How Is Technology Changing The Travel And Tourism Industry?
There’s a certain fear going on that technology will have a negative impact on tourism and travel business.
Let’s discuss this.
I’m not sure I understand why the use of future tense here when technology has already changed the way we do business, even in the travel industry. That’s not something that WILL happen. That’s something that HAS ALREADY happened.
The thing is a lot of people think that the technology will take over in such a way that we will, at some point in the future, lose all human interaction. What we should be asking ourselves is not how we’re threatened by technology, but rather how technology can help our society, our business, as well as help us grow faster as people.
This also means that an application not out there to take your job — it was developed to ease your routine daily (read: boring) tasks so you could devote your precious time on more important things.
When you take a quick look at the statistics, tourism has been one of the fastest growing economy sectors for the last couple of years.
The growth is evident when you compare arrivals, departures, number of visitors per destination, as well as how many new job openings travel industry created.
Now, how can anything stand in the way of that growth let alone technology?
Technology Changes The Way We Do Business
Interesting fact:
People don’t like changes.
That’s a well-known thing.
The digital era brought a whole new level of breakthroughs in technology.
We see advancements in artificial intelligence, chatbots, gadgets, drones, virtual reality as well as augmented reality.
There have never been more applications than today.
There’s an application for everything now!
That’s not necessarily a bad thing. What this means is that the travel industry should use this technology to its advantage.
So why not use it to help you grow your tour business?
Keeping up with the latest technology trends is the key to staying on top of any business.
The biggest change that occurred is that nowadays everything is online. The internet became the biggest arena for doing business.
According to Signature Travel Network and The Center for Generational Kinetics, 69% of American leisure travelers take their first step toward researching travel online.
If not for this reason only, travel agents and tour operators must adapt — maintain a good online presence.
Since everything is online, social media networking became one of the key elements to reach more people than ever before. This then creates new marketing tactics on how to connect with travelers.
Almost everyone owns a mobile device today, whether it’s a smartphone, laptop or a tablet. If tour operators are unable to reach their target audience through a mobile-friendly search or display — that’s it, they’re out.
Travel agencies, as well as smaller tour and activity operators, should focus on providing an adequate mobile experience.
Consider the consumers whose only computing device is their mobile device (whether tablet or mobile phone).
Everyone seeks an on-demand functionality.
Users won’t tolerate a laggy, non-responsive website.
Also, have in mind that potential customers are pickier than ever before. Not just in the travel industry.
Why?
Because they use the internet to do their research before they make a decision.
But what surprises me and what’s mindboggling is just how little tour operators use these new technologies to promote their tours and get more online bookings.
Tour Operators Change The Way They Sell Tours And Activities Online
Technology is an important game-changer in the travel industry. Every tour operator needs an online tour booking system.
There’s a lot of online booking software out there on the market. You might want to search for some that will automate and manage bookings for you.
Like any other investment, software like that doesn’t come cheap. However, it saves a lot of time and saves you the embarrassment of making a newbie administrative error.
Put an end to using pen and paper to manage your bookings. There’s a software for that.
Without management tools, tour operators are condemned to manually battle administrative tasks.
Managing itineraries, bookings, invoices, taxes, and other paperwork is tedious work. It’s boring, repetitive, time-consuming and bottom line — inefficient.
By having an online booking tool tour operators and travel agencies can close bookings night and day, This allows them to focus on business development, rather than waste time with endless paperwork.
Travel Trends vs. Technology
Not a while ago, I came across a similar headline that read: “Travel apps will replace the need for tour guides.”
That’s hardly the case. What’s up with that, seriously?
So what does this tell us?
Millennials are more likely to use a travel agent when traveling.
However, the study has also found that Millennials fear that the travel agent’s proposal might come out as overly “toursty”. This brings us to the subject of customers’ needs and ever-changing habits.
Today’s travelers want a unique and unforgettable travel experience. They want what is now called “experiential travel”.
Technology can only go so far to provide this.
There’s still the need for a travel agent to tailor the itinerary and make it more personal.
No application or AI can replace a fellow human as your tour guide by your side when traveling. But you need a quality tour guide.
And what a better way for a tour guide to enhance his/her skills then by using the latest technology?
Gadgets Make You A Better Tour Guide
Imagine this:
You work as a tour guide. You’re a great storyteller, skilled tour guide, and you know the city like your back pocket.
How can you enhance your tour guide skills by using technology to your advantage?
I’ve put together this list of 6 top must-have travel gadgets for tour guides that you may find interesting.
There’s a whole bunch of useful gadgets and applications that will turn your into a tour guide wizard!
Digital Technology Helps Sell More Tours
Using the latest technology sells more tours.
It gets the word out.
Okay, yeah, I made a bold statement. I regret nothing. It’s true.
What so many people get wrong is the way they showcase a certain destination, tour or activity. It’s old school.
To properly promote your travel business you have to think like a savvy adventurous business-minded marketer.
The travel industry becoming more mobile-centric.
For example, here’s an idea that’s trending right now — using virtual and augmented reality to promote tours.
Here few ideas on how to integrate VR into your tours and activities. You can use 360-degree videos, VR and AR for the sole purpose of creating quality content for your potential consumers.
Having said all this, I’m really struggling to see how can technology be the bad guy when it comes to growth in tourism. On the contrary, it has a positive impact on the whole travel industry.
Hit the 👏 button if you like my story aaaand feel free to start a flame war in the comments below.
For more stories on the subject of travel and tourism, visit our company blog: https://www.orioly.com/orioly-blog/
