Generative AI is revolutionizing the travel industry, shaping the way people book trips, plan journeys, and experience destinations.
A McKinsey study predicts $8.6 trillion in travel spending by 2024, with 74% of travelers preferring to book online.
Tech trends like AI, sustainable tech, and robotics are enhancing personalization and customer engagement, improving operational efficiency, and reducing environmental impact.
Challenges include staying ahead of rapidly evolving technology and meeting rising customer expectations.
BigOhTech can help travel businesses leverage these trends by developing advanced mobile solutions to enhance the travel experience.
Technology has transformed the travel industry dramatically—from using mobile apps to AI trip assistants that provide personalized recommendations to travelers, and biometric systems for verifying traveler identities.
These technology trends are creating endless possibilities for those in the travel space.
For some businesses, it's improving customer service through integration of AI chatbots, while for others, it's enhancing guest experience and reducing waiting times through facial recognition and biometric interfaces.
This means Digitization has become a driving factor in travel that adds value to customers' lives and serves as a marketing tool for travel, tourism, and hospitality companies to connect with their customers.
So, if you're running a travel business and struggling to understand your customers at a granular level, or if you're losing potential bookings because your processes aren't seamless enough, you need to make travel more accessible and effortless for them.
That's only possible when you leverage the latest travel technology trends (AI, sustainable technology, robots). Read this blog to know the top 20 tech trends in the travel industry.
What is Travel Technology?
Travel technology involves the use of tech such as apps, cloud, AI, IoT, and other digital tools to simplify the travel experience.
Traditionally, travelers used to take days to plan their trips, but with AI-assisted trip planning, finding a perfect place that suits their budget has become easy.
All thanks to machine learning algorithms that are not only helping travelers but also assisting travel businesses to do data analysis, make decisions, and reduce costs.
From faster check-ins to smart bookings to AI-powered recommendations, technology is present at every facet to save time, reduce costs, and enhance the travel experience.
What are some of the top technologies that are transforming the travel industry?
Let’s discuss some of the top sizzling travel technology trends you should follow to take a first-mover advantage in the travel industry –
1. The use of Sustainable Technology
As people are getting environmentally friendly and looking towards creating a better sustainable future, travel and tourism companies should also create innovative technological solutions that keep the planet first.
Sustainable tourism has become immensely popular not because digital nomads and travelers prefer it, but because it reduces the negative influence on sites, and local attractions and preserves the natural beauty of the spot.
From choosing eco-friendly destinations to relying on technology for fulfilling travel-related needs, everything is available to users at their fingertips.
Technology has made journeys more convenient than ever. Even if we talk about the aviation industry, aviation contributes to 2% of the CO2 emission in 2022, and it’s expected that there will be a significant rise in flights by 2030.
So, can you imagine how much CO2 it can produce?
There comes the need for creating sustainable aircraft which is powered by biofuel or hybrid fuel. Thus, technology plays a significant role in reducing carbon emissions in the environment.
More importantly, it urges the customers to fly with zeal and confidence.
Various airline companies including British Airways, Japan Airlines, and American Airlines are on the pathway towards sustainability. They have reduced their reliance on fossil fuels and adopted digital means to achieve net zero emission targets.
A popular example of this is Alaska Airlines increased their flight efficiency by partnering with the platform called Flyways AI which is an ML-based solution.
The system will test the scenarios to provide an optimal route that reduces the carbon footprint. It depends on the flight dispatcher whether they want to go with that route or take another.
2. Artificial Intelligence
AI changes the world of the travel and tourism industry, and it makes the lives of travelers easier than ever.
A study by the World Travel and Tourism Council states that the use of AI and Machine learning is likely to result in a $1 trillion boost in the travel and tourism sector by 2025.
This emerging technology brings substantial benefits to travel and tourism operators in the way they serve their customers, predict customer demand and provide personalized recommendations for flights, hotels, restaurants, and other airlines.
Travel companies have integrated AI-powered chatbots and smart booking assistants for analyzing customer preferences and then curating personalized travel plans.
Airbnb for example is a perfect place for short-term and long-term rental uses.
Its advanced AI algorithms analyze previous bookings and preferences to provide personalized suggestions to travelers. Thus, they can maximize their rental revenue and stay competitive during the low season.
Hosts can dynamically change their pricing strategies using AI. They can fine-tune the prices of their accommodation based on various factors such as location, demand, seasonality, market conditions, or competitor prices.
3. Robots
Robots are another technology trends making big waves in the travel and hospitality industry.
Gone are the times when travelers needed to wait hours to find someone or stand in a long queue to get directions.
Now, popular airports and hotels have deployed robots to provide the best possible service to customers. These robots act as the guiding force for instructing passengers at the terminal.
One example of an airport that uses robots is Heathrow Airport, in London. Its fully autonomous robot helps guests with basic tasks and helps the airline staff to focus on value-added or complex tasks.
Thus, there’s less need for human agents as robots become the key pillar for assisting customers.
Additionally, leading hotel chains around the globe have been using robots to ease the check-in process.
The Henn na Hotel in Nagasaki employed robots to ease the check-in and check-out process.
For some hotels, robots have been used for greeting guests, while others use them for cleaning and luggage handling. Some others have been using it for food-handling purposes.
4. Augmented Reality
Augmented reality adds a taste of pun to normal experiences. It changes the way travelers think about traveling and becomes an asset for travel and tourism companies to provide interactive experiences to tourists.
Travelers can experience the streets of Tokyo or plan their trips virtually by sitting in the comfort of their homes. They can virtually interact with things and get a sneak peek of what it looks like.
AR/VR technologies are solely considered marketing tools for travel and tourism companies as they can provide virtual experiences to customers and charge them on that basis.
Various airline companies including First Airlines decided to enhance passenger experience by offering virtual and augmented reality.
The company uses these immersive technologies to help passengers experience the in-flightmeals, entertainment, and games before they board the actual flight.
Passengers can go on a 360-degree virtual tour to experience attractive places like Rome, New York, Paris, or Hawaii. Even AR makes it easier for passengers to check the size of their luggage before leaving their homes.
5. Internet of Things (IoT)
IoT changes the travel and tourism landscape by enhancing the travel experience.
In this hyper-competitive world, traveling has become more competitive, and the integration of IoT devices (smart luggage, wearable tech, connected hotel rooms) helps companies fine-tune their services based on data collected.
A prime example of this is developing an IoT app that enables guests to check in, avail hotel services on the go, and get discounts on services when they make repeat purchases.
IoT sensors can even notify the hotel staff before the guest arrives. This way, they can complete their housekeeping chores in advance.
IoT is a revolutionary technology for travel and tourism companies as managing accommodations was a time-consuming affair.
Today, connected software and sensors simplify the travel experience by collecting their details and then providing personalized travel recommendations.
For instance, – Data gathered through sensors helps travel companies to tailor their tour packages as per traveler preferences.
If the traveler is having an active lifestyle, then the online platform will personalize the travel experience by recommending adventurous-related destinations.
If the traveler is a foodie person, they may suggest some other options such as the best cuisines to visit in XYZ place.
Similarly, IoT brings several benefits for hotels and resorts.
Implementation of Information of Technology Technology in Mariott helps hoteliers to cut their operational expenses. The front desk staff can regulate the lighting and room temperature by sitting at their reception desks.
6. Blockchain Technology
The infusion of blockchain technology in the travel industry comes with security and stability benefits.
In the travel industry, a lot of data is shared back and forth throughout the network such as check-ins, booking data, traveler preferences, luggage handling, and other updates.
With an increase in customer data, there comes the concern for vulnerabilities. That’s where blockchain technology works and changes the travel game.
Blockchain decentralizes the booking process, cuts the middleman in between, and streamlines the communication between vendor and client. Thus, there are no centralized intermediaries like OTAs as blockchain decentralizes the travel process.
Moreover, there’s always the risk of customer data as these third-party service providers often sell customer data to make money.
Blockchain technology securely stores customer’s data, verifies transactions, and enhances the customer experience.
For instance – Travala is an online booking platform that uses blockchain technology to provide accommodations to travelers such as hotels, flights, and other activities.
Travala uses Binance cryptocurrency exchange and allows travelers to book hotels and flights using digital currencies. They do have a smart loyalty rewards program where they can access exclusive features and redeem crypto cashback and discounts.
Another popular use case of blockchain technology in the travel industry is that it verifies the information on the go and reduces the airport or check-in queue.
A simple fingerprint or a retina scan can streamline the check-in process with no more hassle. Travelers need not worry about carrying physical documents as everything is stored in a decentralized ledger.
7. Voice Search and Voice Control
Another travel technology trend hitting the ground is Voice search and voice control.
Modern travelers have become highly dependent on voice assistants to search for n number of things such as booking tickets, and hotel rooms or to enjoy the travel experience.
In hotels, voice search has grown tremendously by enabling guests to adjust lighting and control the room temperature. They can do hands-free navigation and request hotel services on the go.
In the coming few years, this technology is more likely to advance and if your website doesn’t support voice search functionality then you’re going to lose a bunch of online consumers.
Voice assistants (Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant) make up the day of consumers so much that more than 1 billion voice searches happen every day. As these technologies provide comfort and convenience to guests, they are in huge demand.
These in-room voice assistants allow guests to regulate lighting, heating, room temperature or control any device while sitting anywhere in the room. They can request hotel services, contact staff or do anything without asking the front desk staff.
Thus, guests feel hyper-personalized when everything is possible using voice search functionality.
8. Use of Generative AI tools like ChatGPT
ChatGPT is a free handy tool that travel, and tourism companies can use to provide human-like responses.
Tools like ChatGPT are trained on chunks of data to create new content be it writing blogs, articles or creating a social media strategy.
Most customers have become impatient, and they want rapid responses within just 1 minute. In that case, ChatGPT can enhance customer satisfaction by providing prompt replies.
On the other hand, companies need not worry about finding a customer service agent.
As ChatGPT can answer your routine yet repetitive questions, it can save you costs that would otherwise have been incurred on hiring employees.
Moreover, it reduces the workload on employees as they can devote more time to answering complex questions.
Research from McKinsey states that Generative AI tools can act like a productivity frontier for organizations and it’s going to generate trillions of dollars of value to the global economy.
In a nutshell, ChatGPT has several use cases in the travel industry-
Travel companies, hotels, and restaurants can use ChatGPT for booking and reservation purposes. Bookings can occur quickly with no more manual efforts.
This generative AI tool can act like a customer service representative. It can answer customer questions anytime and interact with them on the go.
It can provide personalized recommendations to customers by analyzing a customer’s travel history, their preferences, or previous customer’s history.
You can even integrate ChatGPT on your website and can use it for marketing purposes. It can communicate with customers and promote new services or share promos or discounts with guests.
9. The dominance of Media-Led Travel
Travel has become more media-led meaning that travelers prefer visiting destinations recommended by influencers.
Today, social media platforms are not just mere tools, rather they have become a platform for sharing experiences.
These days, travel influencers have changed the meaning of travel. Mirco and Niche influencers have tons of trusted followers on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
They share valuable content on these platforms inspiring people to think about where and how to travel. That’s why travel businesses are also collaborating with influencers as they’ve built a following over time.
Therefore, some tourist destinations see a major spike in footfall as media-led influencers talk about these places and share their experiences.
For instance – If an influencer shares a video on TikTok about culture and the festivals that people living in the European Union celebrate, that piques the visitor’s interest. That’s how they try to virtually explore these places.
10. Rise of AI Travel Agents
Artificial intelligence has now transitioned from assisting customers to acting as independent entities. Various travel, transport, tourism, and hospitality companies are using Agentic AI for performing certain business operations.
Hoteliers use AI algorithms for setting pricing strategies and optimizing hotel revenue.
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts uses a revenue management system that uses real-time data and analytics features to fine-tune its strategies and set the prices dynamically based on market insights.
These are not your mere traditional human agents; they create hyper-personalized experiences.
Romie is an AI-powered travel buddy who has become more intelligent than ever. It’s an all-in-one travel companion that learns to identify what type of traveler you are, what kind of food you prefer, and what type of activities interests you the most.
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It enhances the traveler experience by offering various benefits to them-
Personalize your search experience by helping you find the best hotel/resort.
It helps you plan and manage your group trips.
It can offer weather updates or tell you feasible alternatives if there are last-minute disruptions or the trip gets canceled.
11. Recognition Technology
Recognition technology is present at every stage of a traveler's journey from pre-travel to check-in to baggage tracking and making payments. This includes retina scanning to identify facial features and other types of biometric recognition features.
From hotels to airports, everyone is using recognition technology to reduce waiting time and provide VIP-level personalization for everyone. Even hoteliers are using contactless check-in/check-out systems to allow guests to access the room premises.
At properties such as Marriott and InterContinental Hotels Group, guests can complete their check-in process, access elevators, and enter rooms without room cards.
In airports, travelers don't need to carry boarding passes, and facial recognition kiosks are used instead of boarding passes.
Instead of handing documents to an agent, the system uses automated recognition of your physical features such as iris, face, and fingerprint to verify identity.
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Tokyo's Narita Airport replaced touchscreen machines with check-in systems where passengers simply need to use hand gestures for check-in, while facial recognition systems can be used to verify passenger identity.
Result? Quick verification process in less than 10 seconds + Shorter waiting lines + Faster boarding process.
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12. Interactive Kiosks
Interactive Kiosks are standalone devices that are now deployed at hotels, airlines, and restaurants. These devices not only speed up the check-in process for visitors, but they also provide them with information on how to find a particular route or explore the hotel area.
Instead of just becoming an information source, these kiosks have transitioned into an exploration center of tourist destinations. In museums, kiosks have become interactive, turning passive engagement into immersive experiences.
Generally, finding the next route, such as determining "where to go next," becomes overwhelming for visitors. They needed step-by-step guidance to find specific locations, such as the nearest coffee shop or children's playground.
This static board will thus enhance the visitor engagement by acting as a visual guide for tourists.
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Even though kiosks are not confined to restaurants and in the tourism sector, Taipei Taoyuan International Airport uses self-service kiosks for travelers to check in, print their boarding passes, and tag baggage without waiting for a luggage counter agent.
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13. NFTs
NFTs are another technology trend transforming the travel industry, creating an opportunity for businesses to generate a new revenue stream. When you own an NFT, it means it represents digital ownership and can't be replaced with something identical.
These days, Airlines, hotels, and travel businesses have started launching NFTs to create unique experiences for travelers. Unlike traditional loyalty points, these NFTs can be used as a loyalty program or reward, such as lounge access or a travel giveaway.
Even hoteliers have started launching NFTs where guests can buy stays through these digital tokens.
If the guest cancels the reservation, they can still sell the NFT, and the hotelier can still make money from the sale as the guest resells the NFT to another traveler in the digital marketplace. This way, the hotelier need not worry about refunding the booking amount.
An airline issues tradable NFTs, allowing passengers to either redeem them for a reward or sell them to others before they expire.
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Marriott even created its first NFT in December 2021. They launched their digital-first campaign "Power of Travel".
The hotel partnered with 3 artists to create digital artworks. The artist whose work is selected will receive an NFT redeemable for travel experiences, including hotel stays, car rentals, and flights.
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14. Contactless Payments
Contactless payments are another digital trend that's buzzing in the travel industry. This makes it easier for travel companies to accept payments with ease, and it's also convenient for customers who don't have cash or a credit card.
Best part? Such travel technology enhances customer experience, and it's a time saver for them.
According to a global passenger survey conducted in 2024, passengers seek not only conveniences but also a seamless experience, from booking to payment via digital wallets.
79% of travelers say that they prefer to use credit or debit cards to pay for travel. This shows that these contactless payment methods have been gaining huge traction, especially among young and tech-savvy travelers.
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Bharat Malik, senior vice president, Flight and Hotel business division of Yatra, says that
Such digital wallet options give young travelers more flexibility to make spontaneous plans and book their trips without worrying about the cost element.
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15. AI-Assisted Booking and Travel Planning
With the rise of virtual reality technology and other technology trends, the way people plan their itineraries and book their trips online has changed.
Travel has become more personalized than ever, making them feel confident by providing a reason to explore the property through 360-degree videos.
AI chatbots are integrated on websites to assist guests in speeding up their reservation process, provide them personalized recommendations, and can be used for upselling or cross-selling.
Travelers no longer need to spend hours searching for the best flights, travel, and other transportation options that fit their budget.
Think of it like that - You want a 4-star property under $1500 and AI can instantly compile options for you.
AI, being a modern technology trend in the travel industry, personalizes the traveler's experience in n number of ways which are as given below -
Artificial Intelligence understands the preferences of customers, their interests, and their budget, and then provides personalized destination suggestions.
AI-powered virtual travel assistants provide round-the-clock support to travelers. They can request flights, change bookings, ask for refunds, and even ask travel-related common questions, such as "Can I get vegetarian meals in this hotel?"
Machine learning algorithms can scan hundreds of booking platforms, their prices, and analyze travelers' past preferences to find custom travel packages that fit their needs.
Artificial Intelligence can even send real-time booking alerts when pricing drops.
AI-powered trip planning tools provide multilingual support, making travel planning more accessible.
Agoda, an online travel agency, introduced an AI vacation planner for Indian travelers. This tool will ask you about travel preferences and then provide you with personalized recommendations that will help you plan your next adventure.
The travel technology handles the itineraries and makes the trip planning easy, inspiring, and stress-free.
16. 5G and Advanced Wi-Fi
The combination of travel tools with 5G technology enhances travel experiences and changes the way people plan their travel, book accommodations, and get personalized recommendations. Everything is possible with blazingly fast Wi-Fi speed and 5G network.
With 5G and cloud-based tools, travelers can upload their documents on the go. More than that, accessing travel related information becomes easily accessible in real time.
But what if there were low internet connectivity and high latency? In such cases, travelers would have to wait longer to receive travel updates, plan their itineraries, and stream AR-related travel content on their mobile devices.
While the 4G network is connected to 10,000 devices, 5G surpasses this, connecting millions of devices and enabling the transmission, storage, and collection of more data in real-time.
Similarly, in the hospitality industry, when a guest arrives in their room, they quickly want to connect to Wi-Fi to watch videos on a smart TV. Business travelers expect hotels, whether budget or large chains, to have high-speed internet access.
And if this facility is not there, then it would be embarrassing for them as they won't be able to enjoy the in-room entertainment experiences or adjust anything based on their preferences. This would affect guest experience as well.
17. Self-driving vehicles
Self-driving cars are the latest technology trend that's transforming the travel and transportation industry.
These vehicles don't need human intervention and can operate on the road, detect other vehicles, and slow down their speed in traffic jams. They respond to such environmental changes thanks to Artificial Intelligence, sensors, and GPS technology.
When it comes to taking a turn, they make precise decisions.
As traveler expectations are changing, hoteliers and resort owners can offer complimentary benefits such as autonomous vehicle pickup or drop-off from and to the airport.
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While this offers greater convenience and comfort to travelers, companies can also expect an increase in revenue and achieve cost savings by eliminating the need for human drivers.
How Can BigOhTech Help You Develop Travel Software For Your Business?
From augmented reality, which provides immersive travel experiences, to AI that taps into user preferences, and Generative AI tools that travel companies are deploying to provide continuous support.
You can make travel more seamless and personalized by investing in such innovative technologies.
At BigOhTech, we have a dedicated travel app development team that create online travel solutions (travel booking software, check-in/check-out systems, custom travel apps) for businesses to enhance the traveler’s experience and increase their business revenue.
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Recently, we helped an online travel agency named Yatra by revamping their mobile app and website. When users visit Yatra's website, they encounter error messages due to the server's inability to handle the increased traffic load.
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Result? Frustrated customers + Lost revenue for online bookings.
Additionally, their existing UI was clunky and ineffective, making it difficult for customers to find their next trip, flight, or hotel. This results in a higher bouncer rate from their app and website, and hence low conversions.
Our product designers updated the UI, making the app more responsive and easy to use.
Result – App can handle more users + Better user interface results in happy customers.
How does the future of technology look in the travel industry?
The future of technology in the travel industry looks promising in 2030 and beyond.
With Artificial Intelligence providing personalized travel experiences and IoT sensors enabling smart travel infrastructure planning, travel is evolving at a faster rate.
As this evolution continues, virtual travel agents will be available, responsible for booking trips online, planning itineraries, and recommending local experiences.
Additionally, there will be more "try before you buy" experiences, enabling travelers to preview destinations before making reservations.
