How Has Technology Helped the Travel Industry Grow?
It doesn’t require a nerd to understand that technology has its roots deep into the travel industry now. Only people unfamiliar with the new technology advancements go for offline ticket buying now. This advancement is one of the main reason why travel agencies are closing down rapidly.
The collective customer psyche is evolving rapidly since the past few years. I remember going out for my Cox bill pay, and now it is just a click away. Similarly, if we talk about the traveler psyche, travelers now prefer to rely on tech. It makes them feel safe and secure. You must have noticed that since the past few years, we can more often than not see solo trips being planned and enjoyed by people around us. ‘Take someone along to stay safe’ sounds outdated even to the kids now.
So, in what ways has technology helped traveling grow? Let’s have a look!
Smartphones
Ah! Our favorite mates made it to number one on our list of most influential technologies that can boost up your travel experience. You can check all the travel blogs even before you start your journey, check-in on your way, can get virtual boarding passes, and click every moment as you go, what else could a traveler wish for?! Our smartphones have changed the dynamics of traveling, and that too in one-go! (Pun intended!). Airlines all around the world are adapting to this change too, allowing Wi-Fi customer tracking to keep the passenger flow moving. At some airports, passengers can even synchronize their devices with the departure displays! In-flight Wi-Fi connectivity has been under trial too.
The Biometric System
As is the technology growing, so are the counter darker forces that want to harm others one way or another. Issues arise while pointing out fake ids, imposters, or even criminals hiding behind transformative makeups. Airports (even train stations) now use advanced technologies like facial recognition, fingerprint recognition, iris scanning, etc. to detect imposters. Systems like Automatic Passenger Control have been implemented on all major US airports to monitor the passenger traffic. With all the basic information accessible through the connected databases, it is now impossible to feign an identity that doesn’t belong to you.
Affordable Accommodations and Traveling
Thank God for bringing Airbnb and Uber into our lives. Well, technically, technology did it, but whoever did, let’s tell them we wouldn’t want it to be any other way. It has solved the biggest traveling issue most of the people had to face. Now you can have, (and choose from a variety of) safe accommodation places to stay at. Airbnb is working in almost any country you can imagine going to. It is also growing and having business ventures with local-based brands to make the service more affordable and safer.
Similarly, Uber has become the everyday go-to solution for your traveling based problems. Parking tickets, fuel costs, driving skills, distance, maps, and all the other headache-inducing elements can be taken out of your traveling experience just by choosing an Uber to get a ride. And it is super safe too!
Shifting the Power to the Consumer
If you have traveled somewhere in the early 90s, you must be pretty familiar with the grumpy hotel managers sitting behind the desks, telling you about the unavailability of rooms at late hours. That nightmare era of traveling is thankfully over now. Travelers can now take up or bring down any place by reviewing it online. Majority of travelers check online reviews of others before booking a place for eating or staying. A very popular US website, TripAdvisor, boosts billions of fans, and all for the honest reviews! But be very careful, as this has now turned into a business, and traveling businesses can buy reviews too! Keep your eyes open for unbiased, honest reviews.
Never Get Lost
Have you ever been to a place where you were new and lost your way while getting back to the hotel? We all did! But it is going to be very hard for the new age travelers to get lost because smartphones won’t just let them! Satellite navigation, Google maps, Geo-location, all of these useful apps are available for everybody now. All you need is an internet connection to run them with, and problem solved! It is giving a sense of confidence to travelers which was previously unknown to them.
You can now go to places other people recommended, eat the food without having to wander in the streets for hours to find the place, and meet amazing people who live in nearby locations! You simply have to put in a destination and technology will do the rest for you!
All this travel talk has juiced up my wanderer buds. I think I will now make use of my Cox bundles to check out some top destinations online. What are your plans? Let me know in the comments below!
