struck in terms of the need for stringent security and the burden on the traveller. “High security and vigilance with the need to make the experience better” is how he puts it and says it represents an opportunity for the industry.
BLOCKCHAIN PAYMENTS Less certain is how blockchain technology may impact managed travel. There are some negative associations
with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin in light of the WannaCry ransomware attack – which attacked computer systems of institutions around the world, including the NHS, demanding ransom payments in Bitcoin. But the reality is blockchains can do more than record currency transactions. For managed travel, immediate uses for
the blockchain are hard to find but airlines, for example, are beginning to look at how it might be used to share data between stakeholders. McDonagh points out that hotel settlement might be one area where blockchain could simplify processes through data-sharing. Many of the current trends revolve around
the traveller and their experience, which is natural if you believe this is ‘the age of the customer’. However, other trends around how travel
is bought and paid for are also worth a look. Take some of the startups in corporate
travel currently and how they might impact travel buying. Flyr is one example. It’s not hard to see how the fare prediction startup might benefit corporate travel buying. There’s also Splitty, which splits a
hotel stay into multiple reservations thus enabling consumers to get the best price. While aimed at the leisure market, it’s the type of technology the business travel-buying community would find attractive.
AT THE BACK-END The area of payments could become more complex before it actually starts to improve processes. Consumers might drive the use of services like Apple Pay, but someone needs to spare a thought for how they might work in the back-end. Consumer adoption will play a big
role in which technologies might stick and which will fall by the wayside. It’s
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
New tech set to impact travel
Artificial intelligence – cognitive computing enables machine learning, problem-solving and taking actions.
Biometrics – using human characteristics and features such as iris, face, fingerprints for identification purposes and to manage access.
Blockchain – a secure database or record of information that can store private information or information that needs to be shared among a number of stakeholders. Once information is entered it cannot be modified.
Chatbots – text-based services, such as Facebook Messenger, that act predominantly as virtual customer service points with airlines using them for elements such as boarding passes and more recently, booking.
Hyperloop – described as being able to move people at airline speeds but cheaply, it uses linear induction to propel a pod carrying passengers through a vacuum tube.
Virtual reality – using headsets, it enables people to move about and interact in a virtual world. So far, applications for travel are more about leisure, providing travellers with a taste of a destination, product or service before they buy.
Voicebots – the next step up from chatbots, voicebots are controlled via the voice, but also aim to act as a personal assistant. Think Alexa and Google Home and Google Assistant.
interesting to note that, according to an ITM buyer survey, almost 90 per cent of buyers say that their travellers often talk about websites and apps that don’t sit within the travel programme. The survey also reveals that 83 per cent
believe ‘Next Gen’ travellers are already influencing the travel programme. Those ‘Next Gen’ buyers and bookers
will also likely influence the technology used in corporate travel going forward and will have high expectations of systems and devices. When it comes to actual game-changers,
with so much emerging technology, it’s difficult to accurately predict the outcome, but safe bets would probably be mobility, AI and biometrics. It’s worth looking up the definition of ‘game-changer’ to bring a bit of balance to the hype out there. It’s defined as: “a newly introduced element or factor that changes an existing situation or activity in a significant way”. So, when you think of corporate travel
and apply that “changes an activity in a significant way” element, perhaps it will be more incremental changes and improvements than leaps forward. Chat and voice bots will make for a
more seamless experience, but they’re less likely to revolutionise travel. Similarly, the uses of virtual reality will likely evolve into mixed reality, blending the virtual with the physical world. Profound changes will be few and far between. Concur, for example, has been trialling
virtual reality technology to provide travel managers with a visualisation of where travellers are and who might be needing assistance. The final word should be given to advances in transport and driverless cars. These developments are not that far off, with one travel executive saying recently that he travelled as a passenger in a Tesla with the driver hardly touching the wheel during the trip. The question is, how this will impact
train travel and short-haul business flights? And, what about hyperloop, the superfast vacuum-tube pod concept, which Eurostar’s Roberts points out is “set to revolutionise transport...”?
BBT July/August 2017 53
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104