Travelling has changed over time, and this is because the world has been renewed with technology. According to a study by Google Travel, 74% of travelers who do tourism for pleasure plan their trips online. Applications, social networks, and especially the opinion of travel bloggers who narrate their own experiences and give advice to future travelers are becoming more and more powerful every day. For the president of the World Travel Tourism Council (WTTC), Michael Frenzel, the technological possibilities are numerous today and bring many opportunities but, they pose, at the same time, a challenge for the world tourism sector.
New digital tourists be like
Today’s tourists are more independent. They search for information on the web, interact online with other travelers to ask about their experiences, and can book hotels and flights with the best prices from anywhere.
An example of this is the active use of mobile phones, according to Euromonitor and the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), 81% of travelers use their smartphone to locate themselves, and 67% to look for things to do, and 44% to plan the trip. This change in the tourist profile is mostly driven by millennials, according to Boston Consulting; this group will represent about 50% of all business travel expenses in 2020. It means they are the potential audience of the future and shape the new generation of tourists.
Millennials have grown up surrounded by technology, so using the new tools is not a complication, says ThalÃa Penagos, a career consultant at Ronald Career Services Group. Instead, they need to stay connected and find services within reach, so they can plan and shop from anywhere.
Technological trends in tourism sector
As the visitors and their demands and needs have increased, the competitiveness in tourism has also increased. Service providers are now seeking to cover a series of needs and trends that facilitate the selection process of a product or service until the moment the tourists begin to enjoy it and make their stay more pleasant and comfortable that generates satisfaction.
For these reasons of competitiveness and achieving customer satisfaction, below we present some technological trends in tourism that any service provider or professional should know:
Mobile applications
It is becoming more common with technological advances to use an app to book airline tickets, hotels, or a tour. That’s not all; this tool has become very useful for tourists when they have reached their destination. Currently, a large number of destinations have their own mobile application in which they offer infinite information that ranges from museum hours and places to eat to offers for a show or transfer. Besides, social networks, such as Facebook and Instagram, have become key pieces to share with family and friends experiences during travel, whether for pleasure or business.
Immersed reality
The immersed reality consists of giving an approach to the client towards the service or product that he/she acquires through virtual tours, images, videos, etc. For example, when reserving a hotel room online, the client can observe a series of images that show what the room is like, the different services and spaces offered by the establishment, as well as get an idea of ??the dimensions of such a place. This will make the tourists see themselves in the destination enjoying the service they are acquiring and living the experience.
Internet of things
Today’s tourist is practically connected to the internet most of the time, and this creates the need to establish wireless and efficient connections in the main tourist places and with service providers. Providing a good internet service can be the key for the tourist when deciding where to go, and at the same time a very effective marketing tool for the service provider, since the tourist uses social networks in everything moment and share your lived experience.
Big data
If before, it was essential for the tourism sector to know the tastes and needs of travelers, but now with Big Data, this work has become much easier. In particular, hotels collect a large part of their customers’ information through their online reservations. For example, they perfectly know their length of stay, level of expenditure, date of entry, travel packages they purchased, food preferences, and even if their stay was paid at 3, 6, or 12 months without interest. The objective of having all this information is to improve the services offered in the destinations and, in this way, to have much more pleasant experiences that improve the quality of life.
Wrapping up
These are some trends that must be taken into account within the tourism industry. As the environment is changing constantly, it has become necessary to identify the growth opportunities and take advantage of technology in favor and for total satisfaction.