The 70's were the start in many ways of the electronics and digital revolution, travel technology was developed for the airline industry's use of automation and their need to extend this out to the travel agency partners. There was an online world before the advent of the World Wide Web in the form of private and commercial online services. Travel technology played a significant role in the e-commerce world where we live in. This article is about the technologies that could change the face of travel in the near future.
Mobile Apps (RFID):
The mobile technology offered now days is not just limited to boarding passes, it has developed into comprehensive 'apps' that can be downloaded to smart phones. With the explosive increase in the mobile market it has been the major target for all travel companies. So with the mobile market in place. A mobile phone can be equipped with a bar code reader using radio frequency identification, this would enable customers to scan the bar codes on holiday brochures and booking platforms, details of availability information can be displayed on their mobile phone screen. A booking confirmation in turn would have a unique barcode that the customer can store it in their phone so that hotels and airports can recognize the customer using a RFID (Radio frequency identification) - This can speed up the check-in, check-out and security processes faced by majority of the passengers.
Social Travel Search:
A lot of websites are now focused on the travel social networks, travel news and travel guides, integrating a lot of information available on the net, what could be an innovative solution is they developing a travel social search engine, where real people with real information can answer the travel queries instantly and on the go, while they are travelling. -This could be a real time travel guide, giving the right advice and service to their customers.
Biometric Systems:
The main systems evolved in biometrics are fingerprint, hand, palm vein, face, iris, retina and voice recognition and comparison. It is already common in the use of security systems which we find in offices or airports. The computers had the finger-print and retina scanning systems installed in them (for their security breaches), so this is not really a new term for most of us. In this the fingerprint (or retina) scanning could really make the travel of the future simpler and faster. The fingertip could be classified as a unique identifier for the customer's profile and bookings. A customer would scan their fingertip on their computer and store booking information, their interest, their travel trip information, passport and visa information, etc. Which they can further retrieve at a travel kiosk, travel shop, airport check-in desk, or at the hotel, while travelling. - This gives a more integrated on and offline service to customers, they are relieved of their documents and booking data that needs constant care while travelling.
Video and Voice:
Searching a destination through a video or voice, ex. If I don't know the language of a particular destination and still want some information about that place, probably I can upload a video or have a speech technology which can transform my content or search in the local language, and give me the local results. Another example for this could be, I can upload a video for a destination and gives me the information about that destination (the best food outlet, hotels nearby etc). -This could become a solution to the linguistic barriers present in the world while travelling.
Intelligent Agent Technologies:
The need of a travel agent is far more than what a need of a customer is, being associated with the largest travel network of agents in India, giving the agents the power to book anything on the go, is not all, the agent in the future would want something like a virtual tourism on its mobile, where to make a trip for its customer he does not have to go anywhere else, the analytics and the behavior models of different agents needs to studied in order to serve them the best and fastest kind of service. The agent who has to manage a thousand customers should have a platform to solve multiple queries, and probably be connected with the customer on his trip. This gives the most trustable and real time service to a passenger on the go.
Future of Travel Technology
Ayush Aggarwal is the Digital Product Manager of via.com, having worked earlier as Pre sales engineer, and as a core-developer has a well versed knowledge of technology and the web. He has created and handling personal websites indiamold.com, wemold.com and is also a blogger on technology platforms.
Via.com is a leader in travel automation and technology. With a vision to provide seamless service to it's' customer and provide best service at cheapest rate, via.com has evolve a new era of technologies in travel industry. Now cheap air ticket, online bus reservation, railway reservation through IRCTC is easy and accessible from web and mobile app.
