Travel and technology have always paired well together and the industry is always quick to adopt new innovations that can drive business and experiences. Travel consumers especially have come to depend on their mobile devices and have prioritized smartphones as an essential component to a successful travel experience instead of a neat travel gadget. An interesting statistic from a recent Deloitte survey suggested that 7 out of 10 users engage with their smartphones as soon as they wake up and 96% of respondents said they owned a smartphone device, up 2 points from 2023. This creates opportunities for travel providers as device usage increases alongside ramping travel volumes. As smartphone technology evolves, travel consumers are demanding more functionality and capabilities from their devices for before, during and after the trip.

Higher Expectations from Today’s Mobile Devices

Smartphone technology continues to evolve at a frenetic pace and high performance processors combined with enhanced capabilities makes these mobile devices the preferred go to travel tool. Smartphone users will be looking for conveniences that ease stress and elevate experiences before, during and after the trip. The advanced organizational capabilities and high speed connectivity of modern smartphones offers significant benefits to travelers when packaged in an easy to use mobile app. Trip tracking and social media sharing of travel experiences are also in-demand services and mobile apps, such as PokkeTTREK, are designed to deliver desired consumer benefits by maximizing smartphone functionality. Other conveniences such as on-demand services that can provide current location information and real time local recommendations are preferred technologies for both business and leisure travelers.

Technology Elevates the Entire Experience

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fast becoming a key technology in the travel industry and has many applications that can enhance and elevate the travel consumer’s experience. Many online travel agencies and travel providers are adopting AI based portals to provide travel research, booking and purchasing assistance. The plain language inputs of AI technology makes it appealing to travel consumers who can easily input requests via keyboard or voice. Simply asking for recommendations or reviews of destinations and experiences will deliver a wealth of information travel consumers demand when making travel purchases. AI powered services are also beneficial for business and corporate travel planners and can easily execute complex schedules and bookings with a few simple requests. AI assistance can provide benefits during the trip as well by delivering real time information specific to the locale with those simple voice and keystroke inputs. With higher expectations for service, travel consumers will appreciate the conveniences and benefits offered by AI powered assistants and portals.

Preferences Shift to Localization

One of the biggest challenges for the travel industry in 2024 was ‘overtourism’. Many world class travel destinations are putting limits on foreign travel to ease environmental burdens. Travelers are turning to technology to provide information on less traveled locations and experiences that are ‘off the beaten path’. Demand for localized experiences will be driven by mobile apps that can quickly offer suggestions and recommendations that provide unique and less mainstream experiences. Localization of resources is critical in certain categories such as medical travel and mobile apps, such as medTOUR+assist, can offer quick access to local healthcare resources and regulations as well as plan and organize complex medical travel itineraries. Advanced localization capabilities and connectivity can power technology that delivers easy access to real time information specific to the location. Voice activated searches as well as ‘one touch’ searching are easily performed on today’s highly ergonomic and intuitive mobile devices.

The Long Lasting Relationship Between Travel & Technology

Travelers have always been early adopters of technology, harking back to the late 1800s when the first ‘portable’ Kodak cameras came on the scene. With increasing demand for travel and smartphone usage, travel providers and technology companies can capitalize on the higher engagement and can deliver conveniences and functionality expected by the traveling consumer. Artificial Intelligence has been called a ‘gamechanger’ for the travel industry and can offer additional benefits to the consumer while potentially maximizing each client interaction. Rapid evolution in smartphone technology makes these devices much more than just a camera with a calendar and traveling consumers have high expectations from their mobile devices and what they can do for them. Mobile travel technology extends beyond the trip itself and is utilized before and after the journey and is quickly becoming the preferred tool for researching and purchasing travel as well as elevating experiences while on trip.