Introduction
This research deals with digital tourism and its growing around the world. The research is part of Euromonitor international’s passport travel system. Research has been carried out in 100 countries. Digital tourism is also discussed a lot in the research in terms of the Covid-19 virus and the effects of the virus on the topic. I chose this topic because it is interesting to hear what kind of future there is in an area that interests you and what the possible tasks will be in the future.
Technological developments
The development of digitalisation in today’s world brings a certain commitment between the consumer and the company. The research I read predicted global online sales to grow by $1.8 trillion between 2020 and 2024. From the point of view of tourism, internet penetration and growth worldwide has been reflected in an increase in online bookings year on year. On your mobile device, booking a trip from your own sofa is easy and seamless. The research also highlighted this, although the situation is good in terms of online bookings, and there are still many areas for development. These areas of development were:
- Trips tailored to individuals
- Price changes
- Operators
Mobile app – Essential travel companion
Various mobile applications have become necessary for modern people, this is also true when it comes to travel. Now, during the pandemic, the need for applications has become even more pronounced. Through apps, travel companies are able to provide the customer with a wide range of services, including check-in to the hotel without contact and enabling access to help through the app in the event of a problem. However, the survey showed that only 42% of the tourism companies that responded had a mobile app in use in 2020. The use of the mobile application during the pandemic has been highlighted as a price comparison, booking activities and experiences. Many consumers also leave booking a trip at the last stop. In the long term, it is believed that the popularity of applications will increase as the pandemic subsides.
Impact of digitalization on hotels
Surely no one has missed the impact of the Covid-19 virus on the tourism industry. The pandemic has put hotels around the world in a boost to the technological solutions already planned for their businesses. A prime example of a technological option for a traditional hotel reception is a key card for a room that can also check in and out of the hotel. Thanks to such a card, things can be done without contact with anyone. However, it is not so good all over the world that similar measures have been taken. There are plenty of such hotels in the Asia-Pacific regions. However, A software start-up HotelRunner may have helped such companies enable various online bookings and website chatbots. HotelRunner was founded in 2011 and the company has been helping independent companies and actors to move forward with digitalization ever since.
Conclusion
When I started reading the research, I noticed right away how they started to prepare the subject thoroughly. A lot of the written text had been illustrated with relevant but clear diagrams and tables. Although the issue was largely addressed from a tourism point of view, it also highlighted people’s consumption habits and internet use. What was to be expected was to bring out Covid-19 and its impact on the present. Increased domestic tourism and decreased consumption at the personal level. Looking to the future, reading this study was useful. The information I read can be applied in studies and in future working life. I hope you who read this post also get some thought on that topic.
Sources
C.Bremner. Dr.N.Popova. 2020. Passport. Digital travel innovation across the traveller journey 2020 Viitattu 8.2.2022