BBT HOTLIST 2020
WORDS MOLLY DYSON
BLOCKCHAIN BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY tends to dip in and out of the Hotlist, but 2020 could be its year following some significant developments in the travel industry over 2019. Identity platform Zamna (formerly known as Vchain – a 2019 Hotlister) received another US$5 million in investment at the end of last year, and it counts IAG as a “commercial client”. In the aviation sector, German carrier Hahn Air recently became the first airline to issue a ticket enabled by blockchain via travel distribution platform Winding Tree. Meanwhile, B2B accommodation provider WebBeds launched a blockchain booking verification solution at World Travel Market called Rezchain, which it claims offers “error-free hotel reservations”. Winding Tree also unveiled a “first” blockchain transaction with Hobo Hotel Stockholm (part of Nordic Choice Hotels), describing it as a “real-world use case the space has not seen yet”. More could follow this decade.
5G
IN MAY LAST YEAR, the fifth generation of mobile networks was activated – partly explaining why some of the UK’s operators including EE, Vodafone, Three and O2 are marketing the possibilities to entice new customers. Overall, it is claimed to be potentially 100 times faster and more reliable than 4G. It’s been much discussed in the pages of BBT and at industry events, with its “low latency” set to help usher in more autonomous cars, delivery drones and generally accelerate the number of IoT (Internet of Things) devices. But as the network has yet to be fully rolled out, just how much of an impact it will have
will depend on the number of people upgrading their phones and testing it out. From a travel perspective, with 5G tipped to eventually replace our beloved wifi, significantly faster streaming could promote the use of better-quality video-conferencing, remote working and faster B2B transactions.
KEITH WILLIAMS IT SEEMS IRONIC that a former airline boss should be called on to investigate the state of the UK’s rail industry – but that’s exactly what happened. Back in September 2018, the former British Airways chief executive launched an independent inquiry following a timetable fiasco and the collapse of the East Coast Main Line franchise. A few teasers have been released ahead of his report being published; last summer, there was the slightly surreal suggestion that a “Fat Controller” role be created to take charge of day-to-day rail operations, while a few months later Williams himself told the Transport Select Committee that accessibility and the franchising model would be a key focus. The review was due out last autumn, but delayed because of the general election and ongoing Brexit talks. However, Williams is confident ministers will take the findings seriously, no matter which party is in power, so it has the potential to radically shake up a struggling rail sector.
SOCIAL & HUMAN CAPITAL PROTO OL OCO
TAKING THE ADAGE “time is money” a step further, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development is currently looking to “integrate the consideration of social impacts and dependencies into performance management and decision-making”. Translated into travel, buyers and managers in the future may look to the Social & Human Capital Protocol to factor in the cost not just of transporting the employee from A to B, but also attribute the cost of being absent. For example, a chief executive spending 17 hours in one week waiting at airports, in planes and in taxis, and putting a value on what that time out of the office means. Another case discussed recently shone a light on how much “social cost” is forfeited with a new parent missing out on putting their baby to bed. While mostly academic in principle, following the past couple of years’ focus on wellbeing and mental health, the protocol marks the next phase of establishing metrics.
86 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020
buyingbusinesstravel.com
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