Travel Technology in Focus for Advisors, Travelers and Pundits

Travel technology is in a strange spot right now. At one end, it can help travelers make informed and very actionable decisions on the fly and any time during the travel planning process. At the other end, it could upend the travel industry as we know it with made-up information, fake news, and bots posing as trusted advisors. 

Can travel technology be our answers to travel nightmares and “flightmares” that are all too common in this hyper travel age? Or will they stoke the flames of confusion, crowd ire and general breakdowns in order and protocols?

Despite all the possible drawbacks, an A.I.-powered future might still be advantageous for travelers, according to a report by Mckinsey & Company. For example, if ChatGPT or other generating systems have access to the latest information about a product or topic, such as a flight delay, the system can contact a traveler’s car rental and notify the restaurant, hotel and other targets about a need to reschedule appoint, arrival or reservation times.

Customer expectations have changed as a result of the rapid rate of technological progress in many spheres of life. Technology-driven services are frequently available instantly, at the customers’ fingertips, with no lines or holdups. But many aspects of travel are not seeing similar amounts of digital innovation.

Travel in 2035, Maybe

Say a traveler is embarking on an eagerly anticipated honeymoon trip to a tropical paradise. It’s 2035. Travel technology is in full force through videoconferencing, for instance, in which all vacation arrangements were made via a virtual tour operator and a destination travel expert. The assistance of trained generative AI, custom travel arrangements were made with real-time revisions based on feedback. The traveler checks in online and QR-codes the luggage before leaving the house and entering a self-driving cab to the airport. Once through security the biometric checking, the premier lounge  checks the QR code and it’s a self-served small meal and glass of wine before take-off. Flight boarding is a snap as all the pre-boarding was done electronically ahead of time. And waiting at the hotel are flowers and a bottle of wine ordered up by the virtual concierge. The personal digital concierge delivers the honeymoon itinerary with all the desired bookings as a baggage robot manages the delivery of luggage to the hotel. All food orders romantic dinners and otherwise go through various restaurant apps, which also handle the bills. 

The travelers here have hardly interacted with humans so far, although a flesh and blood sommelier saddles up to the table to discuss wine choices for dinner. A hotel app and digital guide make arrangements for the sightseeing and side trips activities. A virtual tour guide brings in historical personalities to life using holographic technology. Then, as planned, a human local resident manages a meet and greet and drives the couple to their residence to partake traditional family dinner.

While relatively void of  interactions with people, this tech-based travel experience goes smoothly and whatever human interactions there are give the event a unique flair. The travel technology approach allows for the travel experience to improve the human contact by using technology to reduce common travel inconveniences and frustration that go with lines, waits, delays, misunderstandings, and misinformation.

The industry is only beginning to investigate the potential of guest-facing technologies, which can decrease the need for workers, enable contactless interactions, and provide travelers with convenience and tailored care. 

Travel Technology and the Luxury Travel Advisor

To help the travel industry and travel advisors get a better handle on how travel technology is changing world of travel, Virtuoso is  hosting its second annual Travel Tech Summit this month and spotlighting the state of the state in travel technology innovation so far.

With a handful of the industry’s top pioneers industry operators will get a sense of where things are heading and what travel technology innovations to watch. Shane O’Flaherty from Microsoft is speaking about the connected trip; Cara Whitehill from Unlock Advisors will advise on how large corporations can collaborate with startups; Charaf El Mansouri from Dharma spotlights non-travel companies that are monetizing their brands through travel offerings; Zach Demuth from JLL is highlighting sustainability in hotels and resorts; and Carolyn Corda from Deloitte delivers the overall picture in travel tech trends. 

“While technology has been developed to serve the luxury traveler, there remains a void in tech solutions for those who actually sell luxury travel and service high-end clients,” said tech entrepreneur, investor and Virtuoso board member, Gilad Berenstein. “Virtuoso’s role in the tech ecosystem is to bring together fellow entrepreneurs, agency owners, travel advisors, suppliers and the tech community, so that we can cocreate solutions that solve pain points for each of these entities.”

The event will present the Startup Showcase: 20 innovative startups to watch as well as understand what trends are afoot behind and ahead of these innovations. In focus is: 

Advisor & Agency Tech

– HyperGuest

– Tern Travel

– TravelWits

– Tres Technologies

– TripSuite

Hotel, Cruise, Tour & Transportation Tech

– NLX

– Origin

– ResortPass

– The Host Co

– TRVLR

Sustainability Tech

– Ampaire

– Hydrogen

– Kind Traveler

– Tuzmo

– Weeva

AI & Emerging Tech

– Dharma

– Legends

– Point.me

– Tango

– Voyage.AI