On the one hand we have had the introduction of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which has forced travel companies to review how they store personal data, he states.
‘At the same time, there has been a massive wave of interest and innovation in the application of future technology for travel, all aimed at improving the customer journey.’
Using Virtual Reality to show customers what to expect from an excursion, for example, the adoption of chatbots to enable efficient interaction with customers on the website and we are also seeing travel companies beginning to apply Artificial Intelligence and machine learning to personalise to personalise travel experiences to the consumer and at Travel Technology Europe at the beginning of the year we demonstrated how emotion recognition can help adapt excursions according to how well it is being received by customers, Richardson explains.
Here, Richardson shares his predictions for the major trends of 2019:
Public Cloud, Private Cloud and Hybrid cloud
‘Most companies have at least some applications that sit in the cloud, so especially as physical hardware starts reaching end of life, it will make sense to consider a cloud workflow.
‘In the case of the cruise industry, it has been difficult to make the move to the cloud because of unreliable connectivity on board. In 2019 we should see the launch of mega constellations of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. These satellites promise to deliver low latency always on connectivity, making it much easier for cruise ships to adopt cloud reliably.
‘Moving to the cloud has some clear advantages but it won’t be as simple as turning on a server and it manages itself. It is also important to consider what works best for your workflow. It might be that Public Cloud ticks all the boxes, but some companies are using their own Private Cloud setups, mostly driven by security concerns. In some cases, there may be existing infrastructure that is best kept on-premise and in those cases a hybrid cloud setup may be best, enabling integration between items kept on-premise and in the cloud. If done well, this can mean a seamless workflow wherever the content is stored.
Security, security, security
‘With a bigger emphasis on using technology to enhance the traveller’s experience, travel companies are more exposed than ever. That plus GDPR is making it more important than ever before to keep data secure. At the same time, hackers are getting more sophisticated, leaving any company at risk to a cyber-attack.
‘At the recent CLIA Executive Partner Summit, there were lots of scary statistics around cyber security. In actual fact, many people and companies may have already been attacked but don’t know it.
‘Following a number of high-profile attacks, travel companies are now becoming more aware of the risks. Therefore, we are likely to see a massive impetus for travel companies to get security measures reviewed and updated to make sure they are not left exposed. This should also always include a plan for when an attack happens, as all the security in the world can never make you infallible.’
Re-evaluating systems
‘As travel systems play catch up to the available cloud technology, the way applications are designed is radically different from even three years ago. As system vendors start offering more cloud options, clients will be asking for due diligence on their investment. Making sure if they re-commit for a further 3 – 5 years, they are not locking themselves into old technology that will become obsolete before the end of that term.’
The Customer Journey
‘Improving the customer journey will remain an extremely important goal for travel companies as we move into 2019. In particular, the industry will be looking for new ways to use technology to create unique customer experiences. This will include not just the actual travel experience, but the way the customer is engaged throughout the interaction with the travel company, from first looking into travel options to the journey itself and beyond.’
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