Travel technology

Travel technology (also called tourism technology or hospitality automation) refers to the application of information technology (IT) and information and communications technology (ICT) within the travel, tourism, and hospitality industries. ^[1]

Examples of travel technology include computer reservation systems (CRS), global distribution systems (GDS), online travel agencies (OTAs), flight tracking systems, mobile booking platforms, and online review platforms that allow travelers to share and evaluate experiences. ^[2]

Historically, travel technology was closely associated with airline computer reservation systems developed in the mid-20th century. ^[3] Over time, the term expanded to encompass the broader tourism and hospitality sectors, including hotel management systems, destination management systems, and digital marketing platforms. ^[4]

Online travel agencies

Booking engines allow easy access for consumers and travel professionals; the systems enable individuals to make reservations and compare prices. Online travel agencies such as expedia.com, are a large contribution to how the travel and tourism industries have changed due to technology. These online agencies help users plan and book trips and provide comparisons of hotels, flights, vacation packages, prices and more, all in one place. The change from of-person to online travel agencies gives the customer more power in planning their trip. ^[5]

Customer reviews

The increase in review websites has also had a huge impact on the tourism industry. Sites such as tripadvisor.com let users read, post, and interact with reviews of travel experiences and attractions others have had. eWOM, meaning electronic word of mouth, has become a big influence in consumer’s attitudes and actions, resulting in different choices of products and planning aspects. ^[6]

Social media and mobile technologies

The introduction of smartphones and mobile applications has also had a big effect on the tourism industry. Social media posts allow users to gather general information, free of marketing bias. ^[7] GPS and social media apps allow users to tag and share their locations. People no longer need to print out directions and can use map apps to help them get around. Social media users can search for locations on social media platforms and gain more knowledge of the locations without using a review site.

Applications such as Uber and Lyft have also made travelling easier. Users no longer have to plan ahead for transportation to and from an airport or a different destination. Ubers and Lyfts may also be used in place of a rental car.

Mobile communication

Today the tour guide can be a GPS tour guide, and the guidebook could be an audioguide and trips could be planned completely online. The continuing evolution of information technology and the widespread public use of the Internet has created a number of conditions that have been both beneficial and detrimental to the modern travel agency. The internet is reshaping many business aspects. ^[8] As a result, the travel and tourism industries will have to continue to adapt to new technologies in the future.

See also

• List of global distribution systems
• Online hotel reservations

Notes

1. Buhalis, Dimitrios (2003). eTourism: Information Technology for Strategic Tourism Management. Pearson Education. ISBN   978-0582357402.
2. O'Connor, Peter (2008). Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism. Springer. ISBN   978-3211251171.
3. Copeland, Duncan (1991). The Airline Reservation System: A History. Harvard Business School Press.
4. Buhalis, Dimitrios (2011). Tourism Management and Information Technology. Routledge. ISBN   978-0415599207.
5. Buhalis, Dimitrios (2003). eTourism: Information Technology for Strategic Tourism Management. Pearson Education. ISBN   978-0582357402.
6. Xiang, Zheng; Magnini, Vincent P.; Fesenmaier, Daniel R. (2015-01-01). "Information technology and consumer behavior in travel and tourism: Insights from travel planning using the internet". Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services. 22: 244–249. doi:10.1016/j.jretconser.2014.08.005. ISSN   0969-6989.
7. Conrady, Roland (2007), "Travel technology in the era of Web 2.0", in Conrady, Roland; Buck, Martin (eds.), Trends and Issues in Global Tourism 2007, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 165–184, doi:10.1007/978-3-540-70905-3_13, ISBN   978-3-540-70905-3
8. Olsen, Michael D.; Connolly, Daniel J. (2016-09-05). "Experience-based Travel: How Technology Is Changing the Hospitality Industry". Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly. doi:10.1177/001088040004100121. S2CID   154619259.

References

• Benckendorff, Pierre J.; Sheldon, P.J.; Fesenmaier, D.R. (2014). Tourism Information Technology (Second ed.). Wallingford, UK: CABI. ISBN   978-1-7806-4185-0.
• Buhalis, Dimitrios (2003). Etourism: Information Technology for Strategic Tourism Management. Harlow, England: Financial Times Prentice Hall. ISBN   978-0-582-35740-2.
• Cantoni, Lorenzo; Xiang, Zheng (2013). Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2013. Berlin – Heidelberg: Springer. ISBN   978-3-642-36309-2.
• Egger, Roman (2005). Grundlagen Des Etourism: Informations- Und Kommunikationstechnologien Im Tourismus (in German). Aachen: Shaker. ISBN   978-3-8322-3663-2.
• Egger, Roman; Buhalis, Dimitrios (2008). Etourism Case Studies: Management and Marketing Issues. Amsterdam [etc.]: Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN   978-0-7506-8667-9.
• Fesenmaier, Daniel R.; Wober, Karl W.; Werthner, H. (2006). Destination Recommendation Systems: Behavioural Foundations and Applications. Wallingford, UK: CABI. ISBN   978-0-85199-023-1.
• Maurer, Ed (2003). Internet for the Retail Travel Industry. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson/Delmar Learning. ISBN   978-0-7668-4071-3.
• Tesone, Dana V. (2005). Hospitality Information Systems and E-Commerce. New York: John Wiley and Sons Ltd. ISBN   978-0-471-47849-2.
• Werthner, Hannes; Klein, S. (1999). Information Technology and Tourism. A Challenging Relationship. Vienna: Springer. ISBN   978-3-211-83274-5.
• Zhou, Zongqing (2004). E-commerce and Information Technology in Hospitality and Tourism. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Learning. ISBN   978-0-7668-4140-6.

External links

• International Federation for IT and Travel & Tourism (IFITT)