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Technology around the world is developing very rapidly. Information technology is penetrating all spheres of our lives, including tourism. Tourism today is a large-scale computerized business involving the largest airlines, hotel chains, and travel corporations. The modern tourist product is becoming more flexible and individual, more attractive and accessible to the consumer. Information technology, penetrating the tourism business, changes management technologies, helps to get answers to any questions about the state of affairs and make operational decisions in a matter of seconds.
Online Travel Booking
The most obvious development that computers have affected in the travel industry is the advancement of online bookings. Websites like Expedia, Booking.com and Airbnb have liberated consumers to gather information, evaluate, and organize their traveling arrangements. These platforms provide a list of choices— flights, hotels, rental cars, vacation packages, you name it— on the tip of your fingers. The simplicity of the use of online booking systems, and in most cases the relatively cheaper options compared to conventional travel agencies have greatly reduced the use of agencies for simple travel.
In 2023, nearly a third (32%) of travelers used a website via a mobile device to book travel, while 23% used a mobile app directly.
The convenience of booking a vacation from the comfort of one’s home is one of the most conspicuous benefits. Passengers can arrange tickets, reservations, and so on, at any time, in any place through their computers or other hand-held devices. The round-the-clock availability has spurred flexibility and easy planning of travel. Tourists no longer have to visit the host country or city of destination to book activities as they can do so with a simple click.
For instance, in a few seconds, you can book Amsterdam combi tickets which will allow you to visit Rijksmuseum, have a boat tour, and check out the Van Gogh Museum. Buying this ticket means bundling multiple attractions into a single package, offering both convenience and savings.
Moreover, today’s tourists do not make as frequent visits to travel agencies and even banks. Making payments for services booked from a mobile device is always quick and easy.
Computers have also brought automation into many folds, especially in travel planning and booking. The systems can perform certain tasks like bookings, invoicing, and even sending travel itineraries This kind of automation has enhanced efficiency and accuracy, where fewer human interferences are required, and overall, errors recorded are few. Travel agents employ them to enhance their operations, and it helps them to serve more clients with more numbers of transactions.
Personalization of Offers
In today’s world, people are bombarded with streams of information daily. Service providers like airlines and hotels have to think seriously about how to make their offers targeted, otherwise, they will not be perceived by customers. For this purpose, it is necessary to find out the audience’s preferences.
Modern customer relationship management systems allow travel agencies to store detailed information about customer preferences, travel history, and special requirements. This information can be used to make recommendations and create customized travel itineraries.
For example, a travel agent can suggest destinations and activities based on a customer’s past travel activities and personal interests. What is the point of announcing business class air tickets to someone who only flies economy? The easiest way to gather information about preferences is to collect it from end consumers, so suppliers will increasingly seek to reach them directly, bypassing intermediaries.
Artificial Intelligence
It includes several technologies such as machine learning, natural language processing, and robotics. All of them have a huge extent of relevance in the travel sector. Robotics, chatbots, and virtual assistants are the future of customer service in the travel sector. These tools can take basic questions, and book-related matters, and offer instant support.
For travel agents, this means that they can delegate more routine tasks and essential responsibilities to the virtual assistants and spend more time on higher-value activities such as research and analytics. Self-service automation is replacing call centers that involve many individuals. Organizations offering travel services such as air carriers, cruise companies, and others are already incorporating chatbots.
To get information about the flight, to know the conditions of booking the hotel, and to get advice, a tourist deals not with a living person but with a computer that answers all the questions optimally. Some home assistants, including those who can remember the owner’s voice, already exist.
Another area where AI is found to be useful is in improving the security and fraud detection solutions in travel facilities. Using transaction data and machine learning, one can analyze the pattern of activities in search of suspicious and fraudulent activities. For travel agents, this means that they can provide the customers with a more secure booking process which is especially crucial when it comes to fighting more and more frequent cyber threats.
Improved Customer Experience
The availability of computers and especially the use of technology has significantly improved the customer experience when organizing a journey. Two promising technologies – virtual reality and augmented reality – are becoming increasingly relevant in helping travel agencies give customers a rough idea of the facilities, services, and locations they offer. They reduce the level of uncertainty experienced by customers, as with this technology, customers can know in advance what the future holds for them.
The paradigm shift has many benefits, although travel agents may face certain issues and challenges in the new environment. The flood of travel information from numerous potential sources may confuse consumers and make it difficult for them to make the right choice. Travel agents also have significant responsibilities of filtering information so that clients are given probable and reliable advice.
The emergence of intermediaries such as online platforms for booking travel services upped competitiveness and increased pressure on travel agents to locate niches and offer differentiated propositions. To remain successful in such conditions, the agencies have to constantly acquire new information, adopt innovations, and support education and training.
Conclusion
To conclude, computers allow tourism enterprises to get acquainted with new technologies, open new forms of work with clients, and provide the possibility of constant interaction with their business partners, providing various information sources. The development of ways to improve the use of Internet technologies in tourism is of undoubted interest not only for individual tourism enterprises. This can generally affect the development of the tourism industry.
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