Trip.com Group, WTTC provide glimpse of future technology game changers

Trip.com Group and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) have explored 16 technologies as part of a report unveiled at ITB Berlin this week.

The Technology Game Changers: Future Trends in Travel & Tourism delves into the technologies that the organizations believe will be most transformative in the years ahead.

The study is divided into four trend areas—digital technologies, financial technologies, future of mobility and breakthrough innovations—and evaluates why the trends are important to travel. But perhaps more interesting is the look ahead to 10 years from now and beyond.

For example, as travel companies figure out how to integrate artificial intelligence internally as well as for customer-facing applications, the report estimates that artificial intelligence will be “ubiquitous across society and a foundational element in all aspects of travel.”

The study goes on to say that big data analytics could mean predictive models that can even anticipate travelers’ needs before they have been conceived.

In an interview with PhocusWire, Trip.com Group’s Boon Sian Chai, managing director and vice president of international markets at Trip.com Group, said travel companies need to have the right mindset when approaching AI and consider how it can help them rather than it replacing humans.

Along with AI, ther report identifies super apps as another trend within the digital technologies. While the services that combine communication, ride hailing, food ordering, payments and other fintech services have been widely adopted in Asia, there have been doubts about their appeal in the west.

The report revealed that super apps could become “interoperable and regionally integrated,” which could further ease booking frustration and boost travel experiences across borders. It also said travel brands might build mini apps within super apps as they look to have skin in the game and reach a wider audience.

Joining Chai for the interview, Julia Simpson, CEO of WTTC, said super apps have huge potential to take an even greater role in travel, offering services such as buy now pay later and encouraging travelers to spend more and even spend on elements they may not have considered in the past.

In 10 years time, super apps could not only be a key way to access travel services across the research, booking, travel and post-travel journey but also have direct interaction with “internet-enabled devices in your hotel room, or at tourism venues enabling more personalized services.”

The full report also explores breakthrough technologies including smart cities, quantum computing and nuclear fusion.