Tourism is becoming an increasingly technological dynamic, largely explained by the new generations of tourists, such as millennials and Generation Z, who are born and raised with new technologies and expect that the destinations are equipped to meet their more immediate tech needs. Keeping this in mind, IMF Business School has listed 5 cutting-edge technologies that are set to change - or are already doing it - the way of tourism:
Apps
The smartphone is not only used to book flights and hotels but has also become a very useful tool for tourists once they’ve made it to their destination. Proof of this is that approximately one in three Europeans download apps from the city or tourist destinations that they visit, according to a YouGov report, while 36% use their phones to book accommodation or activities when they arrive.
Big Data
Knowing tourists’ interests and customs has always been a vital aspect of travel agencies and hotel companies. Nowadays, with Big Data tools and all the information that customers leave behind when making online reservations, it is very easy to know and study large-scale data such as the time of stay, approximate expenditure, and the most demanded locations. So what is the purpose of this large amount of information? That is, adapting destinations and routes to make them more suitable for tourists.
Robots
While it may seem like something from a science fiction movie, soon it won’t be uncommon to see robots doing all kinds of jobs in hotels. In fact, it is expected that 96% of receptionists will be replaced by machines similar to those at airport check-in. This is something that many tourists look forward since according to Travelzoo, 63% of them welcome the inclusion of robots in hotels.
Augmented Reality
Could it be possible to create a Pokémon Go-style app, but for tourist attractions? Not only is it possible, but it is already here thanks to augmented reality. With only a smartphone and apps specifically developed for it, you could access all kinds of information: from curious facts of a monument or painting to the history of a particular place.
Internet of Things
The internet of things has practical applications and uses of all kinds, and tourism was not going to be left behind. This technology already allows you to do practically anything in a tourist area with the use of a phone, from controlling the temperature and television in the room - something that Virgin Hotels already use - to opening the door, as it already does a mobile service of the Hilton hotel chain.