Travel transforming technology

Augmented reality, gamification, intelligent passenger records, long range biometrics, and the rise of the wellbeing agenda will drive change and herald a new era of industry and travel collaboration over the next decade and beyond.

If you want to know what this actually means for the travel industry then you’d better get a copy of From Chaos to Collaboration, a major new study commissioned by Amadeus (a leading travel and tourism IT solutions provider) which challenges the industry to overcome the uncertainty and stress of modern-day travel, through the use of innovation and new technologies.

The key findings of the report are based on extensive research and input from key travel industry experts and highlight six areas in particular where technology and innovation should be applied.

1. Technologies such as augmented reality, gamification mechanisms and smart mobile devices will transform the travel experience so that travel is increasingly about depth rather than breadth of experience

2. Checking-in could become the exception rather than the norm, with the rise of faster and more efficient identity management systems using chips, biometrics, long range fingerprinting and near field communications

3. All data on payments made before and during a trip will be integrated, acting as a digital memory of expenditure and activity for individuals, groups and travel industry operators

4. As technologies make it easier for people to review their travel experiences, personal travel guides and mobile tour representatives will give travellers the tools they need to enrich their experience

5. Intelligent luggage tags and tickets will give greater reassurance whilst m-Health (mobile-Health) applications will allow travellers to manage and monitor their health and wellbeing as if they were at home

6. Continued emphasis on work-life balance and wellbeing at work may see the rise of the business tourist which will demand speed and efficiency as well as a home-away-from-home

Eberhard Haag, Executive Vice President of Amadeus’s Global Operations, said: “Over the next decade, there is a significant opportunity to redefine how the industry delivers and packages services to meet changing traveller needs. Key to this is more intelligent information exchange, a willingness to challenge the status quo and greater two-way partnership between travellers and travel players. We are committed to stimulating debate within the travel sector about how the world is changing, what travellers will increasingly expect and how the industry can evolve in a way that secures growth and profitability for our customers’ future success.”