In the last few years, we have witnessed the tourism and travel industry going through very significant changes. Travel and tourism firms all over the globe are feeling the impact of mobile technology. Gone are the days when traveling the world was a step into the unknown.
Mobile app development companies keep enriching their scope of services by coming out with new and innovative ideas about apps that shift traveling experiences to a futuristic level. Advancements in mobile application technology have made it easier for travellers to know about the world comfortably, conveniently and instantly. Mobile technology has completely changed the old order and revolutionized the way people travel.
Physical bookings and travel agencies are slowly going out of fashion. In fact, according to various surveys, travel mobile apps are the 5th most downloaded apps globally. Let’s take a look at how mobile apps have transformed the travel and tourism industry.
Intelligent Booking Systems
These enable travellers and tourists to carry out several functions like setting up reminders, comparing prices, timely notifications on new discounts, save future bookings and categorization, all in one platform. These kinds of systems not only ensure ease of use but also enhance the user experience to a great extent.
SEO
Most travellers browse for certain locations and the services or facilities offered at those places. If a user wants to visit thrilling places in Europe or Africa like Maasai Mara, all they have to do is perform a search and the application will list out the best results. To put it in perspective, let’s say you want to visit an exotic destination like London. One has to simply type in “London resorts” or “Places to see in London” and all the necessary information will be on their screens in an instant.
Mobile apps that are optimized for local SEO enhance the user experience by offering localized suggestions which are served to travellers based on their preferences and location. The apps utilize mobile location insights to not only offer value to users but also the efficiency of their travel planning.
In-app Cab Booking
Mobile travel apps that enable users to make flight, train, hotel bookings also have the functionality of making a cab booking with a few clicks without moving out of the application. Booking a cab this way makes it possible for the user to see the exact location and the estimated arrival time of the cab.
Additionally some apps provide even further information like registration number of the cab, drivers contact info, car colour, car brand etc. This detailed information not only ensures the travellers trust but also makes traveling safer.
Geolocation
After arriving at their destination, most travellers want to understand everything around them. This includes how to get the club, restaurant or hotel. This where geolocation features on travel apps come in handy. It helps people get around comfortably and easily without worrying about getting lost in the middle of nowhere. This is very important especially for people who are traveling to a place they have never been to before.
Climate or Weather Forecasting
Real-time weather forecasting features help travellers plan and make timely flight bookings. It also helps users pack the right clothes according to the current weather. There are numerous apps with amazing features, which are suitable for different continents, regions and travel type. Some even go as far as allowing users to know the temperature of the sea, humidity rate, hurricane forecaster etc.
Trip Reviews
With the help of this feature, tourists can read user reviews of a destination or hotel and also publish their own review to share their real-life experience with others. It helps raise awareness and improve the services of cafes, hotels and other related businesses.
Paperless Travel
Whether it is providing clients with digital receipts, confirmations or going completely paperless; travel firms use mobile apps to streamline various transactions and provide customers with a quick and friendly experience.
This not only minimizes the need for companies to provide hard copy documents but also reduces the necessary personnel as well as the resources required to complete transactions. What’s more, travellers will feel more comfortable knowing that their itineraries, accommodation information and boarding passes will be provided electronically for easy access.
Virtual Exploration
It is always interesting and useful to have a glimpse of where you are heading to before you get there. Most mobile apps offer real-life images of travel destinations with ratings and reviews. This will give you ample time and visual data to plan and customize your trip in line with reviews from other customers.
Incentives & Discounts
There are multiple mobile apps jostling for your attention and battling to have your business. So, you can expect some amazing incentives and discounts while using travel apps to do your transactions. The discounts usually range from airfare to hotel bookings and complimentary services.
IoT-based Smart Destinations
Most popular tourist towns and cities have started to implement geolocation based smart systems with the help of IoT application development firms which offer useful data for tourists across the world. Data regarding local culture, hotels, famous tourist places, weather and so on are shared directly onto a traveller’s smartphone.
Cashless Travel
Carrying around cash and theft is a big concern for many tourists traveling to new destinations for the first time. The benefit of apps is that they allow you to travel cashless and facilitate all modes of payment with just a single tap or click. Various online payment applications allow users to complete transactions easily. They offer you a one-stop approach to manage, book or pay all your transactions in one platform without worrying about paperwork or managing tickets.
Customized Holidays
With machine learning and big data, travel apps are now getting cleverer and smarter. They can factor in your budget, means of transport, travel routes, travel dates, past travel history etc. By utilizing this information and preferences, the applications recommend and plan suitable and customized vacations for travellers.
Conclusion
Use of smartphones for travel planning and booking is surging considerably and the competition is not only good for industry players but also offers incredible incentives and benefits to travellers. Travel companies are capitalizing on this by hiring mobile app development firms to build their own app to scale their businesses.
We at AppleTech have expertise and a rich experience in developing customized mobile applications. Reach out to us to help ideate, design and develop your custom mobile solution.
