How Digitalization Could Save The Travel Industry

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This year has barely started and we already know it's not going to be better than the last year, regarding traveling. The industry is dying and something needs to be done quickly, to save companies from going bankrupt. Travel bans are still in place today, more and more countries introducing travel restrictions, bans and quarantines and there are still a few good months if not a year till vaccination will have results.

Small businesses have already closed, bugger companies are regrouping, reorienting and doing what they can, airlines getting bailouts to survive but that can't go on endlessly as no budget is big enough to pour water in an endless hole.

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Image by Firmbee from Pixabay

Possible Solutions

Digitalized Services

Some museums are already working on sustainable solutions. A small chapel in Italy for example has teamed up with an IT company and digitalized a good part of the process, to make user experience safer, eliminate human contact as much as possible and also make the visit more enjoyable.

Visitors are required to register online, which means paying your ticket online and choosing the time of your visit, his way congestion can be avoided. Upon arrival, next to the entrance you find a QR code, which after scanning leads you to the museum's website, where you can validate your ticket and get the door open.

Inside the necessary sanitizing measures are mandatory, you disinfect your hands and start your tour, but not before activating the audio guide. There are a number of languages available and also a big screen on the wall, on which you can watch a short history of the chapel. The exit is at the opposite side of the entrance to avoid groups meeting.

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Image by teguhjati pras from Pixabay

Biometric Technology Services

Biometric technology (fingerprints and facial recognition) is not new, it's used by airports already to help with security. Hotels could use it too to eliminate registration upon arrival, check in could be eliminated this way. Your face has to match the ID you're presenting to the scanner and you are in.

I know this security measure can annoy many as no one want's to be monitored, but the truth is, there are security cameras everywhere already, you need to show your ID at the concierge anyway, otherwise you can't check in, so I don't see much difference. Bills can be charged to the room and payment are already as contactless as possible, so it can be made online or at an ATM.

Robotics

Robotics technology is already used in hotels for concierge-like roles, cleaning and luggage handling. Robots may as well do room services, serve food and so on.

AI

AI is not new either, but it is developed more and more and can be used for new things. For example an AI system can identify hidden objects in footwear, so you don't have to take off your shoes anymore. I was forced once to stand minutes barefoot in Schiphol, till they could check my high hill boots. The less time people spend in airports, the better for the industry, not to mention the level of security AI can offer.

Financial Side

Implementing new systems can boost the IT sector and thus reduce unemployment, however, it requires serious funding. It has its advantages and can be rewarding on the long run but many countries could not afford such a luxury.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) said on Friday, that as seating capacity fell by around 50 per cent last year, that left just 1.8 billion passengers taking flights through 2020, compared with around 4.5 billion in 2019. source

Tourism is in crises, the industry needs smart solutions to be able to function again. These are just a few ideas to help domestic tourism till the pandemic can be controlled and borders open again for international travel.

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The pandemic has cost the tourism industry $935 billion. These are the countries with the most revenue loss in $M, but the list is long.

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This is the list of the countries that have lost the highest percentage of their GDP last year. As you can see, most of them if not all are Caribbean countries, relying on US tourists, which counts for more than half of all international visitors.

2021 is not promising anything new, we have the vaccine but vaccination has barely started, it's a long process and success is not guaranteed.

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10 comments
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Great article.

Now is a good opportunity for the travel industry to modernize, but not only this one, other industries are experiencing the same.

Same here, I think this will be the year of vaccination, so we won’t see too much changes this year but maybe 2022.

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Modernization is good and necessary but let's see who's going to make it financially. Many are going bankrupt, so it's going to be a selection.

You're right, this year is a test as far as the vaccine is concerned. Maybe next year we're going to see some results. maybe sooner, who knows?

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Your face has to match the ID you're presenting to the scanner and you are in.

can i use my Memo or posting key to get in? they don't need to know my face.

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If crypto currency payments are accepted, I don't see why not as your invoice goes to your wallet and an escrow payment is initiated.

Memo key however is useless in this case as it serves other purposes.

But what about security cameras? Your face is going to show up anyway.

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memo could also be used for identification. i did not really go deep into how things work, but if you need to just identify any key would probably work.

But what about security cameras? Your face is going to show up anyway.

that is hard to avoid but at least they don't have to have it in their database to identify me

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You have a hat that can cover your face easily, plus some sunglasses? :)

Jokes aside, the legislation in place requires them to register your name, address and a few details about the purpose of your staying ....

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