Tech And Tourism: A Match Made In Heaven

How mad do you get when your playlist starts to buffer on a road trip? Pretty mad, right? I mean I won’t judge; it is one of the very few moments I start questioning my decision to take a road trip. And the rest of the moments are usually when my Wi-Fi or net is not working properly and why not get mad, I mean we are pretty evidently the “virtual generation” or as others call it the “digital natives”. We are supposed to be ‘tech-savvy’ and make everything around us that way, and well, we have done that. Right from shopping to connecting with people, everything has been revolutionized with technology, and you know which match is made in heaven? Technology and tourism! One of the best combinations of all time for sure. Tourism as we know it today is largely tech-based and without a doubt, has brought next-level convenience to travellers. So let us discuss how these two mingle to give us the experience of our life. 

UPI AND CASHLESS TRANSACTIONS 

One of the biggest changes that have brought the utmost convenience to tourists is the cashless transactions that have been employed everywhere lately. Carrying cash and converting currencies have become hassle-free because of the UPI and all of this could be made possible because of technology. 

MOBILE APPS 

Booking a ticket or a hotel room was always done traditionally until almost a decade ago when apps were developed for the same. Now, right from a bus seat to a museum ticket, everything can be booked online with the help of these apps. There are apps that help you track your flights and trains and give you real-time updates. 

INTERNET OF THINGS 

Several things today run on the internet, including our home appliances and gadgets. Smartwatches have GPS trackers fixed in them and the hotel rooms function on devices like smart locks. Even the lighting of these rooms is controlled by IoT devices, making us realise how the technical revolution has reached us in every way possible. Travellers also keep track of their fitness and map their visits with the help of their smartwatches nowadays. 

DIGITAL IDENTIFICATION

Whether it be visaing offices or passport hassles, everywhere identification is done digitally. Even check-ins at hotels, airports and bars are done virtually with the help of required technology. 

SOCIAL MEDIA AND ITS INFLUENCE

Today, a child may not know the use of an ATM but will know which influencer has done what. This is the power of social media. This power works in favour of the tourism industry most of the time as these ‘influencers’ often collaborate with different hotels and firms to promote them and come up with content that goes viral. Blogs and vlogs also have a considerable influence on people now, especially youth, who like to consult the internet before deciding on their next destination. Apart from these, photo-sharing apps like Instagram and Pinterest motivate people to travel too. 

PERSONALIZED DATABASE

Advanced technologies bring us personalized information that may concern us or are helpful. They analyse our behaviour and show us similar things on our feed, making it more appealing and engaging. So, these algorithms provide us with customized recommendations for our next trip, whether it be destinations or accommodation. 

Do you often wonder about how technology has changed the entire palette the world was coloured in? I do and as much as I like to argue with someone on how technology is a boon or a curse to us, I believe that it has been proved that the tourism industry definitely needed technology. And it is a match made in heaven.