Modern Technologies in Tourism

3 August 2024 Editors

Modern Technologies in Tourism

Technology is one of the key tools of every modern travel agency, but not everyone knows how much potential it has for achieving a goal that is usually higher sales volume, once it goes beyond standard ways of use. But that is not all…

Modern technologies have been a prominent topic for several years. With AI playing a growing role in our everyday and business lives, no industry can afford to fall behind, and whether it likes it or not, it has to adapt. Making tools more intuitive and easier to use is not painless, however. It requires the active participation of the people who use them. Another important element is the demand and supply curve: if you see that your products sell better and attract more interest, you are more willing to reach for such solutions. If there is no correlation between using new tools and the sales curve, you have no internal imperative to use them.

New technologies in tourism: more than just sales

In the tourism industry, new technologies are not only tools that support the sales of a company's own offers or, in the case of travel agencies, the affiliate sales of tour operators' offers. They also cover all accompanying activities, particularly those focused on activating customers through marketing: well-chosen visuals and content can make a real difference in the age of rampant social media. Customers are also increasingly willing to use solutions such as travel apps, through which the tour operator (BP) communicates with trip participants. To stay in the game and keep up with such a rapidly changing market of AI-based products, tourism businesses must adapt to changes in the technological environment.

Turystyczna Organizacja Otwarta (the Open Tourism Organization) is responding to these trends. By organizing the hybrid-format conference "Modern Technologies in Tourism", we wanted to give our members and supporters a concise overview of the customized tools used by the biggest players on the market, and of those available to anyone who is willing to put a little effort into implementing them in their company. From the perspective of a traditional travel agency that uses technology only at a basic level, that is, booking a trip for a customer, some of the trends presented by the speakers still seem too complicated. Yet in an age of ubiquitous internet, alongside well-trained staff, it seems essential to have knowledge of modern booking systems, apps, CRM systems, virtual reality, tour guide sets, and artificial intelligence supporting activities such as advertising.

Algorithms at the service of tourism

Our event was attended by representatives of companies that have for years been successful market leaders in the use of technology, companies that create those technologies, and businesses that are potential rising stars. According to the BCG matrix, it is worth recognizing trends well, assessing your resources, and investing in what brings the highest return on investment. The question is no longer WHETHER and WHAT to use to improve your results (financial and marketing), but WHEN it will happen. The market will force practically every player in the industry, from guides to organizers, to use modern algorithms in a way that, on the one hand, does not disrupt their workflow and, on the other, strengthens and maximizes all their activities.

The following topics were discussed during our meeting:

Technologies in the booking systems of TOUR OPERATORS
Will apps become the future of tourism?
Customer service in a travel agency: a CRM system as a must-have in every agency
VIRTUAL REALITY as a completely new area of tourism
TOUR GUIDE SETS as an example of a technology that set a new standard of quality
Artificial intelligence: future or threat?

The following topics were discussed during our meeting:
The first edition of the conference "Modern Technologies in Tourism" took place on 11 January 2024 at Fabryka Norblina in Warsaw (ul. Żelazna 51/53). The second edition is planned for 10 January 2025. A link to the event will be published soon on our social media.

Organizer: Turystyczna Organizacja Otwarta
Conference initiators: Alina Dybaś-Grabowska and Michał Szerer
Moderator and Producer: Zuzanna Sprycha
FB: link to the event, where you can find the speakers' profiles and a photo gallery
https://www.facebook.com/events/5642674305857305