Guest Post: How technology is improving the traveler experience

Personalisation to become the ‘new normal’, says Amadeus head of the innovation partnership program Sara Pavan

Personalisation to become the ‘new normal’, says Amadeus head of the innovation partnership program Sara Pavan

Digitally savvy travelers now expect an end-to-end ‘real-time and online’ travel experience, including transfers, dining, shopping, activities and much more.

Travelers – especially millennials (people born between the early 1980s and mid-1990s) and Generation Z (those born from the mid-90s to mid-2000s) want to decide what they want to do at the last minute and they want the available options to match their preferences, likes and dislikes. That’s why personalisation is so important for travelers. and the ability of travel players to create tailored, unique experiences

Travelers are also looking to make more sustainable choices when they go away, increasing the need for travel service providers to offer an ever-wider choice to consumers. At the same time, they expect a frictionless booking service similar to the one they get in other spheres of retail.

Technology is therefore going to play an important role in fulfilling the end-to-end traveler experience.  So, who are the companies making this happen?

The holiday selection stage

Solutions that help travelers choose where to go are on the rise. Solutions such as Avuxi enable consumers to make more informed decisions on the places they visit based on previous ratings and reviews. Travel companies can integrate Avuxi maps to help their customers decide where to stay and what to do, and benefit from data that helps them in turn diversify and tailor their offer.

Video is incredibly persuasive in the traveler decision-making process. Amadeus Video Solutions enables travel companies to target audiences based on their personal preferences and empower travel companies to provide even more targeted and relevant content and advertising campaigns via their websites, social media and email newsletters.

Booking activities at destination

Often, travelers will live in the moment and decide what they want to do when they are actually at their destination. Many may want to book an experience online rather than call ahead – especially if they are not comfortable speaking the language. There is technology available on the market – such as Sherpa enabling chat-based interactions with very small local activity providers and enabling them to book those local activities on the go.

Tours and activities are indeed the next big thing in the travel industry as travelers look for that ‘unique’ experience. MyLittleAdventure provides tailored recommendations according to travelers’ preferences and has the largest inventory in the world of in-destination activities.

Meanwhile, Smartvel can help travel providers provide choice to customers who are searching for live sports, music or theatre activities. To help travelers get around their destination, Betterez provides solutions to the challenges that people face when trying to book ground travel.

Accompanying travelers at every step

Travelers can easily be overwhelmed by the many available offers at hand and often need to browse and search extensively for relevant and trustworthy services. Not everyone can afford luxury concierge services.

What if travelers could be offered end-to-end support during their journey: from home care, mobility services, comfort and concierge, airport services, health services, or paperwork? In effect, a digital travel concierge that will push you the right service in real-time on your preferred messaging channel or via SMS when you need it.

This is where Feasy comes into play. Feasy sources a wide mix of service providers and helps users select providers according to their interest. It’s not an app; instead users can choose to receive suggestions on their preferred messaging channel or via SMS.

The future travel experience

What will the travel experience look like in two- or five-years’ time? What is clear is that personalisation will become the new normal. Travelers are going to enjoy far more options throughout the decision journey, from the point when they’re planning their trip, in-transit, and spontaneous experience choices at their destination.

Smart travel experience providers will look for technology companies that will help them drive more bookings to remain competitive and, ultimately, become more profitable.