Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic at the end of 2019, one of the most severely affected industries is hospitality. The entire tourism sector faced a sudden stop due to the lockdowns all over the world.
Despite facing huge revenue loss, the businesses have been trying hard to adapt to the new normal to survive amidst the challenges of the pandemic, and they are moving on the right track. According to the number of ticket and hotel bookings in 2022-2023, experts predict that there will be a tourism boom again.
Technologies and innovation as data, AI, or robotics have played a vital role in tourism adaptation strategies. They have driven the businesses through the pandemic and to future travel. In this article, let's have a look at technology's impact on tourism rebuild tourism in the post-covid-19 era.
The first one is contactless technology, for example, facial recognition, biometric authentication, and voice recognition. These technologies have critical roles in hotels and airports, for example, the technology that allows scanning and getting passengers through the boarding process without any paper document or staff involved. Several hotels across the world also developed a digital key stored in a guest's smartphone, and a voice-activated elevator to avoid physical contact as much as possible. A vaccine Passport is also essential for post-covid-19 travelling. To transform this document to be in digital form, a blockchain-based Digital Health Pass was built. These technologies will be more than necessary in the future of travel where the new normal life continues.
Robotics is another innovation implemented in tourism businesses. Not only does it increase safety but also catches customers' attention. Robot room services are employed in some hotels. The robots will deliver room service, carry the luggage, and provide travel information. Robotics innovation has been with us for a while but has never been as recognised as during this challenging time. It is an essential tool for rebuilding safety and trust, as part of tourism recovery.
Another promising trend in post-pandemic travel is a virtual tour. Even though the outbreak may stop in several countries, it will take time to regain the trust of people on travelling. That's why VR and AR technologies contribute to the survival of tourism now and also in the future. Virtual vacationers can wear a VR headband and travel to any destination they wish with a realistic and interactive experience. They can travel with their friends using a video call. Also, guides, artisans, hoteliers affected by the pandemic can create their digital offerings for virtual tourists to generate income.
Technologies are needed for rebuilding tourism and hospitality. Several travel-related activities can continue to operate and increase safety because of the utilization of the right technology. How fast the industry will recover depends on how collaborative the sectors are. We need to work together to deploy the right technology that solves the problems and drives the industry onto the next post-covid-19 era.