The Newest Travel Tech
Harley Dixon Travelling has become a favourite pastime for millions in the last 30 years as flying became more frequent and far cheaper. Today, it’s laughably easy to fly to an entirely new continent, touching down after a long haul flight that can last less than a day.
But while the actual technology that takes us from one place to another is always improving, there are a number of other trends in the travel industry that are starting to take the world by storm.
1. Virtual Reality
Virtual reality is by no means a new concept, but it is one that has only seen wide-scale popularity in the last few years. VR tech has mainly focussed on the video game and medical industry, but it’s starting to break into tourism and travel, too.
One of the ways it does this is by offering potential customers the chance to view a fully realised virtual setting of the hotel room that they want to stay in. This can also include reception areas and popular local hotspots in the immediate area, all in a bid to give tourists the chance to see where they’re going before making their booking.
2. Recognition Tech
Recognition technology is based on the same tech used in biometric security, such as fingerprint and retina scanning, and facial recognition, among others. This kind of tech is already starting to see some usage within the travel industry, such as hotel rooms that finger prints are necessary in order to open doors.
There is hope that recognition tech will continue to evolve, with some believing that it will be possible to one day pay for something like a restaurant meal simply by walking past a scanner.
3. IoT
Internet of Things is a fairly new term that has come to describe the connected devices that are now such an important part of life. IoT can be found everywhere, from our homes to the services and industries we make use of every day.
It’s all about creating a global network of efficiency of convenience, and the travel industry has been quick to jump on this kind of tech. Perhaps the most prevalent usage can be found in many modern hotels.
Those staying in a hotel room will receive a small tablet, which they can then use to control everything in their room, from the lighting, the temperature, sports betting NZ online, the TV and even the fridge or coffee maker.
4. Robots
Robots are becoming more frequent in different industries around the world, and travel is among them. It’s becoming much more prevalent to find artificially intelligent robots that come with their own AI assistances and speech recognition technology, allowing them to listen and speak to guests.
Robotics is also starting to see wider usage in airports, where manufacturers are developing luggage bags that follow their owners, or automatic systems that check for any concealed weapons.