future enhancement of tourism management system

The future of tourism: Bridging the labor gap, enhancing customer experience

As travel resumes and builds momentum, it’s becoming clear that tourism is resilient—there is an enduring desire to travel. Against all odds, international tourism rebounded in 2022: visitor numbers to Europe and the Middle East climbed to around 80 percent of 2019 levels, and the Americas recovered about 65 percent of prepandemic visitors 1 “Tourism set to return to pre-pandemic levels in some regions in 2023,” United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), January 17, 2023. —a number made more significant because it was reached without travelers from China, which had the world’s largest outbound travel market before the pandemic. 2 “ Outlook for China tourism 2023: Light at the end of the tunnel ,” McKinsey, May 9, 2023.

Recovery and growth are likely to continue. According to estimates from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) for 2023, international tourist arrivals could reach 80 to 95 percent of prepandemic levels depending on the extent of the economic slowdown, travel recovery in Asia–Pacific, and geopolitical tensions, among other factors. 3 “Tourism set to return to pre-pandemic levels in some regions in 2023,” United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), January 17, 2023. Similarly, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) forecasts that by the end of 2023, nearly half of the 185 countries in which the organization conducts research will have either recovered to prepandemic levels or be within 95 percent of full recovery. 4 “Global travel and tourism catapults into 2023 says WTTC,” World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), April 26, 2023.

Longer-term forecasts also point to optimism for the decade ahead. Travel and tourism GDP is predicted to grow, on average, at 5.8 percent a year between 2022 and 2032, outpacing the growth of the overall economy at an expected 2.7 percent a year. 5 Travel & Tourism economic impact 2022 , WTTC, August 2022.

So, is it all systems go for travel and tourism? Not really. The industry continues to face a prolonged and widespread labor shortage. After losing 62 million travel and tourism jobs in 2020, labor supply and demand remain out of balance. 6 “WTTC research reveals Travel & Tourism’s slow recovery is hitting jobs and growth worldwide,” World Travel & Tourism Council, October 6, 2021. Today, in the European Union, 11 percent of tourism jobs are likely to go unfilled; in the United States, that figure is 7 percent. 7 Travel & Tourism economic impact 2022 : Staff shortages, WTTC, August 2022.

There has been an exodus of tourism staff, particularly from customer-facing roles, to other sectors, and there is no sign that the industry will be able to bring all these people back. 8 Travel & Tourism economic impact 2022 : Staff shortages, WTTC, August 2022. Hotels, restaurants, cruises, airports, and airlines face staff shortages that can translate into operational, reputational, and financial difficulties. If unaddressed, these shortages may constrain the industry’s growth trajectory.

The current labor shortage may have its roots in factors related to the nature of work in the industry. Chronic workplace challenges, coupled with the effects of COVID-19, have culminated in an industry struggling to rebuild its workforce. Generally, tourism-related jobs are largely informal, partly due to high seasonality and weak regulation. And conditions such as excessively long working hours, low wages, a high turnover rate, and a lack of social protection tend to be most pronounced in an informal economy. Additionally, shift work, night work, and temporary or part-time employment are common in tourism.

The industry may need to revisit some fundamentals to build a far more sustainable future: either make the industry more attractive to talent (and put conditions in place to retain staff for longer periods) or improve products, services, and processes so that they complement existing staffing needs or solve existing pain points.

One solution could be to build a workforce with the mix of digital and interpersonal skills needed to keep up with travelers’ fast-changing requirements. The industry could make the most of available technology to provide customers with a digitally enhanced experience, resolve staff shortages, and improve working conditions.

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Complementing concierges with chatbots.

The pace of technological change has redefined customer expectations. Technology-driven services are often at customers’ fingertips, with no queues or waiting times. By contrast, the airport and airline disruption widely reported in the press over the summer of 2022 points to customers not receiving this same level of digital innovation when traveling.

Imagine the following travel experience: it’s 2035 and you start your long-awaited honeymoon to a tropical island. A virtual tour operator and a destination travel specialist booked your trip for you; you connected via videoconference to make your plans. Your itinerary was chosen with the support of generative AI , which analyzed your preferences, recommended personalized travel packages, and made real-time adjustments based on your feedback.

Before leaving home, you check in online and QR code your luggage. You travel to the airport by self-driving cab. After dropping off your luggage at the self-service counter, you pass through security and the biometric check. You access the premier lounge with the QR code on the airline’s loyalty card and help yourself to a glass of wine and a sandwich. After your flight, a prebooked, self-driving cab takes you to the resort. No need to check in—that was completed online ahead of time (including picking your room and making sure that the hotel’s virtual concierge arranged for red roses and a bottle of champagne to be delivered).

While your luggage is brought to the room by a baggage robot, your personal digital concierge presents the honeymoon itinerary with all the requested bookings. For the romantic dinner on the first night, you order your food via the restaurant app on the table and settle the bill likewise. So far, you’ve had very little human interaction. But at dinner, the sommelier chats with you in person about the wine. The next day, your sightseeing is made easier by the hotel app and digital guide—and you don’t get lost! With the aid of holographic technology, the virtual tour guide brings historical figures to life and takes your sightseeing experience to a whole new level. Then, as arranged, a local citizen meets you and takes you to their home to enjoy a local family dinner. The trip is seamless, there are no holdups or snags.

This scenario features less human interaction than a traditional trip—but it flows smoothly due to the underlying technology. The human interactions that do take place are authentic, meaningful, and add a special touch to the experience. This may be a far-fetched example, but the essence of the scenario is clear: use technology to ease typical travel pain points such as queues, misunderstandings, or misinformation, and elevate the quality of human interaction.

Travel with less human interaction may be considered a disruptive idea, as many travelers rely on and enjoy the human connection, the “service with a smile.” This will always be the case, but perhaps the time is right to think about bringing a digital experience into the mix. The industry may not need to depend exclusively on human beings to serve its customers. Perhaps the future of travel is physical, but digitally enhanced (and with a smile!).

Digital solutions are on the rise and can help bridge the labor gap

Digital innovation is improving customer experience across multiple industries. Car-sharing apps have overcome service-counter waiting times and endless paperwork that travelers traditionally had to cope with when renting a car. The same applies to time-consuming hotel check-in, check-out, and payment processes that can annoy weary customers. These pain points can be removed. For instance, in China, the Huazhu Hotels Group installed self-check-in kiosks that enable guests to check in or out in under 30 seconds. 9 “Huazhu Group targets lifestyle market opportunities,” ChinaTravelNews, May 27, 2021.

Technology meets hospitality

In 2019, Alibaba opened its FlyZoo Hotel in Huangzhou, described as a “290-room ultra-modern boutique, where technology meets hospitality.” 1 “Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has a hotel run almost entirely by robots that can serve food and fetch toiletries—take a look inside,” Business Insider, October 21, 2019; “FlyZoo Hotel: The hotel of the future or just more technology hype?,” Hotel Technology News, March 2019. The hotel was the first of its kind that instead of relying on traditional check-in and key card processes, allowed guests to manage reservations and make payments entirely from a mobile app, to check-in using self-service kiosks, and enter their rooms using facial-recognition technology.

The hotel is run almost entirely by robots that serve food and fetch toiletries and other sundries as needed. Each guest room has a voice-activated smart assistant to help guests with a variety of tasks, from adjusting the temperature, lights, curtains, and the TV to playing music and answering simple questions about the hotel and surroundings.

The hotel was developed by the company’s online travel platform, Fliggy, in tandem with Alibaba’s AI Labs and Alibaba Cloud technology with the goal of “leveraging cutting-edge tech to help transform the hospitality industry, one that keeps the sector current with the digital era we’re living in,” according to the company.

Adoption of some digitally enhanced services was accelerated during the pandemic in the quest for safer, contactless solutions. During the Winter Olympics in Beijing, a restaurant designed to keep physical contact to a minimum used a track system on the ceiling to deliver meals directly from the kitchen to the table. 10 “This Beijing Winter Games restaurant uses ceiling-based tracks,” Trendhunter, January 26, 2022. Customers around the world have become familiar with restaurants using apps to display menus, take orders, and accept payment, as well as hotels using robots to deliver luggage and room service (see sidebar “Technology meets hospitality”). Similarly, theme parks, cinemas, stadiums, and concert halls are deploying digital solutions such as facial recognition to optimize entrance control. Shanghai Disneyland, for example, offers annual pass holders the option to choose facial recognition to facilitate park entry. 11 “Facial recognition park entry,” Shanghai Disney Resort website.

Automation and digitization can also free up staff from attending to repetitive functions that could be handled more efficiently via an app and instead reserve the human touch for roles where staff can add the most value. For instance, technology can help customer-facing staff to provide a more personalized service. By accessing data analytics, frontline staff can have guests’ details and preferences at their fingertips. A trainee can become an experienced concierge in a short time, with the help of technology.

Apps and in-room tech: Unused market potential

According to Skift Research calculations, total revenue generated by guest apps and in-room technology in 2019 was approximately $293 million, including proprietary apps by hotel brands as well as third-party vendors. 1 “Hotel tech benchmark: Guest-facing technology 2022,” Skift Research, November 2022. The relatively low market penetration rate of this kind of tech points to around $2.4 billion in untapped revenue potential (exhibit).

Even though guest-facing technology is available—the kind that can facilitate contactless interactions and offer travelers convenience and personalized service—the industry is only beginning to explore its potential. A report by Skift Research shows that the hotel industry, in particular, has not tapped into tech’s potential. Only 11 percent of hotels and 25 percent of hotel rooms worldwide are supported by a hotel app or use in-room technology, and only 3 percent of hotels offer keyless entry. 12 “Hotel tech benchmark: Guest-facing technology 2022,” Skift Research, November 2022. Of the five types of technology examined (guest apps and in-room tech; virtual concierge; guest messaging and chatbots; digital check-in and kiosks; and keyless entry), all have relatively low market-penetration rates (see sidebar “Apps and in-room tech: Unused market potential”).

While apps, digitization, and new technology may be the answer to offering better customer experience, there is also the possibility that tourism may face competition from technological advances, particularly virtual experiences. Museums, attractions, and historical sites can be made interactive and, in some cases, more lifelike, through AR/VR technology that can enhance the physical travel experience by reconstructing historical places or events.

Up until now, tourism, arguably, was one of a few sectors that could not easily be replaced by tech. It was not possible to replicate the physical experience of traveling to another place. With the emerging metaverse , this might change. Travelers could potentially enjoy an event or experience from their sofa without any logistical snags, and without the commitment to traveling to another country for any length of time. For example, Google offers virtual tours of the Pyramids of Meroë in Sudan via an immersive online experience available in a range of languages. 13 Mariam Khaled Dabboussi, “Step into the Meroë pyramids with Google,” Google, May 17, 2022. And a crypto banking group, The BCB Group, has created a metaverse city that includes representations of some of the most visited destinations in the world, such as the Great Wall of China and the Statue of Liberty. According to BCB, the total cost of flights, transfers, and entry for all these landmarks would come to $7,600—while a virtual trip would cost just over $2. 14 “What impact can the Metaverse have on the travel industry?,” Middle East Economy, July 29, 2022.

The metaverse holds potential for business travel, too—the meeting, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) sector in particular. Participants could take part in activities in the same immersive space while connecting from anywhere, dramatically reducing travel, venue, catering, and other costs. 15 “ Tourism in the metaverse: Can travel go virtual? ,” McKinsey, May 4, 2023.

The allure and convenience of such digital experiences make offering seamless, customer-centric travel and tourism in the real world all the more pressing.

Three innovations to solve hotel staffing shortages

Is the future contactless.

Given the advances in technology, and the many digital innovations and applications that already exist, there is potential for businesses across the travel and tourism spectrum to cope with labor shortages while improving customer experience. Process automation and digitization can also add to process efficiency. Taken together, a combination of outsourcing, remote work, and digital solutions can help to retain existing staff and reduce dependency on roles that employers are struggling to fill (exhibit).

Depending on the customer service approach and direct contact need, we estimate that the travel and tourism industry would be able to cope with a structural labor shortage of around 10 to 15 percent in the long run by operating more flexibly and increasing digital and automated efficiency—while offering the remaining staff an improved total work package.

Outsourcing and remote work could also help resolve the labor shortage

While COVID-19 pushed organizations in a wide variety of sectors to embrace remote work, there are many hospitality roles that rely on direct physical services that cannot be performed remotely, such as laundry, cleaning, maintenance, and facility management. If faced with staff shortages, these roles could be outsourced to third-party professional service providers, and existing staff could be reskilled to take up new positions.

In McKinsey’s experience, the total service cost of this type of work in a typical hotel can make up 10 percent of total operating costs. Most often, these roles are not guest facing. A professional and digital-based solution might become an integrated part of a third-party service for hotels looking to outsource this type of work.

One of the lessons learned in the aftermath of COVID-19 is that many tourism employees moved to similar positions in other sectors because they were disillusioned by working conditions in the industry . Specialist multisector companies have been able to shuffle their staff away from tourism to other sectors that offer steady employment or more regular working hours compared with the long hours and seasonal nature of work in tourism.

The remaining travel and tourism staff may be looking for more flexibility or the option to work from home. This can be an effective solution for retaining employees. For example, a travel agent with specific destination expertise could work from home or be consulted on an needs basis.

In instances where remote work or outsourcing is not viable, there are other solutions that the hospitality industry can explore to improve operational effectiveness as well as employee satisfaction. A more agile staffing model  can better match available labor with peaks and troughs in daily, or even hourly, demand. This could involve combining similar roles or cross-training staff so that they can switch roles. Redesigned roles could potentially improve employee satisfaction by empowering staff to explore new career paths within the hotel’s operations. Combined roles build skills across disciplines—for example, supporting a housekeeper to train and become proficient in other maintenance areas, or a front-desk associate to build managerial skills.

Where management or ownership is shared across properties, roles could be staffed to cover a network of sites, rather than individual hotels. By applying a combination of these approaches, hotels could reduce the number of staff hours needed to keep operations running at the same standard. 16 “ Three innovations to solve hotel staffing shortages ,” McKinsey, April 3, 2023.

Taken together, operational adjustments combined with greater use of technology could provide the tourism industry with a way of overcoming staffing challenges and giving customers the seamless digitally enhanced experiences they expect in other aspects of daily life.

In an industry facing a labor shortage, there are opportunities for tech innovations that can help travel and tourism businesses do more with less, while ensuring that remaining staff are engaged and motivated to stay in the industry. For travelers, this could mean fewer friendly faces, but more meaningful experiences and interactions.

Urs Binggeli is a senior expert in McKinsey’s Zurich office, Zi Chen is a capabilities and insights specialist in the Shanghai office, Steffen Köpke is a capabilities and insights expert in the Düsseldorf office, and Jackey Yu is a partner in the Hong Kong office.

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Making Tourism Stronger and Ready for the Future

• All Regions
• 27 Dec 2021

This has been another challenging year for our societies, our economies and tourism. Many millions of jobs and businesses remain in peril, at the mercy of an evolving crisis and of the actions of governments.

However, we are by no means in the same place we were when the pandemic was declared in March 2020. In fact, we have succeeded in laying the foundations to restart tourism around the pillars of sustainability, innovation, people and investing for a resilient future .

Working together

Over the past year, much progress has been made in rolling out vaccinations and in both detecting and treating COVID-19. We have also seen significant progress made in finding the right balance between keeping people safe and keeping the vital lifeline of tourism intact, as illustrated by UNWTO’s effective collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) since the very start of the pandemic.  

A collaborative and multilateral approach is and must remain at the centre of capitalizing on the lessons we have learned in such a short space of time.

Ensuring harmonized travel protocols has been our message since day one. They are at the heart of tourism’s restart in many parts of the world, most notably in the Northern Hemisphere destinations during the peak summer months.

We are also encouraged by the resilience and determination coming from the tourism sector itself, as well as from our Member States.

Like never before, the pandemic has made clear tourism’s relevance to our economies and societies. Tourism is now part of the global conversation and at the heart of both national and international recovery action plans.

Expanding on our mandate

Interest in UNWTO’s innovation and start-up competitions keeps growing, showcasing the talent we have unleashed, and our shared readiness to hear new voices and embrace new ideas.

Our global innovation ecosystem is now made up of more than 12,000 start-ups from 160 countries, with US$83 million mobilized and 300 corporate partners currently working on new tourism technologies.

And UNWTO’s education programmes are reaching unprecedented numbers of people, welcoming more than 20,000 students from 100 countries in just 18 months. We promote lifelong learning thanks to partnerships with the world’s top five institutions in tourism and hospitality. Together, IE university, Les Roches, Glion Institute of Higher Education, École Ducasse and the Swiss Education Group offer 19 online courses in Spanish, English and Arabic - a true ‘online university of universities’.

Underpinning it all are data analytics on tourism investments powered by our partnership with the Financial Times . Through this, we have produced the first UNWTO tourism investment guidelines , which we are now scaling up to create guidelines for doing tourism businesses by country.

Restarting tourism is unthinkable without green investments. We are collaborating with institutions such as the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation and the Inter-American Development Bank. To date, more than 200 investors are part of UNWTO’s global investment network advancing critical work such as supporting hotel chains from 50 countries to become more sustainable.

For people and planet

Tourism is ready to do the hard work and live up to its responsibilities to people and planet, as demonstrated by the huge interest we have received in the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism , launched at the UN Climate Summit COP26 . We are receiving a growing number of commitments to halve emissions by 2030 and to reach NetZero by 2050 at the latest, with Member countries, individual destinations, global companies and local players as well as media outlets, hundreds are on board, and counting.

And for people, we are making sure the benefits tourism offers are enjoyed as widely and fairly as possible. That includes establishing the sector as a driver of rural development, as celebrated through the Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO initiative . Launched to great enthusiasm this year, 44 villages from 32 countries were granted the recognition during our recent General Assembly, for showing a commitment to tourism development in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.

The 24th UNWTO General Assembly in Madrid brought our Members together to speak with one voice. Members commended UNWTO’s work done during the pandemic and its vision for the future of both the Organization and the sector, endorsing key initiatives such as a first International Code for the Protection of Tourists . This landmark legal framework is designed to restore trust in travel, a vital ingredient for recovery.

I am very grateful for the wide support of our Members, who have put their trust in me to serve a second term as UNWTO Secretary-General.

Mainstreaming tourism

In a crisis, you realize both what’s important and who your friends are.

And support for UNWTO has never been louder or more visible. Over the past 12 months, we have strengthened our key partnerships, among them the G20 and G7, as well as ICAO (the International Civil Aviation Organization), FAO (the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), the World Bank, IDB (Inter-American Development Bank), CAF, (The Development Bank of Latin America) and the EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development). We have further strengthened our voice at the top of the United Nations, including the landmark recognition of tourism and UNWTO by the UN Secretary-General.

Closer to our Members

UNWTO has made a significant leap to be on the ground next to our Members. This year we opened the first Regional Office for the Middle East in Riyadh, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Built and opened in record time, it will serve as the platform to deliver our commitment to education and as a global centre for tourism and rural development.

Moving closer to our Members in other regions is an ongoing task and we will also work towards opening the first regional offices in Africa and the Americas.

As we advance preparations for these new hubs, we also welcome new Member States. Antigua and Barbuda, a destination where tourism is an economic pillar, has joined UNWTO. This shows that tourism-dependent countries look to UNWTO and depend on us, and we are ready to live up to this responsibility. Alongside this our network of Affiliate Members of the private sector, local administrations, destinations and academia, keeps growing.

So too does our collaboration with media outlets through new partnerships with Euronews, Xinhua and Travel Index, which build on our existing relationship with CNN International. As a result, the message of tourism for development will continue reaching a global audience of unprecedented size and diversity.

The future begins now

The way in which the pandemic has developed over the closing weeks of the year gives us all reason for concern and to again put public health above everything else.

But recent developments again validate our initial position: the only way forward is through collaboration and actions that are based on evidence rather than on speculation or political strategy.

UNWTO is in a good place to use the achievements of 2021 as a springboard for building a better tourism in the years to come, with t he sector ready to return once conditions are right.

It is in this spirit that I wish everybody a safe and healthy 2022. UNWTO stands by your side, to keep on working together for our joint progress .

Zurab Pololikashvili Secretary-General

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Advances, Systems and Applications

• Open access
• Published: 05 September 2022

Tourism cloud management system: the impact of smart tourism

• Fang Yin 1 ,
• Xiong Yin 2 ,
• Jincheng Zhou 3 ,
• Xinli Zhang 1 ,
• Ruihua Zhang 3 , 4 ,
• Ebuka Ibeke 5 ,
• Marvellous GodsPraise Iwendi 6 &
• Mohammad Shah 7  

Journal of Cloud Computing volume  11 , Article number:  37 ( 2022 ) Cite this article

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This study investigates the possibility of supporting tourists in a foreign land intelligently by using the Tourism Cloud Management System (TCMS) to enhance and better their tourism experience. Some technologies allow tourists to highlight popular tourist routes and circuits through the visualisation of data and sensor clustering approaches. With this, a tourist can access the shared data on a specific location to know the sites of famous local attractions, how other tourists feel about them, and how to participate in local festivities through a smart tourism model. This study surveyed the potential of smart tourism among tourists and how such technologies have developed over time while proposing a TCMS. Its goals were to make physical/paper tickets redundant via the introduction of a mobile app with eTickets that can be validated using camera and QR code technologies and to enhance the transport network using Bluetooth and GPS for real-time identification of tourists’ presence. The results show that a significant number of participants engage in tourist travels, hence the need for smart tourism and tourist management. It was concluded that smart tourism is very appealing to tourists and can improve the appeal of the destination if smart solutions are implemented. This study gives a first-hand review of the preference of tourists and the potential of smart tourism. 

Introduction

Destinations like China are primed for successful performance in incoming tourism, with China set to overtake France as the leading destination worldwide by 2030 [ 1 ]. Similarly, tourism in the city of Mumbai, India, also increases yearly. Between 2009 and 2017, Mumbai saw an increase of 10.6%— the second highest growth rate in tourism for European tourists. The World Travel Awards awarded India and Mumbai the ‘Best Destination’ and ‘Best Destination City’, respectively, in 2018. However, China is primed to take over this position. As tourism steadily grows, so does the use of smartphones. As observed in [ 2 ], the cellphone has been adopted as a regular tourist travel device because of its ubiquity capabilities and progressive computing. With exponential growth in its users and its growing variety of applications, the mobile phone is changing the perspective of tourist travel and transport networks. The capacity to carry over 8 sensors with context-awareness opportunities is what has made smartphones so valuable in tourism [ 3 ]. The camera and microphone, the first features of the smartphone, have quickly been joined by GPS, compasses, proximity sensors, accelerometers, and gyroscopes. These proximity sensors allow system-adaptive devices to develop and function effectively as smart personal assistants. The two examples below could make the experience easier:

A smartphone with a mobile app which uses the camera and QR code technology for the validation of tickets, making the use of paper tickets redundant.

The use of Bluetooth and GPS for real-time identification of tourists’ presence, following dynamic patterns and enhancing the transport network.

The main contribution of this paper is the analysis of methodologies that include the features mentioned above in already existing technologies while proposing a Tourism Cloud Management System (TCMS). We consider a mobile which could be used to sell reserves for the transport of tourists, using a QR code as an identifier for validation. We also consider a mobile app which gives tourists access to the digital form of their travel reservations and makes it easy for them to find stops for transport [ 4 ].

Following the growth and development of the tourism industry, innovations in finding customers, linking them, and assuring their satisfaction need to be enhanced. The competition for prices, especially for holiday destinations, is high. Information Technology allows for greater efficiency, swift reaction time, and reduced operational costs. Recent advancements have inspired extreme changes in the tourism industry. A useful development in tourism is the redesign of the booking interaction, which would allow shoppers to save time in the acquisition and reservation of tourist items. Thus, tourism organizations need to adopt cutting-edge innovations to enhance their all-around productivity.

Literature review

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has given people access to infinite digital content on leisure, culture, education, etc., on their portable devices [ 5 ]. The architecture of the Tourism Cloud Management System (TCMS) is shown in Fig.  1 . The evolution of technology has changed consumer behavior in various fields, and the tourism industry isn't an exception. ICT brings several advantages, including automation of processes which increases speed, reduced errors, and lowered expenses, all of which are of prime importance in the tourism industry. Secure processes which allow the purchase and marketing of products and services, and the transfer of videos, images, etc., are things which generate motivation for leisure-seeking consumers [ 6 ]. The tourist market is dynamic in terms of demand trends of tourists, which varies consumption habits and allows the generation of various products. This led to the creation of a route model called the intelligent tourist route to address this need.

Tourism Cloud Management System (TCMS) Architecture

The concept of smart territory in recent years has become popular among researchers and scholars of sustainable development. From the point of view of architecture and urbanism, the authors in [ 7 ] came up with the concept of smart territory and defined it as innovative territories with the ability to build competitive advantages for their surroundings, in the framework of a complicated and interconnected world. These smart territories try to find a balance between sustainability, social cohesion, and economic competition. Any territory, notwithstanding its level of infrastructure or size, can be a smart territory.

The definition of smart territory evokes a novel concept of the confluence of various related disciplines including culture, heritage, architecture, environment, regional development, urban planning, and the economy of innovation. The multidisciplinary approach of distinct sciences is applied and generates a synergy to consolidate a framework for tourism to be used in smart tourist destinations [ 8 ].

The multidisciplinary capacity and the integration of various areas need to be focused on the development of infrastructure for sensitization and connectivity. The concept of smart territory is especially relevant when one considers that the field of social and economic development needs to be approached from different perspectives. This means that the existing approach to the economy needs to have a holistic system with attractions, facilities with local management, quality and affordable pricing. This would allow the concept of a product in a destination, where circuits and routes form part of the activities.

Data visualization as a consolidation tool for smart routes

An essential part of the work done in tourism is the data visualization from the inventory of tourist attractions. It is important because it allows for a practical alternative for the conceptualization of the activity from the view of technological innovation and development in the conventional approach to tourism [ 9 ]. A good approach to the generation and consolidation of tourism science is the integration of different disciplines, with the view of creating synergy. This is exemplified by the research of evaluation and registration of tourist heritage elements (PT), connected to the data visualization (open data) created by computer graphics. Computer graphics allow the use of the most advanced technology; sensory interpretation through the perception, modelling, and representation of objects in 2D and 3D animation. These computer apps are not applied in tourist activities.

Visualization of data is a concept which uses the large correspondence force of pictures to clarify the cause, reliance, and importance found in the conceptual masses of data produced by social and logical cycles. It has not yet been fully explored in the field of tourism. It is a technological experiment in tourism management and planning as a result of its structure and the order of cultural and natural attractions. They are usually applied with the view that they can determine their possible uses [ 10 ]. An important part of the process of analyzing the tourist potential of a territory is the categorization, ranking, and inventory of tourist attractions. These processes determine how the real tourist vocation of territories would be. Based on its scope of application, it is the basis for organizing the tourist space of a community, region, department, country, or municipality. Thus, it is essential to consider tourist inventory for the generation of circuits and routes.

The only way to verify the tourist potential of the territory and justify possible investments is through a strict examination of the demand, supply, market trends, competition, and attractions of the territory. All these factors make up a comprehensive assessment of the territory and a basis for development agencies to make their decisions.

The valuation of the tourist territory consists of three primary stages:

Evaluation of the existing supply, resources, demand, market trends, and competition in the territory.

Comparison of the results of the evaluation and identifying the strengths, weaknesses, risks, and opportunities of the territory.

If there is potential, a strategy needs to be defined and followed for the development of tourism in the territory [ 11 ].

These three stages consist of the collation, treatment, and evaluation of external and internal information about the territory with strong tourism potential for the Tourism Cloud Management System.

Implementation of augmented reality and TCMS

The internet has caused a revolution in companies, tourism, the population, and the world in general. In the tourism space, it has facilitated a change in the sales and consumer channel, which reduces third-party participation and enhances competition. Consumers who are connected to the digital world with smartphones and can decide what they want have also revolutionized the world. Agents in the tourism industry have had to adapt to novel innovative technologies and the reformation of their customary products. These new technological advances make the products more valuable, allowing for a better experience [ 12 ]. Success in the management of a tourist destination can only be done with the detection of changes in the environment and their effects [ 13 ]. Adapting to new technologies is important because of the ease of promoting a destination.

TCMS shows that tourists in search of pleasurable experiences employ technological devices to speed up the selection process of what they are looking for. The perception of textual and graphical information of mobile disposition is very essential for this, as well as the possibility of reading other people’s opinions from their reviews. The options for accessing this information are numerous, including augmented reality which is on the rise [ 14 ]. For instance, a foreign tourist, a single male of higher education and 36 years of age would use the internet for planning his trip because he has spent most of his life in the technological era. It is important to know your tourist destination before getting there.

Augmented reality is an innovative tool that integrates the virtual world with the real one. It displays the content in real-time through a gadget. The difference between virtual reality and augmented reality is that the former displays elements virtually, while the latter displays real elements in a space. Although this technology has been in use since the 90 s, it is only recently adapted to mobile devices. The incorporation of this technology into tourism allows for the massive promotion of destinations and includes media information which complements the visit of the tourists in real-time. The application of augmented reality in tourist routes would allow easy access to information that can be obtained from the web. There are infinite possibilities for obtaining tourist information. This is a step towards an intelligent destination [ 15 ] in line with other state-of-the-art procedures in big data analysis [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ].

Application of the smart tourist destination management model

The concept of a smart tourist destination should not be considered only as the application of the smart city model to the tourism industry. Structural variations in the tourism industry, which integrate with the consolidation of the smart city model, form the basis of the need for novel approaches to managing tourist destinations [ 21 ]. Thus, it is important to analyze some definitions of the concept. The India Tourism Ministry defined Smart Tourist Destination (STD) as an accessible innovative space, integrated with state-of-the-art technology that ensures the territory’s sustainable development, accelerates the interaction of the visitor and the environment, and enhances the quality of their trip. The basis of this definition is the principle that innovation is an essential space and operates as the centre of all proposals. According to [ 3 ], it inaugurates innovative spaces such as STDs that use novel technologies for development.

This methodology combines the novel framework of the tourist region with the climate and communication of the guests to expand the nature of their experience. It uses ICT to improve administration, reduce costs, and enhance residents’ satisfaction. The White Book on STDs emphasizes the development and innovation of ICT as the basis for novel mechanisms for the promotion of STDs. The goal is to create various differential competitive services with profitability and sustainability that turns risk into opportunity, promote diversification, fights against seasonality, and integrates success.

Gretzel et al. [ 2 ] defined STD as novel models of business management, forms of communication, and the quest for the consumer’s well-being. They use ICT for the promotion of the sustainable development of the territory, efficient management of resources, facilitation of interaction between the environment and visitors, and enhancing the citizens’ quality of life [ 3 ]. An STD’s configuration must correspond to the needs of every destination and their benefits because the mere application of technology doesn’t automatically make a destination an STD. It must be followed by a series of changes at all levels. An STD must use the available tools to satisfy the market, and because technology is not a means to an end, issues regarding accessibility, innovation, and sustainability must still be considered. Authors in [ 3 ] considered the concept of STD as a generic architecture that consists of principles originating from smart cities and includes sustainability and competitiveness at its base. The aim is to provide a holistic structure for smart tourist destinations. The idea is to revolutionize the management of tourism according to local capacity and technological possibilities.

Summary of the related recent works

Analysis of smart tourism using scopus.

The term ‘smart tourism’ was searched in the keywords, abstract, and titles of the extant SCOPUS literature. Between 2008 and 2022, 710 documents were published. These documents were studied for analysis. Figure  2 shows the published papers related to ‘smart tourism’ from 2008 to January 2022.

Number of documents related to ‘smart tourism’ from 2008 to 2022 in the SCOPUS database

Figure  3 illustrates the top 15 countries that have published work linked to smart tourism from 2008 to 2022.

Documents by country related to ‘smart tourism’

Figure  4 illustrates the comparison of published papers on smart tourism per year.

Documents per year by source related to ‘smart tourism’

The data collated from SCOPUS was further examined with the VOS viewer. Table 1 shows the list of countries with 5 or more publications on smart tourism.

Figure  5 visualizes the citations by country in Table 1 .

Citations by country

Figure  6 illustrates the keywords used in the published works of smart tourism, including the recent research of 2020. Some of these keywords include smart tourism, city, climate change, e-tourism [ 22 ], etc.

Keywords: Overlay visualization

Methodology

The TCMS study in this research uses a descriptive approach: a survey with a questionnaire to collect the required data. We formed a respondent base of 200 tourists in China selected based on the reviews of popular tourist portals including Trip Advisor. All tourists were given a link to a Google form (questionnaire) they were to fill out. 66 completed responses were used for the analysis. The questionnaire comprised close-ended questions using Likert’s five-point scale. The collated data were evaluated statistically with SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences), a statistical software used for advanced analytics, data management, business intelligence and multivariate analysis.

Table 2 shows the percentage of people who admitted they take trips to unknown destinations very often.

Table 3 shows the percentage of consumers who believed that tourist interests would increase and the percentage of consumers who believed the level of interest would remain static.

Table 4 illustrates the percentage of respondents who said they would be satisfied with the quality of smart tourism application services.

Table 5 shows the percentage of respondents who believe they would communicate better in a foreign land with smart tourism applications.

Table 6 shows the mean for males and females and the mean difference at the threshold p-value of lower than 0.05 level. The F-test value was 0.536, indicating it was significant at 0.465, and that the variance of both groups is equal. The equal variance was used as per the T-test that was conducted. The T value for the equal variances was 2.774, meaning it was significant at 0.006, which indicates a difference in male and female behavior regarding the preference for smart tourism.

Many people go to tourist destinations annually and believe that their interest may increase if smart solutions are available. The majority agreed that the quality of service may be enhanced if there are smart tourism applications. However, most did not believe that smart tourism applications may result in better communication in foreign lands. From the results presented above, it is obvious that the implementation of smart tourism applications would result in better patronage from tourists for tourist destinations. The results illustrate that in comparison with state-of-the-art existing work, there are several possibilities and applications of it in multiple fields.

This paper proposes a Tourism Cloud Management System (TCMS) and discusses the infinite possibilities of the comprehensive approach that integrates different disciplines for the consolidation of a multi-and transdisciplinary concept based on limited action and functionality. It includes several possibilities in design, tourism, ICT, economy, and multimedia, among others. The implementation and application of the TCMS would enable intelligent and smart management of tourism and enhance tourists' experiences. It is necessary to take local action to integrate the proposed Smart Tourist Destination Management model. In the future, this paper aims to systemize and homogenize the collection of information on various tourist attractions, i.e., making the collection of information on tourist attractions easier. Another objective is to propose its use in preparing sustainable development plans for tourism and to convince private and public individuals to support the use of technological innovation in tourism.

Availability of data and materials

The supporting data can be provided on request.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.61862051), the Science and Technology Foundation of Guizhou Province (No.[2019],1299, No.ZK[2022]550), the Top-notch Talent Program of Guizhou province (No.KY[2018]080), the Natural Science Foundation of Education of Guizhou province(No.[2019]203) and the Funds of Qiannan Normal University for Nationalities (No. qnsy2018003, No. qnsy2019rc09, No. qnsy2018JS013, No. qnsyrc201715).

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.61862051), the Science and Technology Foundation of Guizhou Province (No.[2019],1299, No.ZK[2022]550), the Top-notch Talent Program of Guizhou province (No.KY[2018]080), the Natural Science Foundation of Education of Guizhou province(No.[2019]203) and the Funds of Qiannan Normal University for Nationalities (No. qnsy2018003, No. qnsy2019rc09, No. qnsy2018JS013, No. qnsyrc201715). 

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Fang Yin & Xinli Zhang

Business School, Geely University of China, Chengdu, 641400, China

School of Computer and Information and Key Laboratory of Complex Systems and Intelligent Optimization of Guizhou, Qiannan Normal University for Nationalities, Duyun, Guizhou, 558000, China

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Faculty of Education, Language and Psychology Postgraduate Department, Segi University, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

Ruihua Zhang

School of Creative and Cultural Business, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, AB10 7AQ, UK

Ebuka Ibeke

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Contributions

Conceptualization by Fang Yin, Jincheng Zhou; Questionnaire by Xiong Yin, Xinli Zhang, and Ruihua Zhang; Formal Analysis by Ebuka Ibeke and Marvellous GodsPraise Iwendi; Investigation by Mohammad Shah and Ebuka Ibeke; Resources and Data collection by Xiong Yin, Xinli Zhang, and Ruihua Zhang; Writing by: Jincheng Zhou and Fang Yin; Validation by: Ebuka Ibeke and Marvellous GodsPraise Iwendi; Funding Acquisition by Jincheng Zhou and Mohammad Shah. The authors read and approved the final manuscript. 

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Yin, F., Yin, X., Zhou, J. et al. Tourism cloud management system: the impact of smart tourism. J Cloud Comp 11 , 37 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13677-022-00316-3

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• Smart Tourism
• Tourist Displacement
• Data Visualization

The Future of Visitor Management: Predictions and Trends for 2023 and Beyond

Join us in this blog post as we explore the evolution of visitor management from paper-based methods to high-tech systems with the founders of Vizito. We’ll delve into the future trends that will reshape the industry including AI, IoT, contactless solutions, improved visitor experience, better security, and more focus on privacy and sustainability.

Written by Jill - Written: July 17, 2023

Just a decade ago, stepping into a company as a visitor would mostly transport you back to an era of pen and paper, where visitor management - if there even was any - was a time-consuming and error-prone process. Sign-in sheets or paper logbooks, with often hard-to-read handwritten details, made it difficult to track visitors and maintain accurate records. Manually edited visitor badges were often generic and easily replicated, posing security risks.

Fast forward to today, and the world of visitor management has evolved dramatically, embracing cutting-edge technology and automation to provide a seamless, secure, and efficient experience for both visitors and organizations alike.

And it doesn’t end here. Driven by advancements in technology, increasing security concerns, and the need for more efficient processes, the world of visitor management is prone to evolve even further and set major steps in years to come. We have asked VMS system Vizito’s founders Pieter-Jan Dries and Steven Gilissen how they foresee the future of visitor management. In this blog post, we’ll explore the transformation of the industry and the innovations shaping its future.

Read on to learn more about significant changes in visitor management in recent years and key trends for 2023 and beyond, such as:

• Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning
• Internet of Things (IoT) integration
• Continued emphasis on contactless solutions
• Enhanced visitor experience
• Advanced security measures
• Greater focus on data privacy
• Increased focus on sustainability

Significant changes in visitor management in recent years

Visitor management has changed drastically in recent years. From simple paper and pen solutions to groundbreaking technology, these are the most important innovations in the field:

Digital visitor management

The transition from traditional, paper-based visitor management to digital visitor management systems (VMS) has been a major development in recent years. This shift was a natural step, according to Vizito cofounder Pieter-Jan Dries: “As businesses are constantly seeking ways to improve efficiency, security and user experience, digital visitor management systems offer numerous advantages. They streamline the check-in process, provide a more secure way to manage visitor access, and offer better data collection and management. A digital VMS also simplifies compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR, as it stores visitor data securely and allows for easy retrieval when needed.”

Read more A digital visitor management system has plenty of advantages. Here are 7 reasons to replace your paper visitor log in 2023

Cloud-based systems

The next important change has been the rise of cloud-based solutions. Cloud-based visitor management systems, such as Vizito, offer greater flexibility, scalability, and ease of integration with other systems , like access control systems (ACS) to provide a comprehensive security solution. Cloud-based solutions can be accessed remotely, making it easier to manage visitor data and monitor visitor activity.

Biometric technology

Also, the use of biometric technology for visitor identity verification has grown. Fingerprint scanners, facial recognition, and other biometric methods provide a higher level of security and accuracy than traditional methods like ID cards.

Data privacy and security

Meanwhile, visitor management systems have adapted to meet the increasing need for data privacy and security. Compliance with regulations such as GDPR has become essential, and modern visitor management systems include features to help organizations manage visitor data securely and comply with these requirements.

Contactless sign-in

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a focus on contactless check-in. Visitors can pre-register online before their visit, providing their details and the purpose of their visit. Upon arrival, they can scan a QR code with their smartphone to check in. Visitor badges can be printed automatically upon check-in, without the need for intervention by a receptionist.

Adaptable solutions

Modern visitor management systems offer more customization and personalization options, allowing organizations to tailor the visitor experience to their specific needs and preferences.

Key trends in visitor management for 2023 and beyond

The visitor management industry will continue to evolve in response to emerging technologies, security concerns, and changing business needs. At Vizito, we see 7 trends that will shape the industry in 2023 and beyond:

1. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning

AI and machine learning will play an increasingly important role in visitor management systems, enabling more advanced analytics, pattern recognition, and predictive capabilities. This can help organizations identify potential security threats and optimize visitor management processes.

Pieter-Jan Dries: “At Vizito, we’re thrilled to witness the potential of AI and machine learning unfold. It’s very exciting to think about what AI could have in store for us, and we’re keeping a close eye on the developments in this area. Not only could these technologies improve the efficiency and security of visitor management processes, but also enhance the overall visitor experience.”

Some areas where AI may prove to be helpful, are:

• Help organizations analyze visitor data more effectively
• Improve the detection of potential security risks by identifying unusual patterns or behaviors
• Deliver a more personalized experience for visitors by analyzing their preferences, tailoring notifications, and customizing the check-in process - such as customizing welcome messages, recommending suitable meeting rooms, or suggesting relevant events or facilities

In short, advancements in AI can revolutionize the visitor management industry, helping organizations to manage their visitors even better.

2. Internet of Things (IoT) integration

The integration of IoT devices with visitor management systems will become more prevalent. This will enable real-time tracking of visitor movements, monitoring of facility conditions, and better access control through connected devices such as smart locks, cameras, and sensors.

3. Continued emphasis on contactless solutions

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of contactless technologies, and this trend is likely to continue. Touchless check-in processes, facial recognition, and other contactless solutions will become more widespread as organizations prioritize safety and hygiene.

4. Enhanced visitor experience

The visitor management industry will focus on improving the visitor experience through personalization, customization, and streamlined processes. This may include personalized visitor badges, tailored visitor notifications, and more efficient check-in procedures.

5. Advanced security measures

Security will remain a top priority, and visitor management systems will continue to incorporate advanced security features such as biometrics, multi-factor authentication, and integration with other security systems like access control, video surveillance and alarm systems.

The future may even see the emergence of unified security platforms that combine a visitor management system, access control, CCTV, and alarm systems into a single, integrated solution. These platforms could offer centralized management, monitoring, and control, simplifying security management and enabling organizations to respond even more effectively to security incidents.

For more information about workplace security, explore our articles on improving safety with a VMS , integration with access control , workplace security tips , and visitor NDAs .

6. Greater focus on data privacy

Data privacy and security concerns are increasingly at the forefront, as organizations and individuals become more aware of the risks associated with data breaches and misuse of personal information. As data privacy regulations evolve, visitor management systems will need to adapt accordingly. Ensuring compliance with regulations like GDPR and CCPA will become increasingly important, with systems offering better data protection features and more transparent data handling processes.

VMS providers, like Vizito, are continually on top of this. Pieter-Jan Dries: “We actively work to ensure our VMS complies with relevant data protection regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union and other local data privacy laws. This involves implementing appropriate data processing and storage policies, as well as providing organizations with tools to manage data access and consent."

“To protect sensitive visitor information from unauthorized access, Vizito uses strong encryption methods for data transmission and storage. By employing industry-standard encryption protocols, Vizito ensures that data remains secure, both at rest and in transit."

“We are commited to protecting sensitive information and building trust with our customers and end-users. As the industry evolves, we will continue to prioritize data privacy and security, ensuring our VMS remains a reliable and secure solution for organizations.”

7. Increased focus on sustainability

A final trend we foresee for the near future is a growing focus on sustainability within the visitor management industry, with an emphasis on reducing waste, energy consumption, and environmental impact. This may involve using eco-friendly materials for visitor badges, implementing energy-efficient technologies, and promoting digital solutions that minimize paper usage.

These trends highlight the evolving nature of the visitor management industry and underscore the importance of staying up-to-date with technological advancements and changing business needs to remain competitive in the market.

Sustainability is a big issue to Vizito founders Pieter-Jan Dries and Steven Gilissen. “We do everything we can to reduce our carbon footprint”, the duo explains. “For instance, we avoid paperwork, reuse packages, we work at energy-efficient workstations, and have a 100 percent electric vehicle fleet. We encourage our customers to make their own contributions, such as going paperless. Using a digital solution for their visitor management is a great first step.”

Read more This is the office of the future - and how to prepare yourself .

Challenges in the field of visitor management

As we look toward 2023 and beyond, companies and providers of digital visitor management systems face several challenges.

Data privacy and security concerns

With increasing concerns around data privacy and cyber threats, companies must ensure their visitor management systems comply with local and international data protection regulations, safeguarding visitor information against unauthorized access and potential breaches.

Health concerns

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an increased demand for contactless visitor management solutions. Companies must continue to innovate and develop technologies that minimize physical contact and promote a safe and hygienic visitor experience.

Environmental concerns

As environmental concerns become increasingly important, companies and providers should consider the environmental impact of their visitor management solutions. This could involve implementing paperless systems, optimizing energy usage, and selecting eco-friendly hardware and materials.

Compliance with regulations

Companies must stay informed about local, national, and international regulations that pertain to visitor management, and ensure that their systems comply with these requirements. This can include visitor screening for security purposes, adhering to industry-specific guidelines, and maintaining accurate visitor records.

Evolving security threats

With the potential for new types of security threats to emerge, companies and providers must stay vigilant and continuously assess their visitor management systems’ ability to protect against evolving risks. This may involve regular security audits, software updates, and incorporating new security features as needed.

Vizito, as a forward-thinking visitor management system (VMS) provider, is taking various steps to stay ahead of the curve and address the emerging trends in the industry. To remain at the forefront of visitor management solutions, the company is continually investing in research and development to identify and incorporate the latest technologies and innovations into their VMS, ensuring the solution addresses evolving customer needs.

To get a feel of how a modern visitor management system can help your business, try out Vizito during a 14-day trial . Chat with us or book a demo to discuss how Vizito can help you improve your reception.

Got more questions? These are the 7 most common questions about visitor management systems – and our answers .

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"People want to travel": 4 sector leaders say that tourism will change and grow

The global travel and tourism industry's post-pandemic recovery is gaining pace as the world’s pent-up desire for travel rekindles. Image:  Unsplash/Anete Lūsiņa

.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo{-webkit-transition:all 0.15s ease-out;transition:all 0.15s ease-out;cursor:pointer;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:none;color:inherit;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:hover,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:focus,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-focus]{box-shadow:0 0 0 3px rgba(168,203,251,0.5);} Anthony Capuano

Shinya katanozaka, gilda perez-alvarado, stephen kaufer.

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• In 2020 alone, the travel and tourism industry lost $4.5 trillion in GDP and 62 million jobs - the road to recovery remains long.
• The World Economic Forum’s latest Travel & Tourism Development Index gives expert insights on how the sector will recover and grow.
• We asked four business leaders in the sector to reflect on the state of its recovery, lessons learned from the pandemic, and the conditions that are critical for the future success of travel and tourism businesses and destinations.

The global travel and tourism sector’s post-pandemic recovery is gaining pace as the world’s pent-up desire for travel rekindles. The difference in international tourist arrivals in January 2021 and a similar period in January 2022 was as much as the growth in all of 2021. However, with $4.5 trillion in GDP and 62 million jobs lost in 2020 alone, the road to recovery remains long.

A few factors will greatly determine how the sector performs. These include travel restrictions, vaccination rates and health security, changing market dynamics and consumer preferences, and the ability of businesses and destinations to adapt. At the same time, the sector will need to prepare for future shocks.

The TTDI benchmarks and measures “the set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable and resilient development of the T&T sector, which in turn contributes to the development of a country”. The TTDI is a direct evolution of the long-running Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI), with the change reflecting the index’s increased coverage of T&T development concepts, including sustainability and resilience impact on T&T growth and is designed to highlight the sector’s role in broader economic and social development as well as the need for T&T stakeholder collaboration to mitigate the impact of the pandemic, bolster the recovery and deal with future challenges and risks. Some of the most notable framework and methodology differences between the TTCI and TTDI include the additions of new pillars, including Non-Leisure Resources, Socioeconomic Resilience and Conditions, and T&T Demand Pressure and Impact. Please see the Technical notes and methodology. section to learn more about the index and the differences between the TTCI and TTDI.

The World Economic Forum's latest Travel & Tourism Development Index highlights many of these aspects, including the opportunity and need to rebuild the travel and tourism sector for the better by making it more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient. This will unleash its potential to drive future economic and social progress.

Within this context, we asked four business leaders in the sector to reflect on the state of its recovery, lessons learned from the pandemic, and the conditions that are critical for the future success of travel and tourism businesses and destinations.

Have you read?

Are you a 'bleisure' traveller, what is a ‘vaccine passport’ and will you need one the next time you travel, a travel boom is looming. but is the industry ready, how to follow davos 2022, “the way we live and work has changed because of the pandemic and the way we travel has changed as well”.

Tony Capuano, CEO, Marriott International

Despite the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the future looks bright for travel and tourism. Across the globe, people are already getting back on the road. Demand for travel is incredibly resilient and as vaccination rates have risen and restrictions eased, travel has rebounded quickly, often led by leisure.

The way many of us live and work has changed because of the pandemic and the way we travel has changed as well. New categories of travel have emerged. The rise of “bleisure” travel is one example – combining elements of business and leisure travel into a single trip. Newly flexible work arrangements, including the opportunity for many knowledge workers to work remotely, have created opportunities for extended travel, not limited by a Monday to Friday “9 to 5” workweek in the office.

To capitalize on this renewed and growing demand for new travel experiences, industry must join governments and policymakers to ensure that the right conditions are in place to welcome travellers as they prepare to get back on the road again, particularly those who cross international borders. Thus far, much of the recovery has been led by domestic and leisure travel. The incremental recovery of business and international travel, however, will be significant for the broader industry and the millions who make their livelihoods through travel and tourism.

Looking ahead to future challenges to the sector, be they public health conditions, international crises, or climate impacts, global coordination will be the essential component in tackling difficult circumstances head-on. International agreement on common – or at least compatible – standards and decision-making frameworks around global travel is key. Leveraging existing organizations and processes to achieve consensus as challenges emerge will help reduce risk and improve collaboration while keeping borders open.

“The travel and tourism sector will not be able to survive unless it adapts to the virtual market and sustainability conscience travellers”

Shinya Katanozaka, Representative Director, Chairman, ANA Holdings Inc.

At a time when people’s movements are still being restricted by the pandemic, there is a strong, renewed sense that people want to travel and that they want to go places for business and leisure.

In that respect, the biggest change has been in the very concept of “travel.”

A prime example is the rapid expansion of the market for “virtual travel.” This trend has been accelerated not only by advances in digital technologies, but also by the protracted pandemic. The travel and tourism sector will not be able to survive unless it adapts to this new market.

However, this is not as simple as a shift from “real” to “virtual.” Virtual experiences will flow back into a rediscovery of the value of real experiences. And beyond that, to a hunger for real experiences with clearer and more diverse purposes. The hope is that this meeting of virtual and actual will bring balance and synergy the industry.

The pandemic has also seen the emergence of the “sustainability-conscious” traveller, which means that the aviation industry and others are now facing the challenge of adding decarbonization to their value proposition. This trend will force a re-examination of what travel itself should look like and how sustainable practices can be incorporated and communicated. Addressing this challenge will also require stronger collaboration across the entire industry. We believe that this will play an important role in the industry’s revitalization as it recovers from the pandemic.

How is the World Economic Forum promoting sustainable and inclusive mobility systems?

The World Economic Forum’s Platform for Shaping the Future of Mobility works across four industries: aerospace and drones; automotive and new mobility; aviation travel and tourism; and supply chain and transport. It aims to ensure that the future of mobility is safe, clean, and inclusive.

• Through the Clean Skies for Tomorrow Coalition , more than 100 companies are working together to power global aviation with 10% sustainable aviation fuel by 2030.
• In collaboration with UNICEF, the Forum developed a charter with leading shipping, airlines and logistics to support COVAX in delivering more than 1 billion COVID-19 vaccines to vulnerable communities worldwide.
• The Road Freight Zero Project and P4G-Getting to Zero Coalition have led to outcomes demonstrating the rationale, costs and opportunities for accelerating the transition to zero emission freight.
• The Medicine from the Sky initiative is using drones to deliver vaccines and medicine to remote areas in India, completing over 300 successful trials.
• The Forum’s Target True Zero initiative is working to accelerate the deployment and scaling of zero emission aviation, leveraging electric and hydrogen flight technologies.
• In collaboration with the City of Los Angeles, Federal Aviation Administration, and NASA, the Forum developed the Principles of the Urban Sky to help adopt Urban Air Mobility in cities worldwide.
• The Forum led the development of the Space Sustainability Rating to incentivize and promote a more safe and sustainable approach to space mission management and debris mitigation in orbit.
• The Circular Cars Initiative is informing the automotive circularity policy agenda, following the endorsement from European Commission and Zero Emission Vehicle Transition Council countries, and is now invited to support China’s policy roadmap.
• The Moving India network is working with policymakers to advance electric vehicle manufacturing policies, ignite adoption of zero emission road freight vehicles, and finance the transition.
• The Urban Mobility Scorecards initiative – led by the Forum’s Global New Mobility Coalition – is bringing together mobility operators and cities to benchmark the transition to sustainable urban mobility systems.

Contact us for more information on how to get involved.

“The tourism industry must advocate for better protection of small businesses”

Gilda Perez-Alvarado, Global CEO, JLL Hotels & Hospitality

In the next few years, I think sustainability practices will become more prevalent as travellers become both more aware and interested in what countries, destinations and regions are doing in the sustainability space. Both core environmental pieces, such as water and air, and a general approach to sustainability are going to be important.

Additionally, I think conservation becomes more important in terms of how destinations and countries explain what they are doing, as the importance of climate change and natural resources are going to be critical and become top of mind for travellers.

The second part to this is we may see more interest in outdoor events going forward because it creates that sort of natural social distancing, if you will, or that natural safety piece. Doing outdoor activities such as outdoor dining, hiking and festivals may be a more appealing alternative to overcrowded events and spaces.

A lot of lessons were learned over the last few years, but one of the biggest ones was the importance of small business. As an industry, we must protect small business better. We need to have programmes outlined that successfully help small businesses get through challenging times.

Unfortunately, during the pandemic, many small businesses shut down and may never return. Small businesses are important to the travel and tourism sector because they bring uniqueness to destinations. People don’t travel to visit the same places they could visit at home; they prefer unique experiences that are only offered by specific businesses. If you were to remove all the small businesses from a destination, it would be a very different experience.

“Data shows that the majority of travellers want to explore destinations in a more immersive and experiential way”

Steve Kaufer, Co-Founder & CEO, Tripadvisor

We’re on the verge of a travel renaissance. The pandemic might have interrupted the global travel experience, but people are slowly coming out of the bubble. Businesses need to acknowledge the continued desire to feel safe when travelling. A Tripadvisor survey revealed that three-quarters (76%) of travellers will still make destination choices based on low COVID-19 infection rates.

As such, efforts to showcase how businesses care for travellers - be it by deep cleaning their properties or making items like hand sanitizer readily available - need to be ingrained within tourism operations moving forward.

But travel will also evolve in other ways, and as an industry, we need to be prepared to think digitally, and reimagine our use of physical space.

Hotels will become dynamic meeting places for teams to bond in our new hybrid work style. Lodgings near major corporate headquarters will benefit from an influx of bookings from employees convening for longer periods. They will also make way for the “bleisure” traveller who mixes business trips with leisure. Hotels in unique locales will become feasible workspaces. Employers should prepare for their workers to tag on a few extra days to get some rest and relaxation after on-location company gatherings.

Beyond the pandemic, travellers will also want to explore the world differently, see new places and do new things. Our data reveals that the majority want to explore destinations in a more immersive and experiential way, and to feel more connected to the history and culture. While seeing the top of the Empire State building has been a typical excursion for tourists in New York city, visitors will become more drawn to intimate activities like taking a cooking class in Brooklyn with a family of pizza makers who go back generations. This will undoubtedly be a significant area of growth in the travel and tourism industry.

Governments would be smart to plan as well, and to consider an international playbook that helps prepare us for the next public health crisis, inclusive of universal vaccine passports and policies that get us through borders faster.

Understanding these key trends - the ongoing need to feel safe and the growing desire to travel differently - and planning for the next crisis will be essential for governments, destinations, and tourism businesses to succeed in the efforts to keep the world travelling.

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Developing a model for smart tourism destinations: an interpretive structural modelling approach

• Original Research
• Published: 24 November 2022
• Volume 24 , pages 511–546, ( 2022 )

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• Sanaz Shafiee 1 ,
• Ali Rajabzadeh Ghatari 2 ,
• Alireza Hasanzadeh 3 &
• Saeed Jahanyan 4  

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The smart tourism concept emerged from smart city development and is a particular application area within smart city initiatives. Smart tourism is broadly applied as a strategic tool to enhance the competitiveness of tourism destinations. This study creates a framework to identify, explore, and rate the effective factors of developing smart tourism destinations. The effective factors were identified through a review of the research literature and by surveying experts. The identified factors were rated using an interpretative-structural modelling approach. A Cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification (MICMAC) analysis was used to determine the power and dependence of these factors. The findings show 20 indexes at ten levels. Financial resources, government support, and smart tourism policies were identified as the most important factors in modelling smart tourism development. By identifying effective factors for developing smart tourism destinations, the policymakers can encourage innovation of smart destinations, support smart tourism and highlight the multi-faceted contribution of smart destinations to sustainable development.

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Shafiee, S., Ghatari, A.R., Hasanzadeh, A. et al. Developing a model for smart tourism destinations: an interpretive structural modelling approach. Inf Technol Tourism 24 , 511–546 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-022-00236-7

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Tourism Management - Trends and Future

“No matter why and where you travel. There is always something wonderfully new to be found.” − Anonymous.

Tourism is the bundle of tangible products and intangible services that can help to bring most profound experience one can get. With respect to time, tourism has been changing from the ancient form of religious tourism to a few new forms. Tourism industry contributes to 9% of the global GDP and offers one from every 11 jobs. In addition, the number of tourists have doubled over the past 20 years and a propelling growth is expected in coming few years among all market segments.

Tourism industry has an intense potential to grow and generate revenues. Let us see, the new shaping trends in tourism today.

Digital Technology in Tourism

Today, tour operators and tourists, both are equipped with latest technology. It has empowered the tourism business managers and tourists to explore, discover and reach new places by facilitating online travel and accommodation bookings, and more.

The tourists use various mobile apps as simple as a compass app, online booking apps, currency converter apps, world time apps, language translation apps, weather apps, google maps, and restaurant or accommodation locating services on their mobile device. The tourists can also add their own data to create overlay on the Google Map and explore all possibilities in visiting a location by using Google Maps API. Some apps help to plan the tour, find out cheap flights, local transport hubs, eating joints, and destination attractions.

The apps enhance the tourist experience before, during, and after the tour.

Today, the large tour operators invest finances to create their own mobile apps. They are inclined to use as less papers as they can and prefer to send pdf documents of itinerary to their customers and insurance documents to insurance service providing clients. They also use most of the apps the tourists use; plus, they highly rely on some apps such as Trafalgar app, Passport to Tour app, mTrip app, which can connect them with the tourists on the trip, track the itinerary, and get on-the-fly information of the tour.

Since technology is making tour operators reach their customers and clients at the speed of light, the tour operators use it for promoting their business and various products, increasing their brand awareness, knowing tourists’ preferences, and providing easy access to their products and services.

New Trends in Tourism

Tourism is an ever changing industry. A few previously unknown or unnoted forms of tourism are establishing today. Some of them are −

Polar Tourism

Arctic and Antarctic polar regions have always attracted tourists. Polar tourism is a dynamically growing industry due to the efforts tour operators take to provide various attractions, destinations, and activities for their customers. Adventure tourists and common tourists who long for unique weather experience, solitude, and view of wild life in its natural habitat opt for polar tourism.

Space Tourism

It includes orbital and suborbital rocket flights into the space. Riding into the space for recreation and unique experience was the idea behind this tourism. Till date, only very rich tourists paying very large sum of money could possibly realize the dream to see beyond the blue planet. In coming years, this extravagant tourism can be made available for common people too.

Dark Tourism

Dark tourism is the oldest form of tourism developed recently. Due to the fear and natural attraction to uncover mystery of death human beings always have, some tourists prefer to visit the destinations such as battlefields, places of violent homicides, or any places where large number of people lost their lives naturally or forcefully in the span of last 100 to 125 years.

For example, tourists visit Pompeii to see the corpses of the victims of the volcanic disaster literally turned into plaster casts. The volcano on Mt. Vesuvius had destroyed the ancient town of Pompeii. Though the disaster occurred and claimed thousands of lives long ago, the threat of more such volcanic eruptions still exist today. Hence, Pompeii is an archeological and also a dark tourism site.

Some more places the tourists visit for dark tourism are −

Chernobyl and Prypiat, Ukraine − Tourists visit this place to see the ruins of the nuclear disaster that took place on 26 Apr 1986.

Ground Zero, USA − It is The World Trade Centre site attracting tourists since the 9/11 attacks that took place in 2001.

Auschwitz, Poland − This dark site is famous for Nazi concentration camps with various rooms piled with thousands of pairs of glasses, shoes, and human hair. It displays the walls of the corridor exerting the lists of their victims' names and the dates of their death, and the house of the camp commandant.

Costa Concordia − On the coasts of Tuscany, Italy; the site of this wrecked ship attracted tourists for around two years.

Voluntourism

It is taking volunteered vacation and touring for charity. People do not just go touring for recreation and fun but also to serve the community dealing with natural calamities. In case of flash floods or cyclones, the people in the affected areas need support. Some tourists voluntarily visit such places and extend their hands for help in whichever possible way they can.

Also, tourists are travelling to care for orphans, for plantation, protecting wildlife, and similar other tasks.

Luxury Tourism

It mainly pertains to the rich business tourists, who strongly believe that time is of prime importance and they must pay to save time at any cost. Wealthy tourists are inclined to undergo unique experience such as staying at a private island, personal attention from the service providers and access to elite class attractions and amenities.

Culinary Tourism

The tourists who like to receive local culinary experience, like to tour for this purpose. They attend food festivals, food competitions, visit local farms, vineries, and cheese manufacturing companies, interact with local community or cooks for special culinary experience.

BRIC Tourism

The four major developing countries namely Brazil, Russia, India, and China have a great potential for driving global economy through hospitality and tourism industry. These countries are important for both inbound and outbound tourism. Global tour operators are adapting their tourism businesses to exploit the huge market these countries provide.

Future of Tourism

It is quite obvious that tomorrow’s tourists and tour operators will tend to rely more on technology. With the introduction of the next generation apps and online services, tourism is going to get further accessible and enjoyable.

According to Ari Steinbuerg, the founder of a travel startup Vamo, the tourists will tend to spend less time planning in advance. Efficient booking services and apps will enable the tourists to create versatile itineraries with reasonable price. Future tourists would not prefer to be confined to packaged tours. With the availability of large number of options, the tourists would prefer to realize every possible wish regarding tourism.

With more flight connectivity, travelling modes and accommodations introducing more comfort, technology helping mankind progressively, the tourism will continue to bring momentum in its sector.

• Tourism Trends

The Future of Tourism: 10 Things Tour Companies Need To Prepare For in 2022

The phrase “the new normal” has become a bit of a cliché over the last 18 months or so, with good reason. What is normal today may not be normal next week, or even tomorrow, as the world slowly starts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The travel and tourism industry is no exception. While the global uncertainty makes predictions difficult, a few trends are sure to impact tour companies in 2022. Each one contains opportunities for tour companies to adapt to meet the changing needs and demands of travellers, and adjust to regulations, health protocols, and other effects of the pandemic on the global travel industry. Here are some to keep an eye on.

1. Physical-distancing while travelling

Even if governments lift restrictions completely in many countries in 2022, it will take a while for a lot of people to feel comfortable in crowded streets or attractions, on public transport, or even just in an elevator with more than a couple of people.

COVID-19 will still be circulating in 2022, and vaccination rates will differ country to country—as will safety protocols. Many travellers want reassurance that they will be able to distance themselves from others while enjoying the sights at their chosen destination. For tour operators, that means considering how your customers will get around at their destination. For example, would a rental car be better than relying on public transport? The attractions included in the itinerary are also critical. For example, could you focus on outdoor attractions where virus transmission is less of a risk, or include off-the-beaten-track activities that are likely to be less crowded?

People will have a desire to feel as safe as possible as they tentatively begin travelling again. It’s up to tour operators to get creative when it comes to anticipating and easing these early fears to help ensure a successful restart of the global travel and tourism industry.

2. Continued desire to travel in “bubbles”

In 2022, more risk-averse people may want to continue to avoid mixing with other people much while travelling. They may want to travel in a bubble of their own, reducing or even eliminating contact with those outside their bubble to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

RV and camper van sales have gone through the roof since the pandemic hit. Road-tripping and other travel that minimizes contact is likely to still be in high demand in 2022. Travel to more remote, less populated destinations could also appeal to the more safety-conscious traveller as we emerge from COVID-19. At the same time, huge, popular attractions renowned for their bustling crowds may not see a quick return to their pre-COVID popularity. Instead of hotels, there could also be more demand for self-contained accommodation such as cottages and rental apartments. This could be a good time to set new pick-up and drop-off locations in your booking system, which is something Rezgo lets you do.

All of this creates an opportunity for travel agents to create small group tours tailored to people who know each other, or to focus more on FIT (free independent travellers) tours (see below).

3. Opportunities in FIT travel

FIT travellers march to the beat of their own drum, eschewing group tours, all-inclusive vacations, and mass tourism. Ranging from Gen Zers and Millennials to empty nesters and retirees, they want to plan their own trip and do things at their own speed and on their own schedule. 

While these lone wolves use the Internet to research and often book their travel, even the most independent-minded travellers are open to advice from experts. COVID-19 has made the idea of getting some additional advice during the planning of a trip even more attractive to FIT travellers. Knowing how quickly things can change during the pandemic, people are more conscious of where they get their information. An effective website can help tour operators position themselves as authorities on particular destinations and activities, and a trusted source of advice.

There could be opportunities for tour operators to focus more on FIT travellers, offering trip planning and specific destination- and activity-focused services. The benefit to these customers is they can still take an independent trip, free from the constraints of group or package tours, but they can save time and stress doing all of the planning and booking themselves.

They can also feel more secure knowing they took advice from a source with the inside track on a particular destination or activity.

4. Staying connected before and during travel

In April 2020, not long after the pandemic hit, a story appeared in the media about a hiker in New Zealand who emerged from a multi-day, off-grid wilderness tramp into a different world. In between starting his hike and returning, the entire country had gone into lockdown. With no phone connection, he had no idea that everyone in New Zealand was now effectively confined to their neighbourhoods and homes.

There were many other stories from around the world of people getting stranded in countries or having to scramble to find a way home. Now that everyone knows what can happen during a pandemic, and how quickly things can change without much or even any notice, travellers will be wary of getting caught off-guard.

It’s important for tour operators to continue to keep customers abreast of any changes, or potential changes, to their plans. They’ll appreciate any updates you can provide in advance of their trip, for example on the latest tightening or relaxing of restrictions at their destination, so they can feel prepared and informed. Knowing their tour operator is looking out for them with a pre-trip email can help put customers minds’ at ease, increasing their satisfaction with your service and attention to detail.

Tour operators should also keep up this dialogue during the trip, and be available for questions and advice if something happens that could impact their guests’ travel plans. Winning back trust is vital to help kick-start the tourism industry.

5. The return of business travel

According to a McKinsey report , in 2020 total global business travel expenses were down 52%. In the US, corporate travel spending dropped by 71%—a loss to the industry of $94bn. While McKinsey initially predicted a slow and difficult recovery for corporate travel, the rapid development of viable vaccines and the rise in vaccination rates has increased the likelihood of a faster rebound. 

While the rise of video conferencing and a new acceptance of work-from-home arrangements still creates some uncertainty around the future of corporate travel, McKinsey highlighted four segments to watch:

• “Never left”: Employees who have to travel and who began travelling again as soon as restrictions began to be lifted. 
• “Never returning”: Video conferencing and remote working could change the face of work forever, including when people travel for business. There will be companies that now see it as an unnecessary expense, and—at least in the short-term—a potential health risk.
• “Fear of missing out” (FOMO): McKinsey sees this group as key to the successful return of corporate travel. Many businesses will still want to travel to maintain client relationships, win contracts, and keep up with the competition.
• “Wait and see”: Businesses that don’t need to travel, but travelled now and then for conferences and other events, may be the slowest to start planning corporate travel again. They may stick to virtual events for a while.

The last two segments in particular are worth focusing on, especially the FOMO segment. These more frequent travellers are eager to begin travelling for business again.

6. New types of “bleisure” travellers

While corporate travel goes through a period of recovery, tour operators can target another type of business traveller to fill the gap. “Bleisure” travellers—people taking extended trips combining work and recreation, or remote workers who can work anywhere anytime—could be a growth area. 

While this group used to include mostly young “digital nomads,” the growth of online collaboration tools, cloud computing, video conferencing, and other digital innovations enables more people to work from almost anywhere. During the pandemic, these tools have become ubiquitous, and companies are now more able to offer flexibility for remote working to some employees. This creates an opportunity to create “workcation” experiences for people who have the means and ability to work remotely.

This includes promoting interesting destinations.  A report by Ogilvy Consulting highlighted  opportunities to promote “rebel cities,” such as Athens, Dakar, Medellin, Brisbane, and Chengdu, to “establish themselves as renegade destinations with rich cultures and a high quality of life, while boasting better value and with more ‘off-the-beaten path’ credentials than the usual suspects of Paris, New York, and Berlin.”

Keep an eye out for campaigns from Destination Marketing Organizations and Destination Management Companies around emerging destinations to see if you can create some new tours.

7. Rethinking destinations

As well as creating tours to emerging destinations that could cater to new types of traveller, countries that managed the pandemic well and that have high vaccination rates could be in demand. For example, New Zealand gained a lot of praise for its handling of the pandemic, while Canada and the UK rolled out vaccination programs that were internationally recognized as successful. These countries could feel “safer” to travellers than other destinations that haven’t controlled the pandemic as well. 

On the flipside, countries that still struggle with the pandemic—including previously very popular destinations—could see a decline in popularity. Tour operators need to be able to answer what is likely to be a common question from customers: “Where is safe for me to travel?” Of course health advice isn’t part of your remit, but if there’s a perception that your destination isn’t safe, you should be prepared to take extra steps to reassure international guests.

8. Changes to how people travel—and how far

As well as where people want to travel, how they get there could be on the minds of travellers. Many people may still be nervous about flying, so look out for a continued demand for “low travel,” such as travel by road and rail. Even people who are willing to fly to their destination may want to choose ground travel to be able to physically distance, open windows, take breaks outside, etc. 

Those that are happy to fly may still be picky about which airline to travel with and will want to know about their approach to safety and standards of hygiene. 

One bright spot could be a growth in long-haul travel in 2022 compared to 2021 and 2020, as more borders open up and people feel more comfortable travelling farther for a once-in-a-lifetime trip they’ve saved up for or just to reunite with far-flung relatives and friends. However, “staycations” are likely to remain a popular option for many people. Many people have realized that exploring your own city or country can be as rewarding as a trip abroad, so don’t forget to market more local trips to people in your own backyard.

9. Emerging and continuing niches

A number of travel niches emerged during the pandemic, requiring tour operators to get creative. See 15 Innovative Tourism Business Ideas for a selection of these. Some are likely to remain popular in 2022, including the previously mentioned “staycations,” and “travel bubbles,” as well as solo travel, environmentally-conscious travel, bucket-list travel, and “glamping.”

As  borders hopefully continue to open up, restrictions are lifted, and people feel safe enough to travel, three other niches worth paying close attention in 2022 include:

Reunion travel: There is huge, pent-up demand for travel to reunite with family members and friends abroad. These travellers may not want to travel much within a destination, preferring to spend quality time with loved ones. Focus on making sure you offer (and market) opportunities for making amazing family memories.

Nostalgia travel: A sub-sector of reunion travel could be “nostalgia travel”—where groups of old friends reunite on a trip or couples travel to their favourite destination, such as where they met, got married, or had their honeymoon.

Quest for adventure: An article in travel publication euronews.travel quoted travel experts who had noticed an increase in demand for one-off adventurous vacations, especially to the great outdoors. As one expert quoted in the article said, “Life’s so short and we all appreciate that now more than ever before, and we’re seeing that reflected in what people are booking.”

10. How people book travel

One development that you can predict with certainty, whether it happens in 2022 or 2023, is a huge demand for travel once vaccination rates lead to herd immunity, which is when a large enough proportion of the population is immune to COVID-19 that everyone is protected. Even before global herd immunity is achieved, “vaccination passports” are already enabling travel to countries with high vaccination rates.

The upshot will be an explosion of demand from people who haven’t been able to travel for a long time. Tour operators will need robust booking systems and processes to cope with a high volume of bookings at the same time. And travellers who are eager to take that long-awaiting trip won’t want to wait, so online booking is more important than ever. .

Are you ready for the road ahead in 2022?

At Rezgo, we always aim to keep ahead of the latest tourism trends and business opportunities. Rezgo is a comprehensive booking platform that can help you future-proof your business so you can develop and grow as the tourism industry changes. Try a demo today to see what 2022 could hold for your business as the world opens up. 

Written By | Rob Mathison

Rob Mathison is a Vancouver-based freelance writer focusing on tech, travel, digital marketing, and education. He is a co-author of The Complete Resident’s Guide to Vancouver.

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