According to the study, ’INTERNET OF THINGS IN TOURISM-THEMATIC
RESEARCH’, there is immense scope in the tourism industry to
incorporate IoT and improve general operations and customer satisfaction. Many
aspects of the tourism industry’s growth seem to be linked with the
incorporation of IoT. Tourism and hospitality is a rapidly growing sector and
is beginning to individually develop its fields. The Internet of Things (IoT)
refers to a world where various devices are connected to the internet with a
view to further automate people’s lives, save energy and make industrial
processes run more efficiently.
Certain innovations have already begun
to take shape. In 2016, mobile keys began to come out into the spotlight with
use by globally renowned hoteliers such as Starwood and Hilton. The concept
used is that through a mobile app, guests are notified when their room is
ready. On reaching the room, guests simply wave their phone in front of the
lock to open the door. Mobile keys increase guest satisfaction as they no
longer have to wait at the reception for their keys to arrive. Starwood is
using the SPG keyless entry phone app so that guests book through Starwood’s
own properties. Luggage too is an important part of travelling and tourism. A
new concept of smart luggage is being researched and a few manufacturers are
testing prototypes of the same. One such manufacturer is Trunkster which is
trying to develop zipper less luggage equipped with GPS and some other
features. However, this concept faces a few challenges with the main one being
the involvement of sensors and new kind of data which needs to be processed.
Augmented and virtual reality popularity
has seen an increase in the last few years among travel and tourism companies.
These technologies are either being used for content marketing or to enhance
the customers’ experiences for example, airlines have started using VR to show
passengers their latest cabin products in advance. Artificial intelligence is
also being used to speed up operations, improve quality of output and reduce
costs. An example of the prospects of IoT, being realized by companies, is an
internationally renowned industry player using IoT to reduce anxiety and stress
levels associated with lost bags. Germany’s Lufthansa is shaping the future of
travel and tourism as its passengers can track their baggage via a link found
on their mobile boarding pass in the Lufthansa app. Voice technology is also
believed to disrupt the travel and tourism sector. More and more customers are switching
from typed-insearch to voice interactions. An increasing number of hotels have
started experimenting with voice activated devices. Among such hotels are W
Austin of Marriott International, Kimpton Alexis Hotel and Westin Buffalo. Despite
a sluggish start, travel and tourism companies are gradually using this
technology to offer customers a more satisfying experience. For instance, the
Walt Disney Company had deployed a wearable, customizable, RFID-equipped
MagicBand which connects to the theme park infrastructure to reduce waiting
times and track guests’ locations and activities.
IoT is opening up several options and
channels for progress both from the companies’ viewpoint and from that of the consumers.
New technologies have been developed and certain projects are still in
development stage. The use of IoT incorporated innovations by globally renowned
companies, from theme park operators to international airlines, just proves the
future relevance and prosperity of this industry.
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