TRAVEL TRENDS OVER THE PAST 5 YEARS AND IN THE NEXT YEARS TO COME

Travel industry trends over the past years have evolved quickly; in 2016 the development of technologies is on the rise. Travel trends during this post-pandemic years includes the increasing popularity of social media among all age groups, and the ubiquity of smartphones helped people especially frequent travelers and tourists research and book their flights. And traveling became more and more convenient as the year progressed to 2017 up to the present, as smartphones are increasingly the device of choice when looking and often even booking trips and has come to a point where us, teenagers are more likely to start the research and planning process without a set destination in mind, we only rely on our smartphones when looking for travel inspiration, and have an all-or-nothing approach to travel activities.

Photo Credits: CompareCamp

Even way back in 2017, cross-device advertising used to be a travel trend where the multi-media approach is on the rise and incorporating a seamless content experience is important so it reaches consumers effectively whether they are on mobile or desktop. Traveling for the past 5 years have been so smooth and people can freely travel from one destination to another with the help of technologies such as mobile phones, laptops or computers. So, as we transition to the pandemic years, the usage of new disruptive technologies is – and yet has been the travel trend will be much more of a need. Some of the possible future travel trends in the industry are first; the use of Virtual Reality – although it has been a travel trend during the post-pandemic years, this became more be trendy since its role within the travel industry exceeds almost any other area of usage. It allows the destination to be showcased without actually visiting the place and properties to be viewed and attractions to be explored, all via a digital experience. Second, the robots, as robots are very efficient in terms of “performing” the job as humans do, robots in the form of self-driving cars are likely to be one of the major travel trends. Lastly, the voice control technology by which travel companies can provide touch-free environments and reduce the risks associated with Covid-19 virus. This is applicable within the hotel industry where they provide guests the ability to adjust their room’s temperature, turn on the television, change channels, contact the front desk and much more, all using smart speakers or a voice-controlled hub.

Photo Credits: WNS

Technology will always be a major factor in shifting behavior and expectations, and travel trends are no different – from VR and AR, to the increased use of contactless and mobile payment methods, all the way to the growing reliance on robotics, the industry is evolving due to technological advancement.