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. Some forms of travel technology are flight tracking, trip planning through online travel agencies, and the use of search engines and social media to plan trips.

Since travel implies locomotion, travel technology was originally associated with the computer reservations system (CRS) of the airlines industry, but now is used more inclusively, incorporating the broader tourism sector as well as its subset the hospitality industry. While travel technology includes the computer reservations system, it also represents a much broader range of applications, in fact increasingly so. The tourism industry must keep up with the introduction of new technologies.

Travel technology may also be referred to as e-travel / etravel or e-tourism / etourism (eTourism), in reference to "electronic travel" or "electronic tourism". e-Tourism can be defined as the analysis, design, implementation and application of IT and e-commerce solutions in the travel&tourism industry. eTourism can be also defined as every application of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) within both the hospitality and tourism industry, as well as within the tourism experience.

Travel technology is increasingly being used to describe systems for managing and monitoring travel, including pre-travel planning, flight tracking systems, and reviewing experiences post-traveling.

Technologies

Technology continues to change how travelers gain access to and use travel-related information. For many businesses and locations, the experience starts long before a traveler arrives. Pre-travel planning is a fundamental step in trip planning and helps the customer obtain knowledge about their upcoming trip. The internet is one of the top sources for trip planning information. Users are able to search for videos, social media posts, customer reviews, places for shopping and dining, events going on, all in one place.

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. These online agencies help users plan and book trips and provide comparisons of hotels, flights, vacation packages, prices and more, all in one place. 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. 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.[1]

Social media and mobile 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.[2] GPS and social media apps allow users to tag and share their locations. Travelers 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 even using a review site.

Applications such as Uber and Lyft have also made traveling easier. Users no longer have to plan ahead for transportation to and from an airport or a different destination. Ubers and Lyfts also may also be used in place of a rental car.

Mobile Communication

Many travelers take some form of mobile communication device with them on the road, whether it is a tablet, computer, or a mobile phone. To keep customers advised of changes many tourism and hospitality businesses use mobile communication; they send delay notices, offer deals and sponsor location-based advertising. Depending on the type of business the communication might happen through emails, text messaging or GPS tagging, for example.

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 game-changers—in both beneficial and detrimental ways—to the modern travel agency. The internet is reshaping many business aspects.[3] As a result, the travel and tourism industries will have to continue to adapt to new technologies in the future.

See also

Notes
  1. 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.
  2. 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
  3. 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.

References
  • Benckendorff, Pierre J.; Sheldon, P.J.; Fesenmaier, D.R. (2014). Tourism Information Technology (Second Edition). Wallingford, UK: CABI. ISBN 978-1-7806-4185-0.
  • Buhalis, Dimitrios (2003). Etourism: Information Technology for Strategic Tourism Management. Harlow, England: Financial Times Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-582-35740-2.
  • Cantoni, Lorenzo; Xiang, Zheng (2013). Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2013. Berlin – Heidelberg: Springer. ISBN 978-3-642-36309-2.
  • Egger, Roman (2005). Grundlagen Des Etourism: Informations- Und Kommunikationstechnologien Im Tourismus (in German). Aachen: Shaker. ISBN 978-3-8322-3663-2.
  • Egger, Roman; Buhalis, Dimitrios (2008). Etourism Case Studies: Management and Marketing Issues. Amsterdam [etc.]: Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 978-0-7506-8667-9.
  • Fesenmaier, Daniel R.; Wober, Karl W.; Werthner, H. (2006). Destination Recommendation Systems: Behavioural Foundations and Applications. Wallingford, UK: CABI. ISBN 978-0-85199-023-1.
  • 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.
  • Werthner, Hannes; Klein, S. (1999). Information Technology and Tourism. A Challenging Relationship. Vienna: Springer. ISBN 978-3-211-83274-5.
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