As people are more connected to one another with access to the vast pool of information available online, the number of travellers who search the Internet to make an informed decision on their travel itinerary has also gone up tremendously.
The tourism industry has been impacted by the Internet revolution of the last few decades. Travellers around the world are much more techno-savvy than in the past because of the technological influences in their life. It is very important for the tourism industry to adapt and augment practices and skills of its workforce to meet the ever-changing customer behaviour.
According to the forecast of UNWTO regarding the utilisation of technology for the growth of the industry, the appropriate marketing of destinations, products, and services is the first area to be tackled. Selling tourism products and services online should be an inspiration to travel for the readers and audience more than to make them money conscious.
ICTs have also led to changes in demand and supply. A higher demand for flexible, individualised options and quality of information has personalised leisure and tourism behaviour; a consequence of increased ICT use. Through new technology and social and economic ratings (e.g. social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and blogs) customers have the ability to share information and research ratings on destinations, quality of service in hotels and restaurants, and environmental and social conditions.
We live in an era of developments like an automatic bridge which allows passengers to walk off the aircraft and into the terminal, which has been installed at Schiphol, speeding up the disembarkation process for passengers and helping aircraft to be more punctual. Proxy technology redirected an enquiry to a hosted site in the client’s own language would allow for new market penetration. The future of digital travel will be shaped by multi-lingual websites, wearable technology, and virtual assistants.
ICT as a major player in the development of tourism and has become an inevitable part of the tourism industry’s expansion. Hotels and tourism organisations need to be upgraded with the latest ICT trends and it is essential that the current information and communications technologies should be updated, upgraded, and seamless integration\, both internally and externally, be put in place to improve the tourism business operations.
Technology can be of great help in increasing communication and security. Certainly, some in the industry have begun to use technology prudently. When used ethically, technology can be a great help in increasing communication and security. If on the other hand technology is used for selfish or destructive purposes then it can become a nemesis within the travel and tourism industry.
No matter how good the technology may be, technology does not provide the human warmth of take-home experiences. Always be aware that the tourism industry is about the selling of memories and then ask yourself at what point are you willing to sacrifice memories for efficiency.
Rajani A
Editor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXYcyKCgHiw&list=PLcjK_FEaQfQN4Rk6QsQxsUY1EF759QLel
https://tourismindiaonline.com/colours-and-rhythms-of-amadubi/