Travel has progressed faster than we could have ever imagined.
It seems like the whole world is travelling, with an estimated 8.5 billion people expected to take 2 billion international trips by 2030.
The industry is constantly transforming and adapting to make use of new technology so travel is seamless.
New technology is changing the way that we travel, allowing us to travel faster and more often.
In this post we identify 6 ways that technology has is changing the way we travel.
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1. Travelling is less time-consuming and environmentally friendly
Technology has helped travel become faster and more friendly for our environment.
You no longer need to print out your boarding passes or hotel reservations.
This is now available at your fingertips thanks to mobile check-ins and online hotel reservations.
As a result, this cuts down on time at the airport waiting to collect your tickets and can make for a faster check-in at your hotel.
With most major airlines and hotel reservation companies offering a downloadable app you never have to worry about finding access to a printer ever again.
2. We can save plenty of space in our suitcase
How did we manage before technology made our lives a little easier?
You no longer need to pack an iPod to listen to music, all you need now is your mobile and you can easily stream Spotify or iTunes.
The same goes for our favourite holiday past time of reading a book by the beach.
No longer do you have to pack books in your case, worrying about their weight and the space they take up.
We now can take an e-reader.
This can save us valuable space and the cost of extra kilos when travelling abroad.
3. We no longer need to learn the lingo
Do you remember a time when you would pick up a phrase book and try and to soud out the phrases on holiday?
All to the bemusement of locals.
Now all you need is a smartphone and Google’s Translate app.
This app not only will work offline, but will translate numerous languages in English, including being able to use your camera to translate signs or menus in realtime.
If you’d still like to familiarise yourself with the basics you can also downloand Duolingo, a handy language learning app that is free to download with in-app purchases.
4. Technology has changed how we book our holidays
Instead of having to ring up an airline or hotel directly, many now offer the option of messaging, through social media, WhatsApp or through chatbots.
You sometimes mightn’t even realise the person you are having a conversation with is actually a piece of AI technology, but it is a big revolution in the hospitality agency.
5. Payment Apps have made traveling safer
Travelling is so much easier with electronic payments.
Apple Pay and Google Wallet mean you no longer have to carry cash, or take out money from ATMs, which can often be hard to find.
It is lower risk, whilst travelling abroad, where losing cash can mean you are stuck.
It is of course, not the only method of payment you should rely on.
Remember to bring along a credit card or cash just for back up or in case your phone battery dies.
6. Technology has made travel affordable
Technology has made travelling more affordable than ever.
You no longer have to rely on the word of a travel agent and can compare and contrast a variety of costs.
There are websites dedicated to this, such as Skyscanner or Kayak.
You also have a variety of options for taxi options thanks to Uber and Blah, Blah car, so no longer have to pay extortionate fares to the airport.
7. It has changed the way we discover activities
Travel guides were once our go to for destination activities, but now we have fantastic online resources such as TripAdvisor.
We can read instant reviews on the top ten attractions, discuss options in travel forums and also compare prices.
8. We can capture moments easily
Thanks to technology we can capture every moment of our trip.
Our smartphones not only hold all our travel information, but also our photos, giving us the ultimate travel memento, always in our palm.
Of course, film is not dead, and you can take equally beautiful shots on Polaroids.
9. It’s easy to stay connected
You will meet and make friends with so many amazing people throughout your travels.
We used to exchange addresses or emails and hope that we had read the spelling correctly.
Now it’s much easier to stay in touch through the likes of social media or WhatsApp.
10. You can keep in touch with family
When on a holiday abroad you often had to struggle to find an international telephone card and spend money on minutes trying to check in with the folks.
Now it couldn’t be simpler. With technology such as Skype, WhatsApp or Facetime you have absolutely no excuse for not checking in.
Author Bio
Written by Stuart Cooke, Digital Marketing Manager at My Baggage who are at the forefront of the travel industry offering a handy door to door luggage delivery service around the world.