Technology plays an integral role in the tourism and travel industry, helping businesses streamline their day-to-day operations and improve customer service. Therefore, it is imperative that hotels, airlines, restaurants and other companies stay on top of the latest technology trends within the travel industry. As customer expectations shift, this is even more vital than ever in the age of COVID. Here are some of the new tech trends to look out for.
First, let us put some points before we jump into the trends. You can also find more about travel trends in 2023, and how it’s changing the travel industry.
How Are Travel Technology Trends Contributing?
Businesses can streamline their processes using travel technology or even automate tasks traditionally carried out by humans. In turn, this can then potentially result in a business reducing its staffing requirements, cutting costs and increasing its income, improving its bottom line.
Aside from providing improved accuracy and convenience, technology can also help companies to reduce or eliminate human error. The best tourism technology solutions must always be used, however, so that competition is not gained by those who don’t remain up to date with the latest developments.
The technology used in tourism, travel, and hospitality is often referred to as travel technology. This includes IT, e-commerce, and similar technologies.
Travel technology is implemented to automate and simplify travel-related processes, save time, reduce costs, and create a better travel experience for consumers.
How Does Luke Stays Use The Travel Technology Trends?
The travel trends used can be so wide and different around the world. As there are so many options and systems to use, each booking agency uses its own system.
Luke Stays offers an incredibly easy and efficient booking system for all guests looking for properties to stay in, whether when they are already travelling or if they wish to have a specific stay locally.
In addition, Luke Stays is approved and certified by I-PRAC, which is a global agency that provides trust and legitimacy to all hosts that are operating in short-term rentals and serviced accommodation. In which all guests and hosts are protected from fraud, and their money is 100% protected and safe.
Check the I-PRAC website for more information on how guests and hosts are protected with Luke Stays.
Tourism and Travel Industry Technology Trends: General & COVID Related
In this post, I will share the top technology trends of the future that everyone should be aware of by now.
Travellers who travel frequently have a broader understanding of all technology trends, and for sure, they follow and are aware of all of them.
This post, however, highlights some of the latest technology trends since 2022 began.
1. Voice Support Technology
The use of voice control is becoming more common in actual travel experiences. For example, within hotel rooms, voice-controlled devices can be used to control lighting and heating or to get tourist information without needing to ask staff. We can expect this to continue to expand into other industries as well.
As far as technology trends in the travel industry are concerned, smart speakers, smartphones, and AI assistants have all contributed to the growth of voice search.
Specifically, voice search users are increasingly using voice search for booking airline tickets, hotel rooms, and travel experiences.
2. Contactless Payments
Since COVID started, we began to see that all payment methods are switching to contactless payment to prevent the spreading the viruses. Research also found that contactless payments are healthier and more secure nowadays to make, as travelling can be dangerous in some cases, and you might lose your money.
For that reason, all travellers must be aware of where they are putting their money when travelling and try to give more time researching before your put their card details on any platform.
Luke Stays is 100% secure for all payments, for both guests and hosts, and the gratefulness is to I-PRAC.
Contactless payments are a travel technology. This will allow travel companies to process payments much more quickly, including when customers do not have access to cash, credit or debit card or are not in possession of cash. As well as enhancing the customer experience, it can also save time.
In the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, travellers are nervous about handling cash as they are unwilling to accept contactless payments. While contactless payments started as a convenience, they have now become a key part of tourism marketing.
3. AI Chatbots
Today, more and more jobs are disappearing as the world moves forward. Businesses are trying to reduce the use of humans as much as possible.
There is no doubt you cannot replace all humans with bots and artificial intelligence technologies. At some level, a human being still has to be present and will always be present. However, if companies can reduce the number of their employees, it will be great for them.
AI-assisted chatbots are among the best investments companies are making nowadays in travel technology since they can provide 24/7 customer support regardless of staff availability. In order to meet current customer expectations, this can be key.
In most cases, these chatbots are best at answering the most common questions, which have standard answers. Yet, advances in AI technology mean modern chatbots are continually improving as they have more and more interactions.
In addition, and most importantly, they can often provide assistance with queries regarding COVID policies, safety measures, and hygienic practices.
4. Robots
During your travels, have you considered robotics or a situation in which you might meet a robot? Well, probably not, as robots are rather rare at the moment. In the near future, robots will be among us without causing any concern.
Robotic technology is one of the most exciting types of travel technology, and it is constantly improving. In some hotels, robots assist with services such as greeting guests when they arrive and providing information. The use of their services has expanded further still, with hotels involving them in cleaning and luggage handling.
The use of robots could be beneficial in restaurants, where they might assist with food preparation and food service. Robots may also be useful at airports for detecting concealed weapons, while some manufacturers create luggage that follows you intelligently.
In addition, travel agents are using robots to prescreen customers, reducing customers’ waiting times.
COVID has actually increased the use of robots in the travel industry, as they are capable of reducing human-to-human contact.
5. Virtual Reality
Virtual reality is a technology that is used worldwide nowadays. This technology has made it easier than imagining and guessing. How does VR technology contribute to the Travel Industry?
The tourism industry is one area where virtual reality has taken off, but its importance within the industry cannot be overstated. Ultimately, it enables travellers to experience distant locations from the comfort of their own homes and can determine whether or not they ultimately complete the booking.
With VR tours, customers can experience everything from virtual tours of hotels and restaurants to landmarks, national parks, and even specific activities.
Nowadays, most VR tours or 360 tours are accessible with most web browsers, which makes them an attractive option for those who are unwilling to travel because of COVID.`
6. CyberSecurity
With the advancement of technology, everything is going virtual, including our sensitive information and data. At the same time, digital data is highly vulnerable and can be stolen in hundreds of ways.
It’s here, cybersecurity, to which we are all grateful, that it is protecting our data.
Businesses in the travel management sector are increasingly at risk of cyber-attacks and are also more vulnerable to data breaches of other types. Cybersecurity is an important focus area for these professionals. A big target is the travel industry since these companies employ a lot of people and have access to a lot of customer data.
Phishing and ransomware are just two of the biggest threats in this area, but modern companies are also at risk of human error caused by their own employees. Businesses must invest in cybersecurity training and several hardware and software solutions to stay safe.
It is very important to keep on following all technology trends nowadays, as the world is changing a fast way than we can imagine. In less than 2 years from now, we can say hello to the new world.
Hence, always keep an eye on technology trends in all industries to know what is happening on our planet and to be a good contribution.
Visit Luke Capital Group to know more about the technology trends used in property management.
Read also on more travelling trends in 2023, and how it’s changing the travel industry for the future.