What are the main technology trends in travel and tourism?
One of the most recent technology trends shaping the tourism market is the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the travel industry. Although AI adoption is still in its early stages, many key players such as Expedia, Kayak (owned by Booking Holdings), Trip.com, and eDreams ODIGEO have gradually introduced Generative AI tools to assist customers in the trip planning process since the beginning of 2023. In this respect, according to an April 2023 survey on the usage of ChatGPT to plan the next trip, around three in ten U.S. respondents expected to use that tool while organizing the next journey.The impact of AI on tourism, however, is just one of the many technological innovations that are transforming how businesses and customers think of and experience travel today. Cloud computing, which is used to access, manage, and store data online, the use of cryptocurrency, and the possibility to experience travel and tourism in the metaverse are some of the topics drawing much attention in this sense. Based on a 2022 global study on the comfort level with selected payment methods for trips in 2033, just above a quarter of the sample reported being comfortable with either virtual payment solutions within a virtual reality and cryptocurrency.
