Although the pandemic remains, travel is making a strong comeback.
While binge-watching our favorite shows and working from home, we've been planning our next adventure. Concurrently, travel and technology companies have been rapidly evolving with the times in order to develop technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), biometrics, and remote work solutions to enhance or improve the travel experience. As a result, 2023 will be a busy year for travelers. Here are some of the most important travel technology trends for 2023.
1. Airports are being modernized technologically.
Expect to see a lot more airport-related technology. From the moment you leave your house to baggage claim, new technologies are stepping in to alleviate the headaches that come with flying. Clear now offers a free online tool called Reserve that allows you to reserve your security line spot ahead of time. Of course, Clear hopes you'll sign up for its paid membership, which includes identity verification and faster security via biometrics (eye or fingerprint scanning).
The TSA's biometrics pilot program is being expanded. The Transportation Security Administration is testing facial recognition technology for identity verification in 16 airports, with plans to expand the program to more airports in the "coming months."
According to Amadeus' 2023 travel trend report, once you've passed through security, you'll be using your face and hands a lot more to buy snacks and magazines. ApplePay and GooglePay already support facial recognition technology for payment. However, Hudson, your favorite airport store, collaborated with Amazon this year to begin testing its "Just Walk Out" technology, which accepts payment via palm recognition.
Companies such as Boomerang, SITA, and Roadie will assist you in tracking, recovering, and delivering your misplaced luggage once you arrive at your destination.
We're all for a stress-free flight, but the use of biometric data and personal item tracking raises concerns about privacy. False biometric identification (which is more prevalent among people of color, trans and nonbinary people, and people of color) and data breaches are critical considerations. Furthermore, while the TSA biometric pilot is currently voluntary, programs of this nature frequently become the norm. "We frequently see with these biometric programs that they are only optional at first — and then they become standardized, nationalized, and eventually compulsory," privacy advocate Albert Fox Cahn told the Washington Post.
Finally, knowing what you're getting into — and what you're giving up — in exchange for a slightly faster experience is critical.
2. Airbnb maintains its leadership
In 2022, Airbnb made lemonade out of lemons. For starters, it finally put an end to the saga of the unanticipated cleaning fees that aren't tacked on until checkout. When looking for an Airbnb, you can now see the total cost, including the cleaning fee. Also, Airbnb had the final say on the growing trend of hosts requesting excessive cleanings: "Guests should not be required to perform unreasonable checkout tasks like stripping the beds, doing the laundry, or vacuuming when leaving their Airbnb. However, we believe it is reasonable to ask guests to turn off the lights, put food in the trash, and lock the doors, just as they would when leaving their own home."
Second, it finally addressed the issue of landlords who forbid tenants from renting out their apartments on Airbnb. Previously, this was an untapped market for Airbnb, but it turns out that involving landlords in the deal goes a long way. In collaboration with property management companies across the country, Airbnb has now developed the "Airbnb-friendly apartments" program. Renters can use the website to look for apartments that allow Airbnb rentals and calculate how much they could earn as a host after Airbnb and the landlord take their cut. It's a clever way to help people offset the skyrocketing cost of rent that Airbnb has exacerbated.
Whether you like it or not, Airbnb's growth will pick up in 2023. Because of more transparent pricing and more potential Airbnb hosts, the short-term booking platform is expected to remain as popular as ever. Additionally, with rising travel and real estate prices, it's a win-win situation for Airbnb.
3. Our favorite streaming shows inspire us to get out of bed.
Despite the scams and murders, you are not alone in wanting to book a trip to Sicily while watching Season 2 of The White Lotus. Travel-related searches for the Italian island have skyrocketed since the second season premiere. However, this phenomenon is not unique to The White Lotus. According to Expedia's 2023 travel trends report, 68% of US travelers wanted to visit a destination after seeing it in a streamed show or movie, and 61% booked a trip as a result.
According to Expedia, the top search and flight destinations in 2022 will be Paris (Emily in Paris), the United Kingdom (Bridgerton and The Crown), New Zealand (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power), and both Hawaii and Italy (thanks to the aforementioned The White Lotus, with an assist from Searching for Italy).
Sure, these are the most popular travel destinations, but according to the report, streamed TV shows and movies are now the most popular sources of travel inspiration, so it's not a coincidence.
4. Digital nomads are now officially mainstream.
Digital nomads have been around for a while, but the rise in remote work during the pandemic has propelled this lifestyle into the mainstream. According to research, hybrid and remote employees have a better work-life balance and are more productive, prompting more businesses to adopt these policies.
Many workers are embracing the digital nomad lifestyle now that they are no longer geographically restricted. Remote work is expected to continue. According to Upwork, the number of Americans working remotely will more than double by 2025, more than doubling the pre-pandemic figure (16.8 million). Indeed, according to Nomad List, a digital nomad membership platform, one billion people will work remotely at least part of the year by 2035. Last year, there were over 4,000,000 users on the platform.
Initially, it was assumed that digital nomadism was only for wealthy, twenty-something dreamers. "You need not only a relatively strong passport that makes obtaining tourist visas simple, but also a knowledge economy job and access to technology and devices that allow remote working," The Guardian declared in 2015. However, global broadband continued to improve, flights became more affordable, countries began to offer remote work-friendly visas, and a critical mass existed for digital nomad hubs and co-working spaces to emerge.
According to Nomad List statistics, today's digital nomads are 44 percent women, 40 percent non-white, 33 years old on average, and work in a variety of fields including marketing, UI/UX design, product management, and, yes, software development.
Simply put, it's never been easier to be a digital nomad.
5. Augmented and virtual reality enhances in-person travel
Travel and tourism were halted as a result of the pandemic, forcing businesses to experiment with virtual and augmented reality. "On the other side, the same absorbing technology will be used to enhance rather than replicate the visitor experience," Euronews stated in its 2023 travel report.
VR/AR were quickly adopted to provide the virtual travel experience that consumers who were confined to their homes desired. Without leaving your house, you could visit museums and explore sites like Machu Picchu. It's also being used to help travelers research their next vacation destinations, as a way to "try before you buy" when choosing hotels and tours, and even to book them. With Meta's Quest lineup and Sony's PlayStation 5 (and possibly soon Apple?) offering consumer-friendly VR headsets, expect more travel and tourism companies to offer VR tours as VR/AR becomes more mainstream.
Marriott, Shangri-La, and Holiday Inn offer virtual tours of their hotel rooms, and companies like Beeyonder and Weezy have emerged to provide immersive virtual travel experiences. Finally, virtual and augmented reality are being integrated into all stages of the customer journey. Expect VR/AR to cross your path, whether at home or in person.
6. New ways to reconnect with nature (beekeeping!)
If you're fed up with hearing about technology, you're not alone. People want to unplug and recharge, but they don't want to do so without their electronic devices. It's no surprise that wellness has become a top priority for travelers in recent years. They are not, however, looking for a day at the spa. 53% of US travelers looking for wellness activities, according to Hotels.com (owned by Expedia), want something exciting and novel. "This town's yoga retreat is on its way out. People are looking for what we call a "new wave of wellness." "This was stated by Melanie Fish, Expedia Group Brands' Head of Global PR, at Expedia's event revealing its 2023 travel trends.
If you're looking for a wellness vacation, expect to see more hotels and tours offering activities like forest bathing (also known as sylvotherapy), foraging, fruit harvesting, and even beekeeping. All over the world, alternative wellness resorts are springing up. Although the United States appears to be the most popular destination for millennials, Gen Z appears to be more adventurous, favoring Norway, Turkey, Switzerland, Iceland, and Sri Lanka.
Whether you're a digital nomad who has made travel a way of life or a regular traveler who is getting back into the swing of things after a break, these tech trends will be at work behind the scenes wherever you are.
