Technological innovation, the moment to invest to recover the market

Tourism in the post-pandemic era needs to apply new tools that ensure effective management for the client and allow it to be competitive 

Although the tourism industry has been in recent years a role model in terms of the implementation of new technologies, no one in their disaster recovery and business continuity plans could have foreseen a situation where economic activity goes from 100 to 0 in just a few weeks. Much less that their workforce should be depleted and they have to work from their homes. That has posed a new challenge to the sector's sagging coffers. You cannot innovate without investing, yet many understood that it was now or never.

Beyond the internal management of each company or body in the sector, the enormous challenge is how to manage the post-pandemic customer. This week a study commissioned by Amadeus was released to better understand the main concerns of travelers and what kind of technology would help them feel safe and comfortable enough to travel and help stimulate the recovery of the travel industry.

Using information from more than 6,000 travelers in France, Germany, India, Singapore, the UK and the US, the study found that technology plays a crucial role in supporting recovery, with more than 4 in 5 ( 84%) travelers said the technology would increase their confidence to travel in the next 12 months by addressing concerns about mixing with crowds, social distancing and points of physical contact.

When asked about technologies or technological experiences that would increase their confidence to travel in the next year or that would make them more likely to travel, the survey results demonstrate:

-42% of respondents say that mobile apps that provide travel notifications to report localized outbreaks and changes in government guidance would help increase their confidence in travel.

-42% of travelers cite contactless and mobile payment applications such as Google Pay, PayPal and Venmo as the key to reducing incidents of physical contact during the trip.

-34% of travelers who are concerned about traveling in light of COVID say that biometrics (that is, facial or voice recognition) that allows registration, security of passage and boarding without the need for physical controls it would make them more likely to travel.

-33% of travelers agree that they would like to have a universal digital traveler ID on their phone that includes all necessary documentation and immunity status, which would mean they would only have to prove it once.

In particular, the survey revealed that responsiveness and technology preferences differ by country and demographics, underscoring the importance of personalization in gaining traveler trust. Findings include:

-Almost half (47%) of Baby Boomers said they would have to be able to travel social or physical distances during the trip to feel comfortable, compared to less than 3 in 10 (27%) of Gen Z.

-More than Half (52%) of travelers in Singapore who have travel concerns in light of COVID selected contactless experiences in hotels as a technology that would make them more likely to travel, while nearly half of travelers of India who have concerns about travel in light of COVID (47%) selected mobile apps that inform them of the safety measures of the destination city.
-For French travelers, automated cleaning processes (36%) and contactless and mobile payments (34%) were the most popular suggested technology options.

-A quarter (25%) of UK travelers and just over a quarter (26%) of US travelers said they would most like to see technology reduce the need for physical documents . In addition, 3 in 10 German and British travelers (30% each) said that what they would like most is for technology to minimize their physical contact with others.

The five things travelers would most like for technology to do when they think about traveling are:

-Reduce queues and congestion in public spaces (38%)
-Minimize physical or face-to-face contact with others (31%)
-Protect financial data and personal information (31%)
-Notify in advance when there is one delay (29%)
-Ensure the accuracy and effectiveness of national testing, tracking and monitoring programs (28%)

Ultimately, as stakeholders strive to rethink travel, survey results show that the top five ways to build traveler confidence in current conditions include: 

-Provide access to flexible changes, cancellation policies and payment terms to avoid loss of money (39%)
-Limit the number of passengers on a plane (38%)
-The ability of travelers to socially or physically distance themselves during the travel (36%)
-Have visibility and assurance of sanitation, hygiene and safety measures in hotels and lodgings (36%)
-Effective test, track and trace programs in place (34%)

Big data as the axis
The use of this tool, which consists of the processing of massive data (data intelligence) to treat them properly, helps tourism companies to design experiences tailored to visitors, which is a very strong current worldwide. For example, hotels no longer make identical rooms because it is clear that their clients are not identical to each other. With the pandemic, instead, technology will be applied to monitor disinfection and identify hygiene levels in key spaces in hotels, restaurants, airports and airplanes. Additionally, the adoption of forms of contactless customer service is expected, which is something that has been done in certain hotel chains in the United States and Europe, where travelers no longer check in at a reception, but in a kind of ATM without having interaction with anyone. Contactless support includes chat bots and robots that handle customer service and is expected to extend to restaurants and other areas of the industry. However, although the pandemic may push us towards contactless services, we must not forget that it is precisely the contact with people from other places and other countries that makes tourism such a unique and enriching experience.




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