A city break, a few days of sun, or a trip to see family – there are more options than ever before to get to new destinations, breaks can be a switch off from work but they also give people a chance to explore an exciting, new destination for a couple of days.
But the ways of organizing a quick trip – whether it’s over the border to Canada or just upstate for a long weekend – have changed significantly in the last few decades. No more are people going to their local travel agents to book a trip, or reading books to find the best restaurants to go to, everything is now done online. In this article, we’ll be looking at the digital influence on travel and just how much it’s changed the way we view our trips.
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Digital Currencies Are Coming Out On Top
One change that we’ve seen over the past few years is the emergence of digital currencies – like Bitcoin and Ethereum – becoming a common way for travelers to pay for their trips. It’s a trend that’s been growing in popularity in other industries, like gaming, for a long time. Ignition Poker online has continued to grow since allowing customers to play with their chosen crypto coins. This has made online gaming more accessible and convenient for players, and the same applies to people who are looking to pay for an upcoming trip. Poker players can enjoy the flexibility of moving money around while they are traveling too, with no worries about changes in currency even if they cross the border. Crypto makes sense for travel purposes and for gaming.
Many companies are bringing in trials that let people pay with cryptocurrency for their hotels, flights, and excursions with notable examples including Expedia, AirBaltic, Destinia, and CheapAir. These companies have noticed that cryptocurrencies provide a secure, trustworthy, and convenient way to pay for services which is proving extremely popular with customers. Especially with recent rises in the rate of cybercrime and data leaks, people don’t want to be inputting all of their financial information every time they book something online, they’d rather use a secure cryptocurrency that doesn’t provide companies access to their personal data.
Technologically-Enhanced Accommodation
Technology is also changing the physical accommodations that people are staying in during their travels. The days of checking into a hotel at reception, being shown to your room, or calling room service when you’re feeling hungry are soon to be a thing of the past according to some travel experts.
Sonder, a provider of hotel-style accommodation, has become a pioneer in digital-focussed travel. Their short-term rentals, which are a mix of hotels and AirBnB use advanced technology to target GenZ travelers. With contactless check-in processes, digital keys to unlock doors, and an app that allows you to request housekeeping, ask questions, and organize early check-in means that some travelers go an entire trip without ever speaking to a real person.
Although the thought of not being greeted as you enter a hotel may put some people off, it has also allowed for more personalized travel experiences. With a few clicks of a button, guests can come and go as they please, order tailored services, and check out at a time that suits them, which can make short stays much more of a breeze.
Memories That You Can Keep For A Long Time
Whether you’re jumping on the Amtrak upstate, or venturing out of the country to discover Canada’s east coast, you’ll be creating memories that will last a lifetime – and you want to make sure you can remember them forever. Now, you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who goes on holiday without their smartphone and uses it as a device to store all of the pictures and videos they take throughout the trip.
Getting rid of the need to lug around bulky cameras that require you to have external hard drives to store images, or large photo albums to house the prints, you can have all of the images from your phone uploaded directly to the Cloud where they’ll stay for all eternity (as long as you pay for the storage space).
Thanks to technology, these memories are no longer just for you but for the billions of people on sites like Facebook, Instagram, or even TikTok to share with the world. By 2027, 5.85 billion people will be on social media, all of them constantly sharing what they’ve been up to with anyone who will listen. Social media has given people a way to craft a visual narrative of their travel experiences, encourage more people to see more of the world, and stay in touch with friends and family who may not have been able to share this experience with them otherwise.
A Fast-Paced Travel Industry
Technology and digital advancements have changed the way we travel. Whether you’re booking a 4-week road trip across the States or just a long weekend an hour’s train away, you’ve probably relied on digital tools to help you plan, pay for, and book your trip. We think that this technology is for the best and we’re excited to see what will come next.
