2023 travel tech trends | Mashable

While binge-watching our favorite shows and working from home, we’re planning our next travel destination. At the same time, travel and technology companies are rapidly evolving with the times to develop technologies such as AI, biometrics and remote work solutions to enhance or improve the travel experience. 2023 will be an important year for travel. Here are some of his top travel-related tech trends to expect in 2023.

1. Airports receiving technology upgrades

Expect to see more technology designed to make airport travel easier. From the time you leave home to baggage claim, new technology is in place to help you deal with the headaches that come with flying. Clear now offers a free online tool. reserve Book a security line location in advance. Of course, Clear also wants you to sign up for a paid membership that offers identity verification and immediate security using biometrics (eye or fingerprint scans).

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration is expanding its biometrics pilot. The TSA is test It has introduced facial recognition technology at 16 airports for identity verification and plans to expand the program to more airports in the “coming months.”

The 2023 Travel Trends report says that once you cross the security line, your face and hands will be used more to buy snacks and magazines. AmadeusApplePay and GooglePay already offer payments approved by facial recognition technology.But this year’s favorite airport store Hudson partners with Amazon Start testing “Just Walk Out” technology. Accept payments with palm recognition.

Upon landing at the destination, the enterprise boomerang, SitaWhen roadie It helps you track, retrieve and deliver lost packages.

We all want a hassle-free flight experience, but the use of biometric data and personal item tracking comes with privacy risks. people of color When transgender and nonbinary people) and data breaches are factors to consider. Additionally, TSA biometric pilots are currently opt-in, but programs like this often become the norm. “These biometric programs are often only optional at the introduction stage. Over time, we will see them standardized, nationalized, and eventually mandated,” Privacy said. Advocate Albert Fox-Kahn said. washington post.

Ultimately, it’s important to know what to get and what to let go in order to speed up the experience slightly.

2. Airbnb continues to rule

In 2022, Airbnb turned lemons into lemonade. First, the drama about surprise cleaning fees not added until checkout has finally been resolved. Search for Airbnb total amount you pay, cleaning fee included.Plus, on Airbnb final decision Regarding the increasing trend of excessive cleaning requests from hosts, he said: Turn on the lights, throw the food in the trash, lock the door – just like when they leave the house. ”

Second, we finally solved the problem of landlords who barred tenants from Airbnbing for their apartments. I was. now, Airbnb partners with property management companies across the countryAirbnb friendly apartmentRenters can search the website for apartments that Airbnb allows for rent and see how much they can earn as a host after Airbnb and the landlord receive a portion of the profits. Airbnb contributed in the first place.

Like it or not, Airbnb is full steam ahead in 2023. With more transparent pricing and more potential Airbnb hosts, short-term booking platforms are expected to become more popular than ever. Plus, with travel and real estate prices rising, it’s all a win-win for Airbnb.

3. Our favorite streaming shows inspire us to get off the couch

If you want to book a trip to Sicily while watching season 2 of white lotus, despite all the fraud and murder, you are not alone. For travel-related searches on the Italian islands, soared Ever since the second season started. However, this phenomenon is not limited to this. white lotusAccording to Expedia’s 2023 Travel Trends Report, 68% of U.S. travelers say they want to visit a destination after seeing it in a streamed show or movie, and 61% will actually travel. have booked.

Paris (Emily in Paris), England (Bridgerton When crown), new zealand (Lord of the rings: Ring of power), and both Hawaii and Italy (thanks to the aforementioned white lotuswith support from looking for italy All destinations were trending in search demand and flight demand in 2022, according to Expedia, with no signs of slowing down in 2023.

Sure, these are the main favorites of major travel destinations, but it’s no coincidence, as reports show that streamed TV shows and movies are now the top source of travel inspiration.

4. Digital Nomads Officially Go Mainstream

Digital nomads have been around for a while, but the surge in remote work during the pandemic has pushed this lifestyle into the mainstream. show Hybrid and remote employees have better work life balance and more productiveis pushing more companies to offer these policies.

Now that many workers are no longer location dependent, they are making the most of their digital nomad lifestyle. And the trend of remote work is expected to further increase.according to upwork, 36.2 million Americans will be working remotely by 2025, double the pre-pandemic era (16.8 million). in fact, nomad listDigital nomad membership platform predicts that by 2035, 1 billion people will be working remotely for at least a year. Last year, the platform reported over 4,000,000 users.

In its early days, digital nomadism was thought to be reserved only for privileged 20-something dreamers. “We need not only relatively strong passports to seamlessly obtain tourist visas, but also knowledge economy jobs and access to technology and devices that enable remote work,” he declared. Guardian Dating back to 2015. Visa suitable for remote workand there was enough critical mass for digital nomad hubs and co-working spaces to begin to emerge.

Today, according to Nomadlist statisticsdigital nomads are 44% female, 40% non-white, have an average age of 33, and work in a variety of jobs, including marketing, UI/UX design, product management, and software development.

Being a digital nomad has never been more attainable.

5. Virtual and augmented reality will boost IRL travel

The pandemic has brought travel and tourism to a screeching halt, forcing businesses to use virtual and augmented reality to unleash their creativity. “Out on the other side, the same absorption techniques will be employed to enhance rather than replicate the visitor experience,” Euronews said in his 2023 travel report. .

VR/AR was quickly adopted to provide the virtual travel experience that consumers at home had been craving. Visit museums and explore landmarks like Machu Picchu without leaving your home. And now it’s also used by travelers to research their next vacation location as a “try before you buy” method when choosing hotels and tours. how to book them. VR/AR is becoming more mainstream thanks to Meta’s Quest lineup and Sony’s PlayStation 5 (and perhaps soon Apple?) offering consumer-friendly VR headsets, and travel offering VR tours. I hope that the number of companies and tourism companies will increase.

Hotel companies such as Marriott, Shangri-La, and Holiday Inn offer virtual tours of their rooms, while companies such as Beeyonder and Weezy have emerged to offer immersive virtual travel experiences. Ultimately, his VR/AR for travel is integrated into every step of his customer journey. Whether you’re at home or visiting a brick-and-mortar store, expect VR/AR to cross your path.

6. Getting back to nature in wild new ways (beekeeping!)

If you’re sick of this tech talk, you’re not alone. People want to unplug and charge their devices without using them. It’s no surprise that travelers have made health a priority in recent years. But they aren’t just asking for spa visits. According to Hotels.com (owned by Expedia), he 53% of US travelers looking for wellness activities want something exciting and new. At her Expedia event revealing travel trends for 2023, Melanie Fish, head of global PR for Expedia Group Brands, said: .

If you’re looking for a wellness escape, expect more hotels and tours offering activities like forest bathing (also known as silbotherapy), foraging, fruit picking, and even beekeeping. Alternative wellness destinations are popping up around the world. While the United States is apparently the top destination for millennials, Gen Z are more adventurous, preferring Norway, Turkey, Switzerland, Iceland and Sri Lanka.

Whether you’re a digital nomad whose way of life is traveling the world, or a daily traveler trying to get things done after a break, these tech trends are hard at work behind the scenes wherever you are.