In the new report, experts predict the growth of the tourism industry and its technological development. According to them, digitalization gives travelers a wide choice at every stage of the trip, and they, in turn, expect flexible and personalized offers from industry players. Against this backdrop, Amadeus experts analyzed the travel market and formulated 10 main trends for 2020.
If it's not on social media, it doesn't exist.
Instagram's 500 million active users worldwide post around 85 million photos daily, with 40% people under 33 citing "Instagrammability" as a deciding factor when choosing a vacation destination. For the younger generation, smartphones have completely replaced PCs when it comes to finding and booking travel, and travel companies need to consider "mobility" when building relationships with customers.
Conscious tourism
One of the determining factors in choosing travel has also become the principle of sustainable development and "ecologicality": tourists have begun to think more often about the ecological footprint of their travels and their impact on the local economy. Market participants have begun to adapt to the new conditions - hotels are reducing the use of plastic, and travel agencies are creating conscious tours in eco-friendly hotels.
Solo Travel
According to global statistics, the number of single and/or divorced people is growing every year, affecting tourism demand. However, independent travel does not always imply complete solitude: many people go on holiday with the aim of meeting new people. Recent studies show that among solo travelers, the number of women has exceeded the number of men for the first time, which is also something that tourism service providers need to take into account.
New payment methods
The number of purchases "on the spot" during travel increases annually, and along with the growing demand for mobile solutions, financial technologies are actively developing. Thus, there are already more than 300 ways to pay for travel around the world. The introduction of new financial instruments will allow travel companies to qualitatively improve the user experience for their clients.
Shifting the paradigm of loyalty
The battle for loyalty will reach a new level in 2020: as tourism giants develop new business areas, small players begin to offer niche services for narrow target audiences, while a wide choice makes travelers increasingly selective. Targeting for finding customers and technologies in this area will become the main competitive advantage for travel companies in the coming year.
Artificial Intelligence for the Benefit of Customers
Companies are looking to optimize workflows and speed up the processing time of customer requests, for which they are implementing artificial intelligence and testing mechanisms for direct bookings through messengers and bots. Using AI for routine requests allows you to serve customers faster, freeing up the potential of the customer service to solve those tasks that require personal involvement and improving the quality of service.
Voice assistants
Voice assistants have already become a habit for smartphone and smart home users, but in the tourism industry, large-scale implementation of voice control is expected in the coming year. Investments in voice technology will allow in the future to quickly access traveler data, send prompt notifications and inquire about the well-being of their clients in the format of a live dialogue right in the air.
Mobile applications
Mobile content offers travel agencies endless possibilities. The challenges arise when relevant information has to be collected from multiple sources. “Super apps” combine various services and allow you to follow social networks, make purchases, order food, book tickets and hotels using a single application. The spread of 5G networks and mobile devices will further promote the growth of mobile content and the popularization of “super apps”.
Virtual reality in the world of tourism
Virtual reality (VR) will also play a major role in the travel industry this year. The availability of headsets and immersive devices is helping to popularize VR and challenge traditional tourism: travel companies can now open up the world of travel to those who previously could not afford it.
Nothing can replace the human approach
Digital technologies are able to predict user behavior, anticipate potential problems and solve them, providing an unprecedented level of customer support. However, people still prefer to deal with people, thereby raising the bar for travel companies. Those who can understand their audience from the inside and build personalized offers for the needs of each traveler will be successful.
Source: trn-news.ru