Travel technology

Travel technology (also called tourism technology, and hospitality automation) is the application of Information Technology (IT) or Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. The most prominent examples of travel technology include tourism technology through flight tracking, online travel and tourism agencies, and programs that tourists can review their experiences.

Travel technology was originally associated with the computer reservations system (CRS) of the airlines industry, but is now used more inclusively, incorporating the broader tourism sector as well as its subset the hospitality industry. One aspect of online travel planning that has recently become popular is the College Spring Break Experience. College students use the internet to book their spring break vacations. In just six years, the revenue from online booking jumped $11 billion from 2000 to 2006.[1] The internet now provides a new aspect of tourist marketing to the vacation world. Businesses, attractions, excursion companies, and restaurants are now fascinated with online marketing and acquiring the best business through their online benefits.[1] Not only is travel technology popular among US tourists, but people all over the globe use this new innovative strategy to plan the vacation of their dreams.[1]

Online travel agencies

Booking engines allow easy access for consumers and travel professionals; the systems enable individuals to make reservations and compare prices. Online travel agencies such as expedia.com, are a large contribution to how the travel and tourism industries have changed due to technology. In addition to expedia.com, you can explore other sites to online travel plan, like Amazon, Priceline, Booking.com, Triplingo, and more.[2] The internet is one of the top sources for trip planning information. Users are able to search in only one place for videos, social media posts, customer reviews, places for shopping and dining, and events going on. The change from of-person to online travel agencies gives the customer more power in planning their trip.

Customer reviews

The increase in review websites has also had a huge impact on the tourism industry. Sites such as tripadvisor.com let users read, post, and interact with reviews of travel experiences and attractions others have had. In addition to sites like tripadvisor.com, there are more sites where travelers and customers can review certain restaurants, shops, and tourist attractions, like yelp.com, expedia.com, travelocity.com and more. You can create an account on each of these sites and review any content you would like.[3][4] eWOM, meaning electronic word of mouth, has become a big influence in consumer’s attitudes and actions, resulting in different choices of products and planning aspects.[5] In this generation, one does not begin to plan their vacations or travel plans without consulting at least one travel planning site to read the reviews left by previous customers.[6] Tourists leave reviews on hotels, excursions, restaurants, experiences, and more when they have an especially good or bad experience with a particular company or project.[6] They have the opportunity to add photos, a specific number of star ratings, helpful tips, and recommendations to the next traveller.[6] With new emerging travel technologies, customers are provided with innovative tools to assess satisfaction rates among tourists. For example, businesses can create anonymous surveys, send emails, and follow-up with customers through texts and mail.[1]

Social media and mobile communication technologies

The introduction of smartphones and mobile applications has also had a big effect on the tourism industry. Social media posts allow users to gather general information, free of marketing bias.[7] GPS and social media apps allow users to tag and share their locations. People no longer need to print out directions and can use map apps to help them get around. Social media users can search for locations on social media platforms and gain more knowledge of the locations without using a review site. More and more people post pictures and videos of their journey on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram or YouTube or write a travel blog. Influencers play an important role as source for travel expierences, informations and impressions for travel seekers and Influencer marketing gets more interessting in tourism.[8] Some

Applications such as Uber, Route Planner App and Lyft have also made travelling easier. Users no longer have to plan ahead for transportation to and from an airport or a different destination. Ubers and Lyfts may also be used in place of a rental car. Besides Uber and Lyft, there are many other sites that aid travelers in their journeys, like Waze, CityMaps2Go, TripIt, and more. These sites are designed to make travel for the tourist much easier, especially in places they are unfamiliar with."[9]

In this day and age, you will not need a personal tour guide when visiting someplace new. Your GPS and audiobook can do the job just as well, if not better. With additional apps on a cellphone and GPS making sure you will not get lost, the possibilities are endless. As mentioned above, there are numerous apps to download on both Apple phones and Androids for a GPS system. You can purchase a new GPS for your car from Walmart, Best Buy, Garmin, and more.[10]

In foreign countries, tourists sometimes need extra help from third-party apps to communicate with loved ones or find directions. Some of these apps include FaceBook Messenger, Skype, WhatsApp, Zoom, and more.[11]

Today the tour guide can be a GPS tour guide, and the guidebook could be an audioguide and trips could be planned completely online. The continuing evolution of information technology and the widespread public use of the Internet has created a number of conditions that have been both beneficial and detrimental to the modern travel agency. The internet is reshaping many business aspects.[12] As a result, the travel and tourism industries will have to continue to adapt to new technologies in the future.

See also

Notes
  1. Rob., Mills, Juline E. Law (15 April 2015). Handbook of consumer behavior, tourism, and the internet. ISBN 978-1-138-83486-6. OCLC 973770147.
  2. writer, About the Author Lily Rogers Lily is a Southern California-based; editor; adventure, traveler She aspires to never be too far away from her next; travel, whether it be exploring the deserts of SoCal or the mossy forests of her native Pacific Northwest She also loves international; List, Always Looks Forward to Crossing Another Destination Off Her Bucket (2018-12-05). "The 10 Best Travel Apps to Plan a Trip". Viewfinder Travel Blog. Retrieved 2021-11-01. {{cite web}}: |first1= has generic name (help)
  3. "The Best Travel Apps of 2021 to Help You Travel Better". Nomadic Matt's Travel Site. 2018-08-13. Retrieved 2021-11-15.
  4. Toh, Rex S.; DeKay, Charles F.; Raven, Peter (2011-09-01). "Travel Planning". Cornell Hospitality Quarterly. 52 (4): 388–398. doi:10.1177/1938965511418779. ISSN 1938-9655. S2CID 154950864.
  5. Xiang, Zheng; Magnini, Vincent P.; Fesenmaier, Daniel R. (2015-01-01). "Information technology and consumer behavior in travel and tourism: Insights from travel planning using the internet". Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services. 22: 244–249. doi:10.1016/j.jretconser.2014.08.005. ISSN 0969-6989.
  6. Zhou, Xiaolu; Wang, Mingshu; Li, Dongying (January 2017). "From stay to play – A travel planning tool based on crowdsourcing user-generated contents". Applied Geography. 78: 1–11. doi:10.1016/j.apgeog.2016.10.002. ISSN 0143-6228.
  7. Conrady, Roland (2007), "Travel technology in the era of Web 2.0", in Conrady, Roland; Buck, Martin (eds.), Trends and Issues in Global Tourism 2007, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 165–184, doi:10.1007/978-3-540-70905-3_13, ISBN 978-3-540-70905-3
  8. Gretzel, Ulrike (2017), "Influencer marketing in travel and tourism", Advances in Social Media for Travel, Tourism and Hospitality, Routledge, doi:10.4324/9781315565736-13/influencer-marketing-travel-tourism-ulrike-gretzel, ISBN 978-1-315-56573-6, retrieved 2022-01-25
  9. "Top 10 Traffic Apps for 2021 | Android & IOS | Pros & Cons for all Apps". SIXT rent a car Magazine. 2021-01-03. Retrieved 2021-11-15.
  10. "GPS Navigation, Maps & Accessories - Best Buy". www.bestbuy.com. Retrieved 2021-11-15.
  11. "Top 27 Communication Apps For International Travel". Where the Rooster Crows. 2020-07-17. Retrieved 2021-11-15.
  12. Olsen, Michael D.; Connolly, Daniel J. (2016-09-05). "Experience-based Travel: How Technology Is Changing the Hospitality Industry". Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly. doi:10.1177/001088040004100121. S2CID 154619259.

References
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  • Joseph, A. C. (2003). "PenAir Travel backoffice- Design concepts". London: Penguin Commercials Ltd. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
  • Maurer, Ed (2003). Internet for the Retail Travel Industry. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson/Delmar Learning. ISBN 978-0-7668-4071-3.
  • Tesone, Dana V. (2005). Hospitality Information Systems and E-Commerce. New York: John Wiley and Sons Ltd. ISBN 978-0-471-47849-2.
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