Today, thanks to breakthroughs in technology and high-speed internet, travellers can book their own flights and hotels online, choose to stay in a stranger’s house, and rather than enter that unfamiliar restaurant with trepidation, search online reviews on their mobile while connected to the hotel Wi-Fi. alertify
taking control over your company’s complete telecom lifecycle
focus on roaming services only; finding the best possible solutions for your roaming needs
Faculty of Hotel Management and Tourism
Worked at several telecoms
1. Roaming By abolishing roaming charges in the European Union with the so-called "Roam Like At Home" regulation, over 75% of tourists (EU citizens) are changing their digital habits, which is already drastically affecting hotels, apartment renters and restaurant owners. The availability of mobile Internet enables tourists to indulge in the familiar habits of googling tourist attractions and searching them on TripAdvisor and Foursquare. The habits of planning the whole trip ahead are becoming old and outdated. Roaming restrictions have up until recently '< condemned' us to plan ahead either in our Airbnb apartment or in a cafe that had fast and free wireless internet. Walk-in guests, i.e. tourists wishing to get accommodation without booking it ahead, have always been important. By abolishing roaming charges, these tourists will no longer wonder whether a certain hotel or accommodation is good or not, but will instead use the services like Booking, Airbnb and Hotel Tonight to book accommodation - on the go. A similar situation is with restaurants where guests standing in front of the restaurant will first check it out on TripAdvisor. Before, people would choose a restaurant based on its atmosphere or the number of guests eating there, but nowadays you don't have to guess - you only need to open a mobile app and read the reviews. It's easier to call Uber (boat) if you have access to the Internet!
2. Mobile Technology This is undoubtedly the main character in the new ways of travel. The mobile phone has become our tour guide, travel agency, best restaurant locator, map, and more. It's by our side during the entire purchase journey. In fact, according to TripAdvisor, 45% of users use their smartphone for everything having to do with their vacations. This is why there’s a need to adapt corporate services and communications to these devices.
3. Augmented Reality Augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) has also entered the travel world, and the truth is that it’s a trend due to all the possibilities it can offer. More and more companies use it to show users a cabin on a cruise ship or transport them, for a few seconds, to the Great Wall of China. Today, it’s possible to “teleport” ourselves to the most remote corners of the globe without getting off the couch. That’s what you can get using Everest’s EVEREST VR app, which lets you see the top of the world without having to climb to the top. Or, if you would prefer, you can cross the Grand Canyon in a kayak enjoying the landmark’s sights and sounds.
4. Internet of Things (IoT) The Internet of Things (IoT) promises to bring significant updates to the tourism industry. They include integrating sensors connected to the Internet inside items like cars, suitcases, buildings, and more. In fact, Spain’s Hotel Technology Institute (Instituto Tecnológico Hotelero, or ITH) affirmed that the Internet of Things “is going to be the major transformative factor in the personalization of the customer experience over the next few years.”
5. Virtual Assistants We’re all familiar with Siri and Alexa, the virtual assistants that meet all our needs: what’s the weather like today in my city, turn the radio on, open my email, and more. Hotels are now starting to enlist this “help” thanks to the arrival of virtual assistants that are specifically designed for this environment. IBM recently launched Watson Assistant, an AI-powered virtual assistant that creates an interactive and personalized experience for consumers. This is the open technology that firms can employ and adapt to their needs. This way, the virtual assistant won't be called Watson but instead, have the name that the hotel chooses.
6. Big Data There has been a lot of recent talk about Big Data, but they have yet to show all the opportunities it offers for the travel industry. Nonetheless, many industry players are already using it. The Meliá hotel chain uses information about their guests to figure out what is the best target for marketing campaigns. Primarily, they examine their database to look at the amount spent, the reason for the trip, and the country of origin and cross-checks this information with public data from government sources to develop the most appropriate customer profile and achieve a higher success rate. This way, they make a better segmentation for their campaigns to increase their efficacy and optimize the investment required for these campaigns.
7. Blockchain Blockchain is a technology poised to transform the world as we know it. Although it’s mainly associated with finance, it also appears that it can impact travel. While there has not been that much experimentation with it, it is possible that it will be useful in identifying passengers at the airport, guaranteeing transparency in tourists' opinions, and easy and secure payments.
8. 5G Travel technology becomes all the more powerful with the help of 5G networks. They promise much faster loading and downloading speeds, wider coverage, and more stable connections. Beyond downloading content 20 times faster than before, 5G allows us to develop and deploy technology that 4G limited us. That means the connection between smart devices will be more efficient and we’ll be able to start to truly enjoy the Internet of Things (IoT). Immersive tourism, where technology turns travelers into the experience’s protagonist, will be a reality. Plus, augmented reality (AR) or 360° video will be more ubiquitous and accessible.