Looking back at the past years we can see how much technology in tourism has developed enabling the possibilities of offering great services all around the globe. Of course, no computer or technological solution will be able to substitute the care and love that comes from another person, use it properly and it can solve many problems in the tourism industry. The most essential ones are:
- Time: nothing upsets a guest more the misuse of time. With the current technology check-in and check-out are much faster than before.
- Consistency and Clarity: catering for the world means that now we are able to offer information in multiple languages, without any barriers.
- Place: easily find the contact information of the hotels, their locations, transportation and so on.
One area that technology had and still has a very big impact on is marketing and communication in the tourism industry. The hoteliers should make sure there is high enough awareness in the market for their product. This is where technology plays its part; because marketing for tourism must be done in a concise manner, consisting of a wide scope, reaching every corner of the earth, technology is highly used and without it none of this would be possible.
Despite many inequalities, there is room to increase travel, especially now when all the barriers that used to make global travelling difficult are slowly fading away. Today, the tourism activity is shaped by price comparison with the combination of good use of technology. New applications come out, there is an overall transparency for the industry due to social media and review portals and of course changes in the concept of the value chain. All these changes are obvious and constant as well as the opportunities that slowly arise. But having all these changes will no doubt bring challenges too, for the tourism industry.
- Understanding trends affecting the supply and demand
- Manage this change as well as being involved
- Constantly improving the services according to these changes
Being on top of technology doesn’t mean that every tourism business needs to become an OTA to successfully utilize it. The most important part is to understand your own core strengths and competencies and according to that adopt the necessary technological solutions, this way you will strengthen those competencies.
Current Situation
Even though using technology and the source of available information is increasing at a rapid pace, the business operators and the workforce within the tourism industry do not have sufficient knowledge, tools, strategies or training to fully utilize or correctly utilize these great tools.
For a Better Future
The international tourism industry is adopting another “T”: Travel, Tourism and Technology. In this era technology covers the needs of the consumers, the companies and the destinations. Therefore, we must continue incorporating technology in our management of tourism related businesses.
The technologies that help towards the improvement of the daily operation also help with the better management of the guests (before, during and after their stay); eve helping with understanding our competition better.
Not to mention that technology helps us cut down on costs in the long run, ensuring a positive experience for the guests or booking tools for all kind of services.
The key is to be well prepared, by training not only the management but all level staff; this is the future key to differentiate your business from the competition.
Sharing for the Better
We must break the taboos and start sharing our knowledge and experience with professionals in our areas with no fear, only this way we will be able to grow.
Final Notes
Tourism and technology are mutually dependent on each other, advancing in the same direction. The expectation of tourists rose due to the development of technology. Whether we like it or not, technology touches on basically every aspect of our lives. Technology is a great tool for the tourism industry but it should be used wisely, too much of it reduces the human contact and too little of it will make your business fall behind.
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