The travel industry has undergone an intense transformation over the past few years, influenced by innovations in technology and seemingly with no end in sight. In fact, technology is changing at such a fast rate, it’s hard to know exctly what to expect from travel in the future.
Just a few years ago, travelling would mean perusing a guidebook to find the best accommodation, and hoping for the best when choosing restaurants and attractions.
Now, there’s little that can’t be done via wifi, with low-cost airlines spurring a huge surge in international travel, with more than 1.5 billion travellers now crossing their borders to head somewhere new.
Airports are becoming “smart”, and if you happen to transit through Dubai, Washington, or Boston, you’ll find holograms available, speaking multiple languages and answering any questions you may have about your flight, security, locations and navigation through the airport.
Driverless cars are already being road-tested, and in the future, we may even expect to arrive at the airport, be picked up by a driverless limo, and given information about the hotel’s facilities and check-in.
Google Maps is the most used app world-wide, and can already give accident and traffic updates world-wise, allowing for automatic rerouting. And in cities around the world, apps such as Lyft and Uber are competition for traditional taxi services.
A report by Hospitality Technology Magazine recently noted that 54% of hotels are planning to spend more on their technology this year, and most of this spending is being directed to payment security, tech within guest rooms, mobile engagement, and bandwidth.
Robots are already delivering room service in hotels around the world, and travellers are increasingly demanding a seamless process, personalised options for travel, and customised offerings based on their past choices and profiles.
More than 30,000 large aircraft will be taking to the skies throughout the next couple of years, and Peter Baumgartner (CEO of Etihad Airways) has recently said that the digital revolution is sure to impact the evolution of airlines around the world. The airline will be taking delivery of the Airbus 350 next year, and is currently the only airline with a three-room cabin onboard.
VR (Virtual Reality) is the next big thing when it comes to the future of travel. As more and more travellers search for authentic experiences, adventures, and interactions with locals, fully immersive VR can show potential travellers true-to-life experiences, ensuring that they become excited about visiting a destination in real life, and may also allow holidaymakers to get a VR preview of their accommodation.
Some experts have predicted that human interaction will be a thing of the past when it’s time to check in and out of hotels. We can expect to see holograms instead of front desk staff, robotic butlers instead of waiters, and smartphone apps that can allow us to unlock our hotel door without the use of a key.
While this is all well and good for jetlagged travellers who simply want to get straight into their room, when booking your travel, nothing beats speaking with an actual human being who can give you advice and listen to your needs. We can expect travel agents to remain useful well into the future.
