Tourism Technology – We are living in a society that is rapidly evolving with Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Every single part of our existence from education to personal relationships carries a deep impression of these innovations. And the tourism sector is very much at the heart of it.?
The exponential rise in tourism also generated the need for efficient, fast, and safer means of travel. The online travel market leveraged this demand and soared into a full-blown industry whose net worth currently exceeds 3 Billion U.S. Dollars.
Cloud computing, machine learning, smart rooms, robots, and Global Distribution Systems (GDSs) are some of the latest tourism technologies redefining travel norms all over the world. COVID-19 restricted human interaction and pushed these systems deeper into hospitality and tourism practices.?
Also Read: How Smart Hotel Technologies Are Simplifying Life For Guests And Hotel Owners?
What Kinds of Innovations Are Bridging The Gap Between Technology And Tourism Industry?
Trawex:
A travel software designing company that offers tourism technology solutions for B2B travel. The APIs used in its software simplify booking and payment through integration with travel portals.?
Skift:
If you are looking for the latest updates on travel and tourism technology, you need to check out Skift regularly. It is a media company that provides the current news on tourism tech, trends, and movements that are defining the post-COVID norms in this industry. It answers all queries and questions related to global travel and tourism technology.?
Triptile:
A unique platform launched by Firebird Tours, it provides users with a toolset for efficient, fast, and fully-tailored trip planning. The complexity of trips isn?t an issue with this platform, it uses some serious algorithms to simplify searches for destinations, experiences, best routes, and bookings.
Rail.Ninja:
Another product from Firebird Tours, it takes care of railway bookings around the world. A highly optimized platform, it can take care of all new traveling needs that have come into play since the beginning of the pandemic. It offers top-grade service with a network of well-informed travel agents, risk mitigation, enhanced safety, and guidance for traveling to all parts of this planet.?
Expedia:
It is a travel company that excels in providing the best vacation packages, cruise trips, car rentals, hotels, flight tickets, and so forth. Additionally, it has a chatbot that syncs with Facebook, Amazon Alexa, AI voice recognition, and all other latest technologies.
HipCamp:
It is a camping booking site that expanded during the pandemic. It leveraged the need for social distancing by creating a smart network of local landowners across the U.S.. The company brought in some smart systems to predict requirements in a specific area and provided the hosts with tools to list their sites on this platform. Another feature called the ?extras? was launched to allow hosts to highlight additional offerings like firewood, food, rentals, and different experiences. So, next time you have plans to leave the world behind and go off the radar, you know where to begin.
Getaway:
Getaway is a six-year-old company and it excels in providing single-room cabins next to the perifery of highly urbanized zones in the U.S.. you can count on Getaway for special features like full bathrooms, sleek kitchenettes, outdoor fire pits, gallery windows, and picnic tables. Charry on the cake, these cabins are devoid of any Wi-Fi and television sets. It is a heaven for those who want a real getaway from the regular world and teach their kids to live without technological distractions.
Intrepid Travel:
Ecotourism has been in play long before Greta Thunberg decided to take things in her hands. Intrepid has been a carbon-neutral company for almost a decade now and it redefined its operations during the pandemic. Currently, it owns the title for being the first tour operator in the world to set its emission reduction targets according to the Science Based Targets initiative. This initiative was conceptualized under the partnership of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the World Wildlife Federation (WWF), and Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). Intrepid plans to shift its offices to renewable energy by 2025 and will cut down its business trips to meet the above-mentioned targets.
Hopper:
A mobile-only platform, it is a travel booking site that uses a price-prediction algorithm that allows its users to book hotels and flights at the lowest prices. The app is evolving with new add-ons, intuitive features, and user-friendly tabs that peaks its appeal. Hopper guarantees the best price drops to its customers, in-app cancellations, and an option to skip unwanted lineup in customer services.
Arrive Outdoors:
Arrive Outdoors is a travel-gear rental company that generated a 439% increase in sales during the pandemic. It aims to simplify outdoor experiences by making them more sustainable and affordable. It celebrated its exceptional growth by bringing in new categories of camping gear, improving its customer service, and streamlining its in-house logistics and distribution network. It is also working on a minimum wastage model that includes corrugated packaging and reusable boxes.
Ennismore:
Another hospitality giant that made the best out of pandemic stagnation. Ennismore earned a name for its rapid decisions to remodel its properties as gleaming retreats for staycations and flexible check-in and check-out timings. Even the food and drink spaces were utilized to their best as the hotel offered them as safe corners to the locals. Now, Accor is planning to partner with Ennismore to enlist all its properties under this new kind of hospitality.
These are just a few examples to show how technology is playing a pivotal role in transforming travel and tourism technology trends. All said and done, the recent pandemic taught many to make the best of now and it will bring a hike in tourism all over the world in the coming years. Better hygiene, healthy practices, and seamless experiences will be the key to staying in business and giving people a reason to return. And only those who play their cards in accord with these new demands will stay ahead in the game.?
