Talk of a technological revolution in travel is no longer hypothetical. The way we travel will continue to change over the next 12 months and beyond. New tools, solutions and expertise, as well as easier airport transfers and the ability to travel with less luggage, are all making headlines.
With the rise of global travel, corporate and individual travelers’ expectations for a seamless travel experience have never been higher. Our industry is evolving rapidly to meet ever-changing demands. Amadeus 2023 Travel Trends identifies five new developments he believes will play a role in shaping travel in the year ahead.
Meet a new kind of travel agency: Exploring the Metaverse allows travelers to explore destinations before arrival and relive memories after departure
Put a smile in your seat: biometrics help create a frictionless travel payment experience
Luggage-free travel: Hotels offer more amenities to help travelers travel light.
Work from roaming: Remote workers will increasingly adopt a nomadic lifestyle of roaming around as “work from anywhere” policies become standardized.
Welcome to the Bonding Business Break: A new category of business travel is emerging, focused on bringing teams together, building relationships and unleashing creativity away from the office.
Annual travel trends were identified by the expertise of Amadeus’ team of travel technology experts. They recognize that technology is a major driver of change, and while Web3 and biometrics play a big role, relationships are just as important. From the desire to travel with a reduced ecological footprint to the desire to give more people the freedom to work from anywhere, the trends are all related to personal and social concerns.
Mani Ganeshan, Global Head of Engineering, Travel Sellers Unit and Center Head, Amadeus Labs Bengaluru, said: Technology sophistication underpins the ability of travel providers to meet these expectations and transform the customer experience. The future has arrived in a new reality where emerging technologies give people greater control over their travel experience, prioritizing important aspects such as environmental impact, cultural nuances and interpersonal relationships. , it has become possible to achieve these goals. ,Such. With the advent of new technologies, the travel ecosystem is undergoing an exciting and progressive phase. Technology will rapidly shape the future of travel for the better as it evolves to meet traveler expectations. ”
It’s a trip, but it’s not like we know
Over the next few years, Metaverse will take traveler engagement to the next level. Travelers can enjoy a deeper cultural experience in the online world and explore virtual her concerts and exhibitions. The technology also opens up great possibilities for pre-travel support and “try before you buy” opportunities, creating even more wanderlust and excitement. This is becoming an increasingly popular way to try out expensive items such as luxury cruise trips.
Walt Disney Co. plans to create real-world theme park rides that incorporate parallel 3D virtual world experiences, and Seoul will use a platform titled ‘Metaverse Seoul’ to launch Paving the way with plans to move to ‘meta’. Meanwhile, Qatar Airways recently unveiled his Qverse by MetaHuman flight attendants, offering an immersive experience to tour, navigate and check-in at Hamad International Airport.
Smile and smooth travel payment experience
Biometric payments via ApplePay, GooglePay and others are now mainstream for both retail and travel payments. But in the next few years, travel could take biometric payments to the next level. Airports already use biometrics to identify travel documents, so the logical next step would be to leverage this identity check for payments travelers make during their trip.
No more digging around for a handbag for your wallet and upgrade to Business Class. If travelers use biometrics for check-in, baggage drop-off, and boarding flights, these identities will be used to cover any payments they may make during the trip, such as adding in-flight meals. Double down and provide a frictionless payment experience. Airports and travel agencies are using biometrics to offer passengers a completely contactless and convenient payment experience, everywhere they travel.
From paying for train tickets, to seat upgrades, on-board dining, to late check-out at hotels, biometrics are used to help travelers around the world use convenient and more secure biometric payment solutions. increase.
A small trial with travel retailer Hudson has already begun. The company has adopted his Amazon One biometric payment solution at its Nashville International Airport store to allow customers to “just walk out” and pay with the palm of their hand.
Taking the term “traveling light” to the next level
Suitcases are getting slimmer as customers become more conscious of their carbon footprint and the cost of checked baggage. A trolley full of designer loads is no longer a status symbol. Quite the opposite.
Hotels and resorts are increasingly offering rentals of bulky items such as sports equipment and workout clothes. Those who do try to do so from ultra-local suppliers in order to become more popular with tourists. We aim to further ensure a meaningful travel experience.
Global brands such as Hilton offer exercise equipment and equipment to help travelers get closer to a ‘suitcase-free stay’. We expect this trend to grow and evolve.
Work from roaming
Remote workers are settling into an increasingly nomadic lifestyle and moving to different locations. As “work from anywhere” policies are widely formalized by businesses, we will see employees spend less time at home.
Workers choose to spend time with friends and family in the domestic market or spend a month abroad. From a government perspective, we will continue to see the rise of countries that encourage digital nomads through visa systems and incentives.
Countries such as Georgia, Croatia, Iceland and Germany have already created official plans to attract digital nomads. Nomadlist is a platform that connects a global community of remote workers living and traveling around the world to help you find competitively priced places to work. The platform lists Bangkok and Lisbon as the top five cities for digital work. Amadeus has seen a 165% increase in searches for flights from Sydney to Bangkok in September 2022 compared to 2019. Searches for flights from São Paulo to Lisbon also increased by 74% in the same respective months.
Welcome to Bond Business Break
Business travel is back, but with a difference. Over the last few years, many companies have introduced policies for working from anywhere. This created challenges for team bonding and collaboration. As a result, we are seeing an increase in “company trip” plans where teams come together for the express purpose of strengthening relationships.
American Express Global Business Travel has published an article titled “Why Business Travel Is at the Center of the New Corporate Culture.” With the employee experience more important than ever, team travel programs are an excellent way to motivate teams, increase employee satisfaction, strengthen company loyalty and unleash creativity. method, it grows exponentially.
