customer experience by saving time.
Following the coronavirus pandemic, contactless payments became an important aspect of tourism marketing. Because the virus’s spread causes stress and anxiety among travelers, many are reluctant to handle cash. Contactless payments on a larger scale can also act as a protection shield for your own employees.
Conclusion
Many new technological trends are reshaping the travel and tourism industry. However, the aforementioned trends had a greater impact than any other trend. It is vital for tourism-related companies and businesses to become acquainted with these emerging trends as soon as possible in order to better position themselves in the industry.
