How Technology is Helping Tourism

How Technology is Helping Tourism


The technology is updating tourism with a lot of useful stuff like the Internet of things, voice searches, wearables of Disney system and internet connectivity. 
 
Internet of Things (IoT)
Anyone who has ever traveled by plane knows very well the anguish of facing the baggage belt when landing at the destination airport, especially if it is a trip with several stops. The fear of losing bags goes through airports around the world every day and has a simple solution thanks to the development of the Internet of Things (IoT).
 
Studies suggest that the demand for smart luggage will add 2,400 million dollars in 2022, a figure that reflects the growing interest in providing solutions to the sector ranging from the implementation of smart sensors to Bluetooth devices or, above all, the RFID tags that they can be easily identified automatically.
 
These systems of digital tracking of the suitcases allow knowing at all times where they are and, in the case of airlines such as  Air Delta, the passenger can consult it in real time through an app on the  smartphone.
 
But the IoT revolution in the world of tourism goes much further. The technology already allows today to replace the keys or access cards to the hotel by mobile phone, so that the guest only has to bring their device to the door to open their room, a solution in which companies work Spanish as Checkin. 
 
Voice searches
"Voice control is going to be the most disruptive technology in the next five years, because the implementation of artificial intelligence is going to take more time," explained a few months ago the president of Expedia, Barry Diller, during a conference in Las Vegas.
 
Voice searches are increasing at an exponential rate thanks to the the emergence of the  smartphone,  smart assistants such as Siri (Apple), Alexa (Amazon), Cortana (Microsoft), Bixby (Samsung) or the Google version, as well as being driven by the arrival of intelligent loudspeakers, increasingly frequent not only in homes but in the rooms of many hotels.
 
This type of systems can be very useful for multiple tasks and services ranging from communication with a reception (especially if it is foreign tourists) to the request of room service, the recommendation of plans or places to eat or the agenda of hotel events.
 
The potential for the industry is enormous because, although the technology is still in an incipient state today, the idea is to offer a specific solution to the client's question, instead of the dozens of alternatives that have to face when making the same request by writing it on Google.
 
Connectivity
When traveling, people want to remain connected to the rest of the world, either to look at possible places to go, read recommendations for places to eat or have a drink or, above all, to share their experience with friends and family. through social networks.
 
That's why connectivity is an essential factor that more and more hotels take into account in the customer experience; The lack of Wi-Fi coverage in a room can generate frustration that is translated into a negative comment for the establishment, with the danger, that this can entail.
 
But in addition to offering comfort to the user, connectivity can also, be used to boost energy efficiency in order to save costs with measures ranging from turning off lights and air conditioning in empty rooms to the use of artificial intelligence for the system to calculate When it should start to work so that the guest finds the room at the ideal temperature when entering through the door.
 
And of course, WiFi is also an increasingly important element in air travel, a matter in which airlines such as Iberia, Vueling, British Airways, Lufthansa, Norwegian or Air Europa have gotten fully involved.
 
Wearables 
Despite the fact that the industry is moving at a slower pace than expected,  wearables can be guessed as one of the most disruptive elements in the tourism sector.
 
A smartwatch already serves today to board an airplane without the need to print any paper and not even take the mobile phone out of his pocket. Some models can serve to guide the user to reach any point in the city with simple directions.
 
Another good example of how  wearables  are transforming the tourism sector is Disney's MagicBand, an intelligent bracelet that connects to the infrastructure of the theme park and that serves both to access attractions and to pay at food establishments without having to take out the purse.
 
This Disney system also allows establishing a predetermined route through the theme park with which its users can save the endless queues of some attractions: the bracelet will warn the visitor in real time which is the next attraction to visit according to the established schedule.
 
The issue is not just watches or smart wristbands: smart glasses can serve to offer a much deeper experience to the user in a museum to be able to access tons of information through the help of augmented reality.

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