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6 Ways Travel Technology Is Improving Your Trip in 2024

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Table of Contents

1. Apps for booking hotels — and picking your room

2. smart devices as digital room keys, 3. the rise of virtual queues, 4. delivery apps to replace room service, 5. robotic and app-powered food delivery in airports, 6. the growth of app-powered car rentals.

These days, travel and technology go hand-in-hand. Many of these technological advancements were spurred by early pandemic pressure for contactless payments, food service and more. For example, between February and March 2020 alone, Mastercard saw the number of contactless payments at grocery stores grow twice as fast as non-contactless transactions. Meanwhile, the number of active restaurants on the Uber Eats food delivery app grew by over 75% between Dec. 31, 2019, and Dec. 31, 2020.

Technology is seeping into travel in a way that most travelers are finding enormously beneficial. Whether shortening queues, helping travelers save money or eliminating the need to get within six feet of others, here are some of the top travel technology evolutions to know about in 2024.

Most large hotel chains have long had free apps with features like booking and live chat, but many recently got big-time improvements.

Hilton launched a feature in June 2021 that lets you book and instantly confirm connecting rooms on its app and website, which has proven especially helpful for groups.

Its app also can display a map of the hotel and allow you to select your exact room of choice, whether it’s the peaceful room farthest from the elevator or the one nearby for easy access.

The Hilton app can be used to unlock rooms at many U.S. properties so you never need to go to the front desk to retrieve a physical key card. (Photo courtesy of Hilton)

Some apps serve as a digital front desk, which then allows you to use your smartphone and smartwatch as digital keys. For example, digital keys in Hyatt’s mobile app use Bluetooth technology to let you unlock your hotel room with your phone at more than 600 hotels worldwide.

Hyatt made things even easier for Apple users in December 2021 by becoming the first hotel brand to offer room keys in Apple Wallet. At certain Hyatt hotels, you no longer need to open the Hyatt app; instead you can tap your iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock rooms.

Over at Hilton, which has offered digital keys to some degree since 2015, last year saw a huge update in Digital Key Share, which allows more than one guest to have digital access. The feature is currently available at about 80% of Hilton’s hotels worldwide.

(Photo courtesy of Disney)

In January, Clear 2021, a private biometric screening company that lets paying members bypass certain security lines at busy areas including stadiums and airports, announced that it had acquired another company designed to reduce wait times — Whyline. The acquisition could allow Clear to improve virtual queues for processes like checking vaccine status or accessing airport lounges.

» Learn more: Is Clear worth the cost?

Meanwhile, Disney rolled out a feature in its U.S. theme park apps in October 2021 called Genie, which is intended to help vacationers better plan their day. By analyzing current lines and crowds, it can suggest more efficient itineraries.

Food delivery apps have been disrupting room service lately by delivering food from around town — and eliminating the need to pay $10 for a bowl of room service cereal.

Hotels are leaning into the idea of letting other companies handle it . For example, Hyatt launched a pilot program with snack delivery service Gopuff in 2021 to deliver prepackaged and hot meals to rooms at select Hyatt Place locations. Hyatt says the program has been successful, and has since grown to more properties nationwide.

(Photo courtesy of AtYourGate)

Speaking of food delivery, the days of waiting in long airport restaurant lines might be gone. Apps like AtYourGate allow you to order, pay and pick up food from participating airport restaurants.

More recently, AtYourGate is testing services where you don’t even need to physically grab your food. Instead, robots bring it to you. A pilot program that launched in September has robots roaming around Los Angeles International Airport, bringing food directly to your gate.

The rental car industry has sometimes been brutal to travelers, but peer-to-peer car-sharing alternatives are expanding, providing consumers with more choices.

Getaround cars can be booked on an hourly basis, and there’s no need to meet up with the owner to exchange keys. Cars are booked and unlocked through an app. Getaround expanded to Hawaii at the end of 2021, marking the 10th state that Getaround added to its portfolio in 2021 and the 22nd state in its history.

» Learn more: Rental car alternatives you might not know about

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2023 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee:   Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards:  Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card  

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

This article was written by NerdWallet and was originally published by The Associated Press.

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What AI means for travel—now and in the future

“Revenge travel.” It’s what a lot of people are doing these days—hitting the runways in big numbers to make up for travel time lost during the pandemic. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast , McKinsey partners Alex Cosmas and Vik Krishnan join global editorial director Lucia Rahilly to discuss a new report on travel in the age of AI : what the technology’s promise and pitfalls are and what it may mean for the travel industry overall.

This transcript has been edited for clarity and length.

The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Roberta Fusaro and Lucia Rahilly.

The promise of AI

Lucia Rahilly: Much of the research for the report drew from interviews with executives at 17 companies across five types of travel businesses. One of those executives is Luca Zambello, CEO of Jurny—an AI-fueled hospitality platform. He says AI will be the new normal.

Luca Zambello: We’re at the very beginning of the hockey stick. Economically, we are at the start of what is potentially the biggest technology disruption that humanity has ever seen.

Lucia Rahilly: So everyone is talking about the disruptive juggernaut that is AI, and particularly gen AI [generative AI]. At a super-high level, and acknowledging that we’re still in early days, what do we expect this to mean for the travel industry in particular?

Vik Krishnan: The travel industry is unquestionably going to be significantly disrupted by AI. Whether it’s gen AI or other forms of AI that have been around for some time remains to be seen. It’s quite clear that if you work through the customer journey and the process of trying to understand where you want to go, where you want to stay, what are the things you want to see, how you want to plan your day-by-day itinerary, gen AI significantly eases the process of travel discovery.

If you then step into what this means for travel suppliers, which includes airlines and hotels and cruises and car rentals and rideshare providers, the promise of AI is very much to help them deliver on the promises, both explicit and implicit, that they make to their customers.

Gen AI significantly eases the process of travel discovery.

What I mean by that is, very often, the expectations of travel are that your flight is on time, your bags get delivered to you safely, you then get to your hotel, your hotel room is available to check into when you get there, and you have a room that provides exactly what you asked for. That baseline expectation is one that many travel companies have historically struggled to meet.

What AI can do is help airlines ensure that planes are on time. It can help hotels ensure that what they deliver in terms of staffing and the product promise is consistent with what they advertise in their marketing and branding strategies.

Alex Cosmas: Not only is travel and hospitality the world’s largest sector, but it’s actually the most intimate sector. That means the answer for each of us to what a good experience looks like—whether I’m traveling for leisure or for business—is, by definition, fundamentally different. And the promise of AI has been to take the pattern of history, take the pattern of millions, and boil that down to the individual response that is relevant to me as a segment of one.

Nowhere is that promise needed more than in travel, where the experience should be a segment of one. That’s what makes it magical. To be clear, AI is already being applied in the travel sector in spades—specifically, in the operation of schedule assets and the optimized allocation of rooms and crews. That’s been true for decades, and it’s only getting better.

But the customer-facing applications of AI are only now really becoming next-generation. And for the most part, in travel, the best AI applications will largely be opaque to customers, because they’ll still be delivered through the mediums that customers prefer: often through humans, through the front line, through desk agents, through guest agents.

AI is already being applied in the travel sector in spades—specifically, in the operation of schedule assets and the optimized allocation of rooms and crews.

That’s ideally the promise. But the starting point is to say we can’t suddenly expect that customers will prefer to interact through more digital channels than they have in the past. Travel is a very human-centric business. And so the best AI, the best models, will be delivered through traditional channels.

How AI can change travel—for the better

Lucia Rahilly: What kind of value might come from using gen AI in the travel industry?

Alex Cosmas: Our latest estimates suggest that gen AI alone, across sectors, is bound to unlock $2 trillion to $4 trillion of incremental value.

Lucia Rahilly: Wow.

Alex Cosmas: Therefore, not surprisingly, capital is chasing the disruptive sector of AI.

Lucia Rahilly: What are some good examples of products that customers might expect to be using or that might be in the background enhancing customers’ experiences in the future?

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Vik Krishnan: Imagine the last time any of you tried to book a trip. You probably started on a search engine such as Google, or you started at an online travel agent such as Expedia, or you started at an actual supplier website if you had some certainty on what airline you wanted to fly or which hotel you wanted to stay at. You probably started with a little box where you put in your destination, you put in your approximate dates, and then you had the search engine present to you a series of results that may or may not have met your needs.

What we’re imagining in a future with gen AI or AI in general is that you start with something much more free-form and say, for example, “I’m looking to plan a trip with my family to New Orleans for a week in October. Can you help me find a hotel that has a pool for my seven-year-old and is within walking distance of the French Quarter?”

Wouldn’t that experience be much easier in terms of trying to figure out where you want to stay and what you want to do, as opposed to getting a list of a thousand hotels in an order that may or may not meet your specific preferences and what you actually want out of that trip? It is one of the most obvious examples wherein customers can see a real difference in what gen AI can do to help them with the travel discovery process.

Alex Cosmas: The other application of AI that I’m excited about is this: every customer gives tells. They drop digital breadcrumbs of things they like and don’t like when they bounce off of the page of a dot-com when they’re shopping; when they abandon a cart; when they return less frequently to search; when they arrive on a page only to check a single itinerary on a single day, on a single fare, rather than browsing for 20 minutes.

All of these are small tells that we as consumers provide travel brands. And so the ability to record, “I actually know what Alex is keen on in general and frankly less keen on and less likely to convert on,” and turn that into relevant offers is really important.

AI is only part of the answer

Lucia Rahilly: Where are we in terms of companies really embracing the use of this next-gen AI and other related technologies?

Alex Cosmas: We’re pretty far down the path of companies both embracing traditional AI and experimenting with gen AI. Very few of the airlines, hotels, cruise lines, and suppliers that I’ve interacted with are not already embracing deployment and actively experimenting with advanced tech. It’s only going to grow.

But there is risk. More is not always better. Faster is not always better. There’s a bit of, let’s say, a cautionary tale that we’ve learned from other sectors, which is that first off, AI is only part of the answer.

I like to say it doesn’t matter if you got the answer right if you got the delivery wrong.

The digital-delivery mechanism is how I go about delivering the answer: a mobile app, a push notification, an e-commerce experience, a kiosk, digital signage, or data just given to the front line. Those mechanisms are as equally important as or, I’d argue, even more important than the predictive and gen AI models behind them.

Vik Krishnan: To build on Alex’s point about getting the delivery wrong, many of you listening have probably been on an airplane in the last year. How many times have you experienced the outcome of landing, pulling toward the gate, stopping short on the tarmac somewhere, and it turns out the gate’s not available yet. Therefore, you have to wait for the other aircraft to taxi out, so your plane can then pull into the gate.

The reality is that putting together an operational execution plan involves data from so many different sources that aren’t necessarily pulled together in a large model. So it doesn’t necessarily enable or unlock this type of orchestration. And this is where AI can be enormously helpful.

There are companies out there that try to understand turning an aircraft, which is the process of essentially getting it from arrival to departure for the next flight. That involves actions both above the wing—for example, getting passengers off and onto the plane, getting the aircraft catered—and below the wing—for example, getting bags on and off the plane.

It involves refueling aircraft. It involves a number of other maintenance-related and ground-handling-related activities that many consumers don’t see. All of that is an extremely delicately orchestrated ballet that happens at an airport every single day, while involving multiple third parties and several different suppliers. It involves a fuel provider. It involves a ground handler. In some instances, it involves a different gate agent than the airline itself. That orchestration requires data and communication of very, very large volumes of information.

There are companies out there that are now saying, “We can actually identify when, during an aircraft turn, something didn’t happen according to schedule.” In other words, that catering truck didn’t pull in three minutes after arrival as it was expected to, which induced a delay. And that delay then allowed for a replanning of the entire turn process, so as to deliver an on-time departure. AI has an extremely large role to play in helping deliver on that promise in a way that suppliers have historically struggled to.

Don’t be AI stranger

Lucia Rahilly: In order to deliver on that process, understanding the data is critical. Here’s Ella Alkalay Schreiber, the GM of fintech at Hopper.

Ella Alkalay Schreiber: Machine learning is important, gen AI is important, predictive AI is important—but the actual challenge is to understand the data, ask the right questions, read prediction versus actual, and do this in a timely manner. The actual challenge is the human thinking, the common sense.

Lucia Rahilly: “Know your customer” is really a business axiom at this point. What does understanding your customers mean specifically for the travel industry?

Alex Cosmas: It means a few things. AI models learn the same way humans learn. It’s a test-and-learn process. I ask a question. I observe a behavior. That reinforces either my false or positive conception of who you are and what makes you tick. If you can’t measure cause and effect precisely, then avoid running an experiment entirely.

This is what our general advice is to our clients. I’d rather they experiment correctly on something small than swing for the fences and have no idea where the ball lands. That’s particularly true in microexperiments, where I have individual customers, where I provide individual treatments, but I have to be able to measure the response. If you can’t measure it, don’t bother. Focus your energy and resources on a different experiment.

This is what our general advice is to our clients. I’d rather they experiment correctly on something small than swing for the fences and have no idea where the ball lands.

If a brand, for example, doesn’t have the digital tech to be able to send a tailored offer to me as an individual, then you don’t really need to know my personal willingness to pay. In that case, stick to the microsegment or the macrosegment and take action that way. If you can’t send a personalized message without making it feel generic, then don’t.

Vik Krishnan: The experience of hyper-personalization has to feel authentic. So in other words, a flight attendant coming up to you and saying, “Hey, I know you normally like a Diet Coke with a slice of lime. Is that what you’d like this time?” is different from presuming what your preferred drink might be. That might be an example of how AI actually delivers on hyper-personalization, but with a bit of a human touch so it doesn’t appear creepy.

Lucia Rahilly: Both of you are deep in this industry. Any examples that come to mind of companies that are really doing AI right? And if so, how?

Vik Krishnan: Hotels that actually understand or acknowledge your past history of staying at that specific property—that’s quite a personal touch I really appreciate. But the reality is many hotels struggle to even understand basic facts such as the frequency, duration, and purpose of a recent stay. Many hotels don’t easily make that type of information available to their frontline staff. And so empowering those employees to use that information to deliver a hyper-personalized greeting or experience is a good example of companies using AI well.

Alex Cosmas: If done right, the frontline workforce should look and feel like superheroes powered by AI. There’s a luxury fashion retailer that arms its sales associates with iPads to link shoppers to the styles and the sizes they searched for online. That’s pretty cool. Now, augment that with the propensity models in the background that give the agent a steer to what a customer wants, and suddenly they appear clairvoyant. Think about that application in travel. There are far more interactions on average in a travel journey.

So as consumers, how do we preserve the magic of travel, which is more about heads-up time and being immersed in our surroundings, rather than about heads-down time and researching on a device? It means more agents who surprise and delight; say, “Welcome back”; say, “Happy birthday”; know you arrived earlier than planned; and swap the room preemptively so you could get in and get on your way. And that’s what we call knowing your customers like you know your friends.

I’ll share one example. When I check into a hotel, I really don’t like the kiosk and the app check-in. But I love it for checking out. For other customers, the complete inverse is true. My hotel can know that. It certainly knows how I check in and check out. It should act on that or understand the why, just as you understand your friends. This is the test-and-learn experiment that we talked about earlier and that most suppliers can begin right now.

AI and talent: What’s next?

Lucia Rahilly: Alex, that makes a very nice segue to Christiaan Hen, chief customer officer at Assaia, talking about frontline talent using AI as an assistant.

Christiaan Hen: Sometimes, people say automation might be a risk to people’s jobs, but that’s not the case here, because there are not going to be enough people to do these jobs in the first place. I like to see it as we’re equipping people with the right tools to do their jobs in a better way to accommodate for the additional workload that is coming.

Lucia Rahilly: This clip invokes the palpable fear that AI and automation will eliminate people’s jobs. We hear that time and again. How do you see these advanced technologies changing things for the front line in the travel industry?

Vik Krishnan: I see technology helping frontline employees do a better job more than I see it eliminating those jobs. We don’t necessarily see, for example, AI reducing flight attendant staffing any time soon, because those flight attendants are on the airplane to provide primarily for your safety, followed by the guest experience.

We see AI in many instances allowing those flight attendants to deliver a better customer experience, because they know that passenger in seat number 17C better as a result of the information provided to them. But it’s not replacing their jobs.

In certain pockets of the economy, technology and AI will end up replacing people. The reality in travel, though, is that the quality of the guest or passenger experience for so many people is tied to human interaction. Consequently, we don’t necessarily see a large-scale replacement of people here by technology and AI.

Alex Cosmas: Let’s look at the facts for a moment. Post-COVID-19, the travel sector employs 12 percent fewer staff than pre-COVID-19. And that’s not necessarily by choice. It is hard to find folks with the hospitality gene who genuinely want to deliver for guests, engage with them, and serve at the highest level day in and day out.

That’s part of the reason we see a smaller workforce in travel today than we have in the past. It takes twice as long, an average of five to six weeks, to fill roles as it did before the pandemic. Those with that hospitality gene would love nothing more than spending less time fixing broken itineraries, fixing issues that frankly could be automated. They’d rather spend their energy serving, which is what travel and hospitality is all about.

It should be a net-positive growth. The travel sector itself should grow as a result, creating jobs. We estimate the travel sector to grow at roughly 6 percent over the next decade, which is twice the rate of the overall economy.

Lucia Rahilly: Could AI and related technologies help with training folks who don’t come by that gene naturally but could be trained to fill those roles more efficiently?

Alex Cosmas: Absolutely. We’re already seeing applications of virtual reality, augmented reality, and AI coming together to offer more efficient ways to enhance and accelerate employee training, because you can throw live, immersive scenarios in front of employees at a higher clip than they would get organically on the job.

Oftentimes, the same is true not just of the front line but also of training corporate and call center employees. AI can learn from the patterns of thousands upon thousands of call-ins and transcripts—which no single human can ever be expected to go through—boil them down to the top ten core issues and suggest outcomes that seem to resolve 70 percent of situations. That’s the power of AI in training.

Lucia Rahilly: Alex, you mentioned virtual reality. Would travel drop if you could experience Bhutan from your sofa rather than actually having to take an arduous flight?

Alex Cosmas: Here’s my honest read on it. We’ve been able to visit Bhutan virtually for over a decade through YouTube and through National Geographic . And yet, travel is at an all-time high. And it’s because we all, as social animals, continue to enjoy experiencing new things, meeting new people, hearing new stories, and being inspired by a new site’s history and cuisine.

The numbers also suggest that we are in an unprecedented growth phase for travel. We are also in a phase where, over the past 15 years, customer satisfaction has steadily grown, despite how much we all like to beat up on our travel suppliers.

Consumers are admitting that the area they want to splurge on in the next year is travel and hospitality, such as experiences and restaurants. So they’re giving us that gift of their wallets and their trust. We have to deliver on that expectation as a sector. Gen AI, traditional AI, augmented reality, virtual reality, and digital technologies are going to help us deliver on the promise.

Alex Cosmas is a partner in McKinsey’s New York office. Vik Krishnan is a partner in the Bay Area office. Lucia Rahilly is the global editorial director and deputy publisher of McKinsey Global Publishing and is based in the New York office.

Comments and opinions expressed by interviewees are their own and do not represent or reflect the opinions, policies, or positions of McKinsey & Company or have its endorsement.

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5 pandemic tech innovations that will change travel forever

These digital innovations will make your next trip safer and more efficient. But will they invade your privacy?

In the 20 months since the COVID-19 pandemic began, technological innovations have gone from futuristic to familiar. These days it’s hard to be out in the world without encountering QR-coded menus or supplying digital vaccine passports.

As the tourism industry—which logged a billion fewer international arrivals in 2020 than 2019—sputters back to life, masks may begin to disappear, but many pandemic-era tech tools will continue to factor into your trips.

“Consumers will come to expect technologies that make them more confident about travel,” says Steve Shur, the president of the Travel Technology Association. “Some of these changes are here to stay.”

In fact, a 2021 Pew Research survey of 915 policy leaders, science researchers, and other experts predicts that, by 2025, our daily lives could be even more influenced by algorithms, remote work, and what some call “tele-everything.”  

While novel interventions such as real-time translation devices and facial recognition passport control may make travel safer and more efficient, there are downsides, including concerns about privacy , data security, and biased technology. Here are some of the innovations that travelers will continue to see and use.

Virtual and augmented reality

When the pandemic shut down travel, museums and tourist destinations turned to augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to create online exhibits and experiences. While some of these experiences are best seen with a VR headset, most can be enjoyed with just a computer or smartphone.

The Xplore Petra app launched in June 2020, allowing users to “visit” Jordan ’s most iconic archaeological site by projecting a scaled-down version of the ruins. Lights over Lapland, an Arctic travel company, launched a VR experience to show off the Northern Lights using VR headsets or computer screens.

( How virtual reality might change your next trip, even after COVID-19. )

Post-pandemic, VR and AR may enhance actual trips by adding experiences such as a simulated climb up the Matterhorn at Lucerne’s Swiss Museum of Transport . The Hunt Museum in Limerick, Ireland, has a VR attraction in which visitors immerse themselves in “ The Garden of Earthly Delights ,” a 500-year-old painting by Hieronymus Bosch.

The Museum of Natural History in Paris has an AR exhibit that brings visitors face to face with extinct animals in digital form. The National Museum of Singapore has an installation called “Story of the Forest,” where sightseers explore a virtual landscape comprised of almost 70 nature drawings from the museum collection. The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History , in Washington, D.C., has an app that uses AR to show what some of its animal skeletons would look like with skin and muscle over the bones, offering a new view of a collection dating back to the 1880s.

“VR is not going to replace travel and tourism. It is just going to enhance tourism,” says Anu Pillai, who runs the Digital Center of Excellence at Wipro, a technology company.

Crowd control

To help enforce social distancing, cities, airports, and museums tested or rolled out crowd-control technology including Singapore’s roaming, vaguely terrifying robots that announce people are too close together and signs indicating how large crowds are at airport gates . As throngs of travelers return to popular destinations, similar methods and devices may be implemented to prevent overtourism.

In Italy during the pandemic, Venice began tracking visitors using cameras designed to catch criminals. Post-pandemic, it plans to harness them to keep tourist numbers at manageable levels, perhaps in concert with the mayor’s proposal to add electronic gates at major entry points (cruise ship docks, train stations) that can be closed if the city gets overcrowded.

(These tech changes could make your next flight safer.)

“We know minute by minute how many people are passing and where they are going,” Simone Venturini, Venice’s top tourism official, told the New York Times . “We have total control of the city.”

Amsterdam , which also struggles with overtourism, tracks how visitors use Amsterdam’s City Card, a flat-fee pass to museums and public transport. Beach Check UK launched this summer with real-time information on how busy dozens of beaches are along the English coast, guiding travelers away from packed areas.

“Technology can be used to collect data in order to both make better decisions and communicate those decisions,” says Christopher Imbsen, director of sustainability at World Travel & Tourism Council.

UV-C cleaning

Hospitals have used UV-C light to disinfect and kill viruses for more than two decades. Now, indoor public spaces including airports, gyms, and movie theaters are adding UV-C to halt viral spread.

“UV-C is having its heyday right now,” says Peter Veloz, CEO of UltraViolet Devices, which makes UV disinfecting technology.

UV-C has germicidal properties that combat COVID-19 and other nasties, both in the air or on surfaces. Depending on the location, new UV-C installations go into HVACs, on escalator handrails, or through airports and planes via light-equipped robots that disinfect as they go.

If installed and operated correctly, a UV-C system can kill all sorts of bacteria and germs. Even seasonal flu bugs might be zapped before they spread. “COVID-19 could come and go, but what won't disappear are normal pathogens,” Veloz says.

QR codes at restaurants

In the early days of the pandemic, when transmission of the COVID-19 wasn’t yet well understood, restaurants hurried to provide QR codes. The little black boxes of pixelated dots and dashes could be scanned with a smart phone to bring up a menu, let you order from it, and then allow you to pay your bill, all with limited virus-spreading interactions with servers.

While earlier fears that people could catch the virus via menus and other surfaces have been disproven, the codes have proven convenient and will probably stick around, especially with late-pandemic worker shortages.

Such convenience might mean a trade off with privacy, however, since the little codes can potentially gather a large amount of information from users. Some QR programs just take a food order, but others mine data like a patron’s dining history, age, and gender. The restaurant could use that info to send them coupons or event invitations—or sell it to third parties.

“It’s an example of companies exploiting COVID-19 to extend tracking,” says Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst at the ACLU. “Moving everything to mobile opens people to new ways of tracking and control.”

Travelers should know that QR codes can be hacked; you might scan one, place a dinner order, and wind up compromising your credit card instead. Stanley recommends treating QR codes just as you do links in unknown emails. Either use your phone to look up the restaurant’s menu on the internet or install a protective app like Kaspersky QR Scanner , which will give users a warning if the code isn’t safe.

Contact-tracing tools

Public health groups used contact tracing methods to identify and track down people who were potentially exposed to infectious diseases such as Zika and HIV, and offer counseling, screening, and treatment. These traditional tools were usually based on phone calls to ask individuals about who they were in contact with and to continue researching exposure. The pandemic pushed officials to scale up such efforts and implement new, higher-tech ones to track viral spread and provide information.  

For instance, Apple and Google added contact-tracing functions to new smartphone software, allowing users to opt in and get alerts if they come into close contact with an infected person.

(If you must travel during a pandemic, here’s how to protect your health.)

“There’s been a strong recognition about the value of and the important role of contact tracing for infectious disease prevention and control,” says Elizabeth Ruebush, a senior analyst for infectious disease and immunization policy at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. “But we’ve never seen it implemented at the scale of COVID-19.”

Other technologies, such as automated texts, viral heat maps and even CCTV with facial recognition could help track other infectious illnesses or make us ready for the next pandemic.

Even with fancy new apps, however, phone calls and personal outreach will still be at the center of public health. “These tools are aimed to enhance, but not replace, traditional contact tracing,” Ruebush says.

COVID-19 has sped up our adoption of technology . The downside is that this may make it even harder to turn off smartphones while on vacation. Then again, wanderlust is now stronger than ever—and getting lost in the moment still hasn’t been harnessed by a digital code.

Jackie Snow is a Washington, D.C.-based writer specializing in travel and technology. Follow her on Instagram .

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Related Travel Research

Travel innovation and technology trends 2022.

Free for Open Access Subscribers

Each year, Phocuswright publishes a content series that identifies the most significant innovation trends in travel technology and distribution for the upcoming year and beyond. This year we again incorporate the views of our extended analyst team, who contribute a range of perspectives and expertise.  Following are our seven Travel Innovation and Technology Trends for 2022, with summaries of each included in this report. Stay tuned as we roll out more detailed analysis on each of these topics throughout the year:

• Go Beyond Touchless and Strive for Frictionless Travel
• Hotels: On the Path to Attribute-Based Prosperity or Calamity?
• The Spectacular Rise (and Fall?) of SPACs in Travel
• The Fintech and Payment Revolution in Travel
• How Is Travel Adapting to the Subscription Economy
• Self-Sovereign Identity: Building Trust and Creating Opportunity
• The Tokenized Future

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What exactly is travel technology? All about this industry game-changer

What Is Travel Technology?

How is technology used in travel, real-life examples of technology used in travel, impact of technology in the tourism industry: numbers and stats, how has technology changed the travel industry.

Technology has become an integral part of our lives, completely changing how we work, shop, eat and spend our leisure time. With just a few simple taps on our smartphone, we can order food, purchase home appliances, make dinner reservations, and much more.

Constant technological advances have even made their way into the travel industry. We can now book hotel rooms, flights, sightseeing tours, and other activities, and plan our entire trips – all from a mobile device.

Technology has revolutionized the way we travel , making our travel adventures more convenient and fun. This massive change in the tourism industry is what we now call travel technology . Let’s take a look at some of these travel industry facts and see how you can benefit from them.

In simplest terms, travel technology means using tech to plan trips . It helps travel agencies book trips for their customers, together with airline tickets, hotel accommodation, car rentals, and many other travel-related activities.

Thanks to computerized reservation systems (CRSs) provided by their hotel and airline partners, they can handle everything travel-related in a matter of minutes.

Every reservation system stores and retrieves real-time data, so each travel agent can streamline communication with all the relevant parties.

Travel technology automates bookings, payments, and back-office tasks for travel agencies and enables consumers to make their online bookings without a travel agent .

Hotelmize and similar technology-driven companies and startups are helping the tourist industry implement travel technology. This has been welcomed with open arms.

Travel Tech Definition

Travel tech is the use of IT in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry .

It is the application of IT and e-commerce solutions in tourism, travel, and hospitality with the goal of automating travel, saving time, reducing costs, and creating a seamless travel experience for consumers, including before, during, and after a trip.

We’ve touched upon some general applications of travel technology to help you understand what this game-changer in tourism is. Now, let’s dig deeper into how tech is used in travel.

Here are some of the latest travel technology trends worth mentioning.

Smartphone as a Travel Buddy

Using your smartphone, you can plan a trip completely hassle-free . More importantly, your mobile device can be your tour guide wherever you are.

You can use it to get real-time updates regarding your flight, check in and out of a hotel, and find your way around your travel destination. It can be your map and compass, instantly locating nearby cafes, restaurants, museums, and anything else you need.

Thanks to voice search and virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant, and Cortana, your journey can be even more convenient and exciting.

AI and Chatbots

More and more online travel agencies and hotels are leveraging AI-powered solutions to automate bookings and provide personalized service .

One example is chatbots . Not only can they provide 24/7 customer support, but they can also make bookings, provide instant answers to FAQs, process payments, and carry intelligent, human-like conversations. They can be an ideal travel companion.

Thanks to machine learning , AI tools also provide insights into consumer behavior, interests, and preferences regarding travel destinations, hotels, amenities, airlines, car rental companies, pricing, and more.

Armed with such insights, OTAs and hotels can display or send relevant offers to customers.

VR (virtual reality) in travel enables you to transport yourself to another location virtually. You can take a virtual tour of a hotel before booking a room or a restaurant before making a dinner reservation.

You can “teleport” yourself into the Louvre, stand on Times Square, cross the Grand Canyon, or marvel at the breathtaking views from Mount Everest. You could watch a hundred videos on YouTube, but VR will make you feel as if you were there.

With AR (augmented reality) , you can also take room tours and engage in various hotel facilities.

You can take a peek inside an airplane, make sure your carry-on luggage is the right size, access public transportation schedules, overcome language barriers , and much more.

Internet of Things

Internet of Things (IoT) in travel helps personalize and streamline the travel experience.

For instance, hotels that embrace IoT allow guests to control various internet-enabled devices inside their room with their smartphones. They can control the lights, thermostats, TVs , and more.

Some of the most notable real-life examples of travel technology include:

• TravelCarma
• TechnoHeaven

Hotelmize (mentioned in the What Is Travel Technology? section) is the first on this list. They use capital market trading strategies and financial technologies, as well as travel industry experience, to help profit optimization efforts.

Trawex is a travel software development company that offers global B2B travel technology solutions. Its Trawex APIs seamlessly integrate with any travel portal and enable travelers to make seamless bookings and payments.

Amadeus is a travel technology company that provides solutions to everyone in the travel industry for improving travel experiences. Several years ago, it unveiled Navitaire , a VR travel search, and booking experience.

TravelCarma offers a suite of travel tech solutions for aggregation, distribution, data integration, and custom UI/UX development. It provides travel agency ERP, travel APIs, B2C/B2B booking engines, CRSs, back office, and more.

Expedia is an online travel company where you can book flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises, vacation packages, and plan entire trips.

It also has a chatbot for booking that works on Facebook Messenger, and an Amazon Alexa app with AI voice recognition. There’s also Ex pedia Travelocity , which has a price-match guarantee .

Skift is yet another great example of travel tech, except it’s a media company. It uses industry intelligence to research and define travel trends worldwide. It’s your go-to source for daily news and insights on travel tech .

Technoheaven   is travel technology company that provides  travel technology  solutions for travel and tourism business to help them manage day-to-day operations and increase business efficiency. These solutions include travel agency software,  tour operator software , B2B/B2C Booking Engine, XML API Integration and more. 

According to FCM Travels , 39% of hotel bookings are made on smartphones. The same study found that smartphones are go-to devices for 22% of flight bookings.

Condor Ferries published some very interesting stats on online travel bookings :

• 70% of travelers use smartphones for travel research
• 33% of travelers plan their trips with the help of a virtual travel assistant
• 82% of 2018 travel bookings were made without a travel agent
• 66% of all travelers make their bookings online
• 83% of consumers in the US prefer making their travel bookings online
• 80% of travelers rely on reviews on TripAdvisor before making bookings
• 72% of consumers won’t make a booking before reading online reviews

Travel technology is definitely on the rise, and the OTA market share confirms that we are slowly going towards a fully-digital future.

Technology has made travel automation possible, making trip planning less time-consuming and exciting for travelers and travel agencies.

You can plan a trip in minutes and easily book accommodation, tickets, flights, and much more. You can have your travel itinerary in the palm of your hand, with your mobile device as the perfect travel buddy.

You can stay connected wherever you are , break down language barriers, and even improve your packing routine with tech such as AR. You can have a personalized experience that makes every trip unforgettable .

Travel technology has revolutionized tourism, and we can’t wait to see what its next chapter has in store for us! It’s undoubtedly going to be brilliant!

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Marc Truyols has a degree in Tourism from the University of the Balearic Islands. Marc has extensive experience in the leisure, travel and tourism industry. His skills in negotiation, hotel management, customer service, sales and hotel management make him a strong business development professional in the travel industry.

Mize is the leading hotel booking optimization solution in the world. With over 170 partners using our fintech products, Mize creates new extra profit for the hotel booking industry using its fully automated proprietary technology and has generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue across its suite of products for its partners. Mize was founded in 2016 with its headquarters in Tel Aviv and offices worldwide.

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Reinventing travel with technology

Embark on an incremental transformation journey with Technology Transformation: Agility, innovation, and resilience at heart—underpinned by cloud.

• Technology Transformation: A Platform for Business Growth
• Opening the World to 5G Travel Opportunities
• Embark: Travel, Tech and Trust Podcast Series
• The Right Cloud Mindset in Travel
• Case Studies: Travel Technology Solutions

Your first step on the journey to Technology Transformation

It starts with assessing future readiness: Create value by moving five levers of change, including strategy, cloud, sustainability, organization, and talent, in an agile way.

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Accelerate innovation, from idea to execution, to bring travelers the products and experiences they want, faster than ever.

Break down siloes across your organization

Free your organization from legacy technologies and processes that get in the way of real-time collaboration and long-term growth.

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The cloud and Technology Transformation can help you connect with airports, customs, online travel agencies and all your partners—seamlessly, in real time.

Transform your organizational culture

Build a future-focused, customer-centric organization that not only empowers employees with innovation—it becomes more attractive to new talent.

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Technology Transformation is the foundation for sustainable innovation in the new era of travel. It is pivotal to help your organization outmaneuver uncertainty and incrementally evolve capabilities and skills in a world of constant change.

Traveler Experience

Rebuild trust with your customers and jumpstart demand for travel by ensuring safe, seamless and innovative traveler experiences.

Intelligent Operations

Better equip your people for the future of travel with more flexible and efficient back-office operations.

Technology Transformation

Create value by moving five levers of change, including strategy, cloud, sustainability, organization, and talent, in an agile way.

Opening the world to 5G travel opportunities

5G is about so much more than speed – it’s about innovating and building experiences like never before. It is opening the door to a world of new opportunities for travel companies.

Enabling fast, intelligent connectivity, 5G is transforming many industries including travel. Airlines, airports, hospitality companies and travelers can reap many benefits from this cutting-edge technology that enables new capabilities and services.

Smart operations are bringing opportunities to boost efficiencies, customer experiences, sustainability, safety and revenues. Travel companies that prepare for and implement 5G will gain a competitive edge and meet their strategic goals.

When the best of technologies and people meet, a world of new opportunities opens up. Are you ready for a more connected and sustainable future?

Embark: Travel, Tech and Trust podcast series

Travel experts break down cloud beyond the technology: How to reinvigorate traveler confidence, build resilience and drive innovation in a post-pandemic world.

Tune in to listen to industry leaders and their stories from Accenture, Marriott International, Melbourne Airport, Radisson, Southwest Business, Tripadvisor, WestJet, and WTTC.

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The right cloud mindset in travel

All travel companies want to recover the bottom line and improve revenues. But only leaders with the right mindset can meet new customer expectations while remaining competitive.

How do we know what’s right? We analyzed successful cloud scalers in other sectors and applied the winning strategies to the travel industry . We also spoke with over 300 hospitality and airline senior executives from different departments to understand what's top of mind for them.

The key lesson is to think before you act: Leaders build a solid foundation for change, using cloud to drive recovery and future growth. They create a culture that supports innovation and empowers employees so they can create memorable experiences. At the same time, they address data security and privacy concerns.

We’ve identified three essential ways to shift from an old mindset to a new one. It begins with closing the disconnect between business and IT. We’ve also designed a roadmap for using cloud to develop new revenue streams.

Are you ready for the future of travel?

Success depends on how you think about it. Read our report “The Right Cloud Mindset in Travel.”

Our unmatched commitment to cloud travel technology services

We offer a full spectrum of cloud services—and with our Cloud First initiative, we are doubling down on our commitment to helping travel companies with moving their businesses to the cloud.

We have over 100,000 dedicated cloud professionals who hold more than 68,000 certifications, ensuring your company takes the right approach the first time to enter the new era of travel.

As the #1 co-innovator with SAP and Oracle (and a leading partner for AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud), we can fast-track the deployment of your cloud solutions to accelerate your recovery.

Our Cloud First initiative will invest $3 billion into our capabilities to accelerate clients’ digital transformations in the cloud and transform travel companies into Cloud First businesses.

Case studies: Travel technology solutions

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Flight path

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Reimagining guest experiences on the high seas

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Playing a starring role in the 5-star experience

Digitally enabled operations are helping Radisson to lower costs and improve services for franchisees and owners. Read our case study to discover how.

Insights on travel’s Technology Transformation journey

Our experts share insights on how to build seamless, touchless, and effortless travel experiences in the cloud—while reducing costs and increasing your flexibility, speed, and innovation.

The foundation of a new reality in travel

On the cusp of a new era in travel, the companies that prioritize investments in innovation are going to play the biggest part in shaping travel’s future.

Explore the changing realities of travel in our digital travel industry magazine.

The art of AI maturity in travel

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Traveling between worlds in the metaverse

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Building a data-driven travel company

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10 Most impactful travel technology companies in 2024

1. travelperk.

• Headquarters: Barcelona, Spain
• Other office locations: London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Berlin, Chicago, Boston, Miami
• Number of employees: 1,200
• Funding: Raised a total of US $513 million

Ready to revolutionize your business travel management? Simply book a demo and we'll show you how.

2. getyourguide.

• Headquarters: Berlin, Germany
• Other office locations: 18 global offices, including Vienna, Bangkok, New York  City, Dubai, and more
• Number of employees: 700+
• Funding: Raised a total of US $878 million over 11 rounds

3. Tripadvisor

• Headquarters: Needham, Massachusetts, United States of America
• Other office locations: 18 global offices, including New York City, London, Milan, Seoul, Sydney, Tokyo, and more 
• Number of employees: 2,845
• Funding: Raised a total of US $303.3 million over 5 rounds

4. Booking.com

• Headquarters: Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Other office locations: Manchester, Tel Aviv, Singapore, New York, Shanghai
• Number of employees: 23,600

5. Hotel Engine

• Headquarters: Denver, Colorado, USA
• Other office locations: Glendale, Colorado
• Number of employees: 500+
• Funding: Raised a total of US $81 million over 2 rounds

6. Lighthouse (formerly OTA Insight)

• Headquarters: London, UK
• Other office locations: Singapore, Ghent, Berlin, London, Dallas, Denver, Sydney
• Funding: Raised a total of US $115 million over 6 rounds
• Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States of America
• Other office locations: Los Angeles, New York City, Berlin, Paris, and more
• Number of employees: 6,907
• Funding: Raised a total of US $6.4 billion over 30 rounds

8. Blablacar

• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Other office locations: Madrid, Warsaw, Kyiv, São Paulo
• Number of employees: 600
• Funding: Raised a total of US $565 million over 11 rounds

9. Timeshifter

• Headquarters: Water Mill, New York, USA
• Other office locations: Southampton, New York, USA
• Number of employees: 11-20
• Funding: Raised a total of US $4.9 million over 3 rounds
• Other office locations: Prague, Beijing, London, New York
• Number of employees: 300
• Funding: Raised a total of US $480 million over 8 rounds

Travel tech makes booking travel easy

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Innovations in Travel: Technology's Influence on Modern Journeys

Posted: November 8, 2023 | Last updated: April 7, 2024

Safety is the number one priority for many people when it comes to traveling. Biometrics have helped make significant progress on that criteria. Biometric technologies like fingerprint scanning, facial recognition, and iris scanning offer a higher level of security compared to traditional identification methods.

Airport security and immigration processes have sped up thanks to biometrics, reducing wait times and eliminating the need for physical documents and manual verification. Biometrics also enable personalized travel experiences by linking individuals’ biometric data with their travel preferences and profiles.

Mobile Payment Solutions

Mobile payment solutions have been playing a major role in the evolution of travel. In fact, the globalization of these payment solutions has enhanced travelers’ experiences wherever they go, reducing the need for physical cash.

Many mobile payment solutions are widely accepted globally, allowing travelers to make payments in different countries without dealing with currency exchange or international banking issues. It also provides financial inclusion by providing access to digital payment methods to people who may not have access to traditional banking services while on the move.

Smart Travel Accessories

Smart travel accessories have solved many inconveniences and issues for travelers. For instance, portable Wi-Fi hotspots or smart travel routers enable travelers to stay connected to the internet while on the go, which is crucial when exploring unknown areas.

Some travel gadgets, like portable chargers, noise-canceling headphones, and smart suitcases with built-in GPS, enhance convenience and optimize travel. These kinds of smart accessories are also used for safety purposes.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The AI takeover is real. Platforms like ChatGPT and Bard are regularly used by Internet consumers. When it comes to traveling, artificial intelligence can be very useful, and these chatbots can be used to provide information and assist with bookings.

AI algorithms can analyze large amounts of data, including user preferences and past travel behavior. Using that data, AI can offer personalized travel recommendations. For businesses in the tourism industry, AI algorithms can analyze market trends and demand patterns to generate selling strategies and offer the best prices to maximize revenue.

Virtual Reality

Technology has advanced so much that it allows us to travel to a certain place before actually going there. How? Virtual reality allows travelers to go through immersive experiences. Through VR headsets or immersive displays, users can virtually “step into” different locations, allowing them to explore and interact with their surroundings as if they were actually there.

These kinds of experiences can help people take a look at places that they haven’t been able to visit. It also provides helpful information that can help travelers make decisions ahead of their trip.

Augmented Reality

Augmented reality apps help travelers by providing real-time information about particular places, attractions, and destinations. AR can help people navigate unfamiliar cities and learn about those places along the way.

Interactive guides, real-time translation, and personalized recommendations are some of the features that AR apps provide to travelers. They improve users’ engagement with the destination where they’re at and provide much-needed information when discovering new places and navigating unknown territories.

Online Travel Agencies (OTAs)

Online Travel Agencies have resolved many obstacles regarding travel accommodations. Platforms like Expedia, Booking.com, and Airbnb have made it easier to find and book accommodations wherever you go.

Providing a wide range of options and competitive prices, OTAs eliminate the need to visit multiple websites or make many phone calls to organize trips. User reviews and ratings, with 24/7 availability and customer support, have helped travelers get references about possible destinations and accommodations.

Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) describes the network of everyday objects connected to the internet via embedded devices with sensors, software, and other technologies. IoT devices have also impacted the travel experience.

Whether it’s smart luggage trackers or hotel room controls, these kinds of devices improve the traveler’s experience and organization. It also helps to ensure safety when traveling with devices such as smart surveillance systems equipped with IoT sensors.

Ride-Sharing Services

The long-awaited alternatives to traditional car rentals and taxis have finally arrived in the last couple of years. Companies like Uber and Lyft have revolutionized transportation with their convenient ways of getting a car to move around a city.

Smartphone apps help travelers request a ride, track their driver’s location, and pay for the service without the need for cash. Pricing models, such as dynamic pricing based on supply and demand, can offer competitive rates, especially during non-peak hours when regular taxis are not available or hard to find in some cities. These companies usually offer safety and transparency by providing driver background checks, vehicle inspections, and real-time tracking of rides.

When it comes to cybersecurity and transparency, blockchain technology has had a major impact on travel. Passenger identities and booking records are stored on the decentralized blockchain, reducing the risk of fraud, identity theft, and data breaches.

Blockchain technology also helps with payments. In the travel industry, the blockchain eliminates any intermediaries in the payment, like banks, enabling peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions, saving time and transaction costs, and enhancing transparency. It also plays a big part in loyalty programs, with the use of blockchain-based tokens or cryptocurrencies that allow more flexibility in the program’s rewards and can be redeemed through multiple participating travel providers.

Electric and Hybrid Vehicles

In a world where there’s air pollution nearly everywhere, the transportation industry is trying to change that with electric and hybrid vehicles. The quest for environmental sustainability has allowed these vehicles to change the way we travel.

Electric and hybrid vehicles produce lower or zero carbon emissions, helping to fight air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change. In that way, sustainable and eco-friendly travel can be achievable in countries that have and produce these kinds of vehicles.

In a data-driven modern world, Big Data allows businesses to gather and process large amounts of data from travelers. This allows them to offer personalized travel experiences tailored to individual preferences, customized promotions, and personalized recommendations.

Big data enables businesses to gain a deeper understanding of customer needs and preferences. Business-wise, it analyzes market trends and demand patterns to optimize selling strategies and pricing. It also helps travelers improve their planning and trip management.

Travel Sharing Platforms with User Reviews

One of the most important aspects of traveling is trusting the people who are in charge of the transportation, accommodations, tours, and other trip activities. Travel sharing platforms have gained a lot of popularity over the course of the years thanks to the facilities they provide for both parties to connect and interact.

Another key part of travel sharing platforms are the user-generated reviews and recommendations. Platforms like TripAdvisor and Yelp help travelers make informed decisions based on other travelers’ opinions.

Autonomous Vehicles

While still in the early stages, autonomous vehicles promise to change the way we travel forever. Brands like Tesla and cities like San Francisco have begun experimenting with driverless vehicles. The main advantage of autonomous vehicles is that they can eliminate human error, which is the leading cause of accidents due to distractions, fatigue, or impaired driving.

They detect advanced sensors and cameras and use artificial intelligence algorithms to navigate and make decisions on the road. Autonomous vehicles also have the potential to increase accessibility and mobility for people who cannot drive.

Mobile Apps

The days of using gigantic maps to move around unknown territory on your trips are over. Travel apps have changed the way we organize and manage every journey. It seems like every problem or issue can be easily resolved by just unlocking a smartphone and downloading different apps.

Airlines have their own apps to book flights. Some hotels and activities can also be booked through apps, while car rentals and tickets for other modes of transport can also be secured online. Moreover, any Maps application on smartphones can provide real-time information and even travel guides while spending time far from home.

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About Travel Tech

Our Mission

The mission of the Travel Technology Association is to empower traveler choice. We bring together travel innovators to promote transparency and competition through education and advocacy.

All travelers can explore the world on their terms and values. Our efforts make the travel experience more efficient, affordable, and accessible to consumers.

Our Members

Travel Tech is the only organization advocating on behalf of travel tech companies to create a more transparent, competitive, and innovative global travel marketplace. As part of this powerful collective, our member companies are strengthened by our ability to influence critical public policy decisions that affect the future of the industry.

About the Industry

Expected to grow, $289 billion.

Gross revenue for the U.S. travel sector fell 61% to just $156 billion in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the sector. However, a rapid recovery is underway, and gross revenue is expected to grow to $289 billion in 2022 with a full recovery expected by 2025.

Online travel intermediaries, including online travel agencies (OTAs), metasearch services and travel management companies (TMCs) (supported mainly by GDS technology) represent a significant source of indirect business for most travel suppliers, and delivered over one third of overall industry gross revenue in 2020.

US Total Travel Market Share

By segment 2021.

Indirect distribution, at $182 billion, accounted for just over 45% of the total travel sector in 2019, falling to 36% in 2020 as consumers turned to direct channels during the pandemic. However, indirect channel distribution is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels by 2024.

By Segment 2020

Who is Travel Tech?

Laura Chadwick

Laura Knapp Chadwick is President & CEO of the Travel Tech Association. Chadwick brings nearly fifteen years of trade association leadership in government affairs and membership to her work at Travel Tech. Previously, Chadwick served as the XR Association’s (XRA) Vice President of Industry Relations. She launched the new organization’s membership, marketing, and development efforts as “Employee # 2.” Under Chadwick’s leadership, XRA grew from five members to more than 40. She was also a director of corporate member engagement at the National Restaurant Association and its federal lobbyist focused on technology and innovation within its Government Affairs department. Before the National Restaurant Association, Chadwick worked at the Consumer Technology Association where she advocated for pro-innovation public policy.

Chadwick also spent over six years working on Capitol Hill for U.S. Congressmen Mike Thompson (CA-05) and Adam Schiff (CA-28), and on U.S. Congressman Brad Carson’s U.S. Senate race in Oklahoma.

Chadwick graduated from Washington & Lee University with a Bachelor’s in Politics and holds a Master of Public Administration degree from American University’s School of Public Affairs. She lives in Arlington, VA with her twin sons and dog.

Nicole Brewin

Brewin joins Travel Tech from the Railway Supply Institute (RSI), where she led its government affairs practice for over two decades. In that capacity, Brewin built RSI’s advocacy program into the organization’s largest team, secured historic investment levels for rail grants in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and created its Political Action Committee, where she tripled its annual fundraising efforts. Prior to her work at RSI, Brewin worked as a Legislative Assistant for Congressman Peter Visclosky (IN-1.)

Bethany Reitsma

Bethany Reitsma is the Industry Relations Manager at the Travel Technology Association.

In this position, Reitsma serves as webmaster, manages all marketing, communications, and government relations projects, and supports membership growth.

Prior to joining Travel Tech, Reitsma worked with the XR Association as Marketing & Membership Coordinator, where she led membership recruitment efforts, developed and executed a grassroots advocacy strategy, and co-managed all member communications.

Reitsma graduated from Washington & Lee University with a Bachelor’s in Politics and an additional Philosophy major, with a Computer Science minor.

Travel Tech Through the Years

Travel Tech was founded in 1999 and will be celebrating 25 years in 2024! Click below to read more about what Travel Tech has been up to since it’s creation.

The Interactive Travel Services Association (ITSA) is formed as a nonprofit mutual benefit corporation under the California Nonprofit Mutual Benefit Corporation Law to “promote the growth of the online travel services industry, educate the general public, and participate in the administrative, legislative, and judicial processes regarding governance of the industry”

Organization rebranded to Travel Tech: The Travel Technology Association, with the tagline: Empowering Traveler Choice, reaffirming its position as the industry voice for the online travel companies (OTCs) and global distribution companies (GDSs), and their essential role in facilitating travel.

Travel Tech welcomes short term rental innovators including Airbnb and Tripadvisor, technology companies that connect consumers with suppliers and are transforming the way millions around the globe travel.

FAA bill is passed, including a provision that maintains the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) full-fare advertising rule that ensures consumers will always see the all-in airfare when shopping for flights on airline websites.

Laura Chadwick becomes President & CEO of Travel Tech.

Nicole Brewin becomes VP of Government Affairs at Travel Tech.

Travel Tech announces its first-ever membership category expansion. The new “Advocate” member tier is aimed at startups and small and medium-sized travel technology companies. It launches with the addition of four new member companies.

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Make Your Voice Heard by Taking Action using our Grassroots Tool.

Delivered every Wednesday, Travel Tech’s Passport newsletter keeps industry leaders up-to-date on current and emerging policy issues facing the travel tech industry.

In addition to the latest about Travel Tech and its advocacy efforts, the  Passport Newsletter  includes a news digest of the top stories at the intersection of travel, technology, and public policy.

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Traveltek: Empowering the Future of Travel Technology Solutions

As a distinguished travel technology company, Traveltek proudly offers an exceptional array of travel products designed to enhance the productivity, efficiency, and scalability of travel companies.

Our innovative suite of cutting-edge travel technology solutions simplifies the process of searching, booking, and managing leisure travel. With Traveltek by your side, navigating through millions of travel options, including flights, hotels, and cruises, becomes effortless, both locally and globally. Discover the right travel choices tailored to your needs with Traveltek’s state-of-the-art suite of travel technology products.

Empowering Travel Companies with Innovative Technology Solutions

Traveltek products are designed for a wide range of businesses and professionals in the travel industry. Our solutions cater to travel agents, tour operators, cruise lines, hotels, airlines, online travel agencies (OTAs), and other travel-related companies. Whether you are a small independent agency or a large global enterprise, our products are tailored to meet your specific needs and empower you to streamline operations, enhance customer experiences, and drive business growth. Traveltek products offer comprehensive solutions and cutting-edge technology to support the success of travel companies of all sizes and types.

Elevate Your Travel Business with Traveltek's Unmatched Expertise in Travel Technology

With over two decades of experience in the travel technology sector, Traveltek stands as a pioneer of innovation. Our extensive product range not only caters to the present demands of the global travel industry but also anticipates its future requirements.

At the heart of our award-winning lineup is iSell , a premier solution empowering travel agents and tour operators with comprehensive tools and functionalities for seamless booking, searching, and dynamic packaging of holidays. Complementing iSell are our add-on products: iBos , a purpose-built mid-office system; Supplytek, a tour operating product; and Cruise API, an advanced cruise solution. Moreover, we offer Travel APIs and a tailored product for building travel websites and apps.

Incorporating our technology products into your travel business guarantees numerous advantages. Our Robotic Process Automation product (RPA) drives efficiency, productivity, and cost reduction by automating repetitive manual tasks through RPA bots.

Traveltek’s Cruise API portfolio, hosted on AWS, offers a range of options tailored to meet your specific needs. We are thrilled to announce our latest additions: Cruise API and Cruise Connect , a cutting-edge desktop application. These advancements epitomize our commitment to shaping the future of Cruise technology.

Partner with Traveltek today and unlock the full potential of your travel business through our unmatched expertise and transformative technology solutions.

Search & Book Product

Discover the power of iSell, our award-winning product that revolutionizes the way travel agents operate. As a leading dynamic packaging booking engine designed specifically for travel agents, iSell empowers travel sellers with unparalleled freedom to search and book travel options that perfectly meet the needs of their travelers.

Cruiseconnect

Advanced Cruise Packaging

Discover the power of our innovative and advanced cruise packaging technology. We have developed a groundbreaking solution that redefines the way cruises are packaged and sold, providing unmatched flexibility and convenience for travel agents and customers alike. Experience a new era of cruise packaging and unlock endless possibilities for unforgettable journeys at sea.

Administration Office Product

Experience the power of iBos, our web-based mid-office system designed to streamline the connection between your search and book system, iSell, and Traveltek's comprehensive mid-office system. With iBos, managing bookings becomes effortless, providing authorized staff secure access to booking details from any location. Our flexible system ensures seamless storage and display of data, allowing you to maximize efficiency and deliver exceptional service to your customers.

Travel Data Reporting

Travel Data Insights

Gain access to a vast repository of anonymized transactional data accumulated over several years, offering valuable insights into market behavior as a whole. Our data undergoes meticulous cleaning, mapping, and validation processes before being integrated into a large, anonymized data warehouse.

Travel API & Cruise API

Connect to 300+ Suppliers

By utilizing our travel API, you can bypass years of development and simplify the integration with a wide range of suppliers. With just a few XML requests, you gain access to our extensive list of integrated suppliers, enabling you to search for and book products effortlessly. Additionally, our API allows you to access existing bookings, create and retrieve customer information, and fetch information-rich content for cruises and hotels, among other capabilities.

RPA for Travel Companies

Robotic Process Automation

With our RPA solution, you have full control over your bots. Schedule tasks, activate or deactivate them as needed, and even allow them to run outside of regular working hours. RPA bots are tireless, becoming invaluable members of your team, working tirelessly for extended periods.

Unleashing Travel Technology Solutions for Over 20 Years

For over two decades, we have been the trusted experts in providing cutting-edge travel technology solutions and products for the global travel industry.

Revolutionizing the Way Travel is Sold

Our technology products are meticulously designed to streamline the process of selling travel. With our innovative solutions, travel agents can effortlessly offer a wide range of travel experiences to their customers, enhancing their sales potential and customer satisfaction. We are proud to be industry leaders in dynamic packaging and cruise technology, setting new standards in the travel industry.

A Global Presence, United by Traveltek

Headquartered in Glasgow, UK, Traveltek is an international company with a truly global reach. We operate as a remote-first business, with our dedicated team members located in various regions across the world. From the UK and Europe to Hyderabad (India), Brisbane (Australia), and Dallas & Tampa (USA), our diverse team ensures that we provide exceptional service and support to our clients around the globe.

Experience the Traveltek Advantage

Partner with us and tap into our extensive expertise and experience in the travel technology industry. Benefit from our industry-leading solutions and join the ranks of successful travel businesses who have harnessed the power of Traveltek. Together, let’s shape the future of travel and unlock new levels of success.

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Traveltek News

Inventory System Used by Travel Agencies

When we consider the world of online travel, managing a collection of travel products effectively is important. A dynamic Inventory System is the cornerstone that assists in the integration of static and dynamic content, ensuring a streamlined experience for both...

Rebecca Somes

Data Analytics in the Travel Industry

In the world of travel and tourism, the connection between data and the industry is undeniable. Airlines have long used analytics to optimize their revenue streams, while leaders in hospitality rely on data for critical decisions spanning property distribution and...

How is Big Data Being Used in the Travel Industry

The integration of big data analytics has emerged as a game-changer in the travel industry, revolutionising the way travel companies operate and interact with customers.

Lindsay Miller

How to Effectively Market to Cruise Ship Passengers

When it comes to travel and tourism, the cruise industry stands out for luxury, adventure, and unmatched experiences. As the demand for cruise vacations continues to grow, cruise ship operators need to create strong marketing strategies to capture the attention...

How To Sell Cruises

It's essential to thoroughly understand the cruise industry. This means acquiring knowledge about various cruise lines, their fleets, itineraries, destinations, and target demographics.

Guide to Package Travel Regulations

It’s important to understand the rules and regulations that come with travel packages. These rules are like the backbone of the relationship between travelers and the travel agents, making sure everything goes smoothly and safely.

The Future of Travel Agents Explained

The travel industry is constantly changing, shaped by technological advancements, changing consumer behaviours, and global events such as the pandemic. In this blog, we look into the future of travel agents, exploring key trends, emerging opportunities, and the transformation of...

Understanding the Difference Between Tour Operators and Travel Agents

Tour operators and travel agents might seem similar at first glance, but they have distinct roles when it comes to planning a vacation. While they both offer some similar services, it's helpful to know which one best fits certain needs.

What is an Automated Travel System?

If you're considering launching a travel start-up or aiming to update and expand your online travel business, automation is essential. An automated travel system (ATS) is like your personal travel assistant but in the form of computer software.

Exploring the Rise in Luxury River Cruises in Asia

The cruise industry in Asia is booming, offering great opportunities for travel agents who take the initiative. Each country in Asia has its own unique cruise market.

Internet Booking Engines – What Are the Benefits to My Business?

If you're in the process of launching a travel website or have recently joined a travel company, chances are you've encountered the terms Internet Booking Engine (IBE) or Online Booking Engine (OBE).

Optimising Your Travel Website for Mobile Users

Websites that are mobile-friendly attract more sales and leads due to their user-friendly design. With a mobile-friendly website, people can easily access your business from their phones, tablets, or computers without any inconvenience.

Package Holiday Trends

Despite the tough financial times for consumers, the demand for overseas travel remains high, leading to an unexpected surge in the popularity of package holidays in 2024.

How to Approach Change Management in the Travel Industry

Adapting to change within the travel sector demands agility. It involves actively listening to customers, staying attuned to trends, and embracing new technological advancements. It's crucial to train your employees while implementing smart advertising strategies. Success stems from a culture...

How Travel Agents Can Empower Travelers with their Consumer Rights

In celebration of World Consumer Rights Day, which is held on the 15th of March, we wanted to discuss the travel industry’s commitment to consumer rights. In this post, we...

The Modern Day Travel Agent

Today’s travellers have more resources at their disposal than ever before. They can research and book trips online using a multitude of gadgets, from iPads to smartphones, and consulting a number of websites, from Google to TripAdvisor. What’s more, they...

Cressida Sergeant

Millennials Travel Habits

Millennials are the largest generation to date and makeup over 30% of the world's population. So, it should come as no surprise that they also come with a large spending power.

Microsoft Excel vs Traveltek’s Software Solutions

Businesses, particularly small enterprises, are constantly seeking ways to streamline their operations and enhance efficiency.

Is it better to book a cruise through a travel agent?

Thanks to the internet it is now easier than ever to book hotels and flights independently online, but can the same be said when booking a cruise?

How To Recruit Travel Agents

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Change Management in the Travel Industry

How many times have you implemented a new system or a process only to have push back from your employees? Did you prepare your people for change and set them...

James Martindale Appointed as Head of North America

We are delighted to announce the appointment of James Martindale as Head of North America for Traveltek. Celebrating 25 Years, Traveltek has achieved remarkable success in the North American market...

Safer Internet Day with Our Head of DevOps

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Traveltek announces appointment of new Head of APAC

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Christian Sansom as the new Head of APAC. Sansom joins us at a very exciting time, as we continue to scale up our...

Traveltek and Travelgate Announce Strategic Partnership

We are delighted to announce that Traveltek has signed a new strategic partnership with TravelgateX. Through this alliance, Traveltek will have access to over 600 accommodation suppliers available via the...

Traveltek announces appointment of new Head of Digital Marketing

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Rebecca Somes as our new Head of Digital Marketing. Somes joins at an exciting time for Traveltek, following a second year of...

Celebrating Australia Day: A Interview with Ben Welsh from our APAC Team

Australia has been a pivotal part of Traveltek’s global operations. As our team and our work continue to grow in Australia, we’re very proud of the great relationships we have...

Traveltek celebrates 25 years and a year of record growth

We are thrilled to announce that Traveltek rounded off a successful end to 2023, celebrating its 25th Birthday at the staff Christmas party back in December. This celebration was significant...

MAST partners with Traveltek to elevate their cruise booking experience

We are proud to reveal our latest partnership with MAST Travel Network. This marks a significant milestone for our recently launched AgentConnect – a cutting-edge cruise booking platform tailored for...

Asia’s booming Cruise Industry

Asia’s cruise industry is expanding at an unprecedented rate with capacity growth hitting the double digits as more cruise lines deploy new or extra capacity in the region. Today there...

Exploring the Thriving River Cruise Industry

When most people think about cruising, they often automatically think about ocean cruising on a huge cruise ship, however, the river cruise industry has been making waves around the world, and it's not just the iconic rivers of London, Paris,...

Cruise Planners and Traveltek sign North America Partnership

. Cruise Planners and Traveltek sign collaboration partnership Traveltek is delighted to announce their partnership with Cruise Planners.  Following the announcement of Sabre exiting the cruise market in October 2023....

Traveltek Announces Strategic Partnership with Tres Technologies

Traveltek Announces Strategic Partnership with Tres Technologies Traveltek, a world leading Cruise travel technology specialist, proudly announces its latest partnership with Tres Technologies. Enhancing its portfolio further in the...

Panache Cruises to spearhead US Growth Expansion through Traveltek Technology Partnership

Panache Cruises to spearhead US Growth Expansion through Traveltek Technology Partnership Following Panache Cruises’ launch in the US in late July, the luxury and ultra-luxury cruise retailer is continuing to...

Millennials in Travel

Do you remember the turn of the Century when the doomsayers predicted the end of the physical travel agent was imminent? As we left the nineties behind us and entered...

Traveltek Supports New Online Travel Platform Envirotels

Traveltek is delighted to support new online travel platform Envirotels in their mission to reduce and offset travel-related carbon emissions Newly launched start-up Envirotels has partnered with travel technology specialists Traveltek...

Traveltek is excited to announce the launch of its new web based cruise search product for the North American market – AgentConnect

Traveltek is excited to announce the initial launch of our latest product to the North American market, AgentConnect. This new and fresh web based cruise search product is set to...

Traveltek launches new partnership with The Travel Community Hub

Traveltek launches new partnership with The Travel Community Hub in Australia. Traveltek this month has announced a new industry partnership with The Travel Community Hub Over the last 12 months,...

Traveltek and Sabre Partnership Announcement

Traveltek and Sabre Partnership Announcement Dear Customer We are delighted and excited to announce at Traveltek that we are partnering with Sabre as their new Cruise solution partner.  At Traveltek we are dedicated to leisure travel and have been delivering...

Traveltek & Flight Centre Travel Group Leisure Agree Global Cruise Partnership

Traveltek’s Cruise API will enable over 30,000 integrated itineraries across all the major ocean and river cruise lines for Flight Centre Travel Group leisure (FLT) agents globally as part...

Jet Blue Partner with Traveltek

JetBlue Becomes First U.S. Airline to Offer Customers Ability to Book Flight, Cruise and Hotel in One Place Traveltek is delighted to announce it has partnered with JetBlue...

Traveltek’s Powerful Cruise API Leads to Efficiency Wins

Traveltek’s Cruise API product is one of the most powerful and best in the global travel technology marketplace. With all major ocean, luxury, river and expedition cruise lines integrated. Our...

The Power of Partnerships Leads to New Sales

Traveltek is delighted to announce a new partnership with The Impulse Travel Group. The family-owned and managed travel business has been operating since 1989 and encompasses several specialist wholesale travel...

eRoam Partners with Traveltek to Add Cruise API Content to its Booking Platform

Traveltek this month announced a new partnership with eRoam which will see eRoam integrate Traveltek’s cruise API into their marketplace.  eRoam’s advanced B2B marketplace for Travel Agents, Tour Operators and...

Traveltek double development and software team aiming for further international expansion

Traveltek is set to more than double its development and software team at its Glasgow headquarters with 15 new roles to facilitate new product development and step up its international...

Traveltek continues to be more customer-focused and appoints Leanne Woolvine as Head of Product

We’re delighted to announce the appointment of Leanne Woolvine, to the role of Head of Product. Leanne joined Traveltek in 2013 and has held various positions throughout her time at...

Hotelbeds Enters New Partnership with Traveltek

Traveltek’s Cruise API will be available to 60,000 B2B travel buyers globally as part of Hotelbeds’ Beyond the Bed ancillary portfolio. Hotelbeds’ clients will benefit from access to exclusive deals from...

Traveltek is delighted to announce a new partnership with Travel at 60

Travel at 60 is an established full-service online/offline travel agency established in 2018 that curates unique travel packages tailored to meet the dreams and needs of the over-60s. With a...

Passport Online Taps Traveltek to Power Cruise Booking Engine

Agreement Brings Expanded Cruise Roster, Dynamic Packaging Options, Global Booking Capabilities Beaverton, OR (June 16, 2020) – Passport Online Inc. has signed an agreement with Traveltek to provide the API...

Traveltek focuses in on the APAC region and appoints Head of APAC, Rebecca Esterhuizen

It is with great delight that we announce Rebecca Esterhuizen as Head of APAC. Rebecca joined Traveltek 3 years ago as one of our Financial Analyst, which included working alongside...

Traveltek Announces New Partnership with Industry Leaders in IT Automation Solutions, Traverse

Traveltek, the market leaders in travel packaging technology today announces a new long-term partnership with Traverse Associates Ltd, the main supplier for data warehouse and automation technologies within travel. The...

TRAVELTEK ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH MOBILE APP & VIDEO STREAMING PLATFORM, CRUISEAPPY

Traveltek, the market leaders in cruise retail & packaging technology today announces a long-term strategic partnership with new start up, CruiseAppy, providing a fully integrated mobile app solution to its...

Investing for the Future

Traveltek chief executive Mal Barritt is new to the company but hardly new to travel.  He stepped in to take over from founder Kenny Picken at Traveltek’s East Kilbride headquarters...

Changing Demands

Growing numbers of UK Travel businesses are looking to expand in Europe, especially in the Cruise Sector. That is the view of Cressida Sergeant, Traveltek Chief Commercial Officer, who notes:...

CLIA Comments on Asia Cruise Industry in Latest Report

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) recently released the 2018 Asia Cruise Industry Ocean Source Market report. The report offers an in-depth look at the growth, demographics and trends of the...

Traveltek Appoints Industry Expert Mal Barritt as New CEO

We’re delighted to announce the appointment of accomplished travel industry expert, Mal Barritt, as the new Traveltek CEO. He will take the reigns as we look to strengthen our product...

Traveltek Showcases Next Generation Cruise Software at IPW 2019

As in previous years, Traveltek will again be represented at IPW 2019 from the 3rd to 5th June. At this year’s event, Traveltek will be presenting its enhanced cruise software,...

Worldpay Added to Traveltek Platform

Payment giant, Worldpay, is now available to users of Traveltek’s ever-expanding reservation platform. Leading Travel software provider, Traveltek, is thrilled to announce the inclusion of Worldpay’s suite of payment products...

Traveltek Partner No1 Lounges Expands its Premium Clubrooms Brand

With our mission to connect the industry’s largest community of buyers and sellers worldwide, we aim to get the best suppliers integrated into the Traveltek network. The products that our...

MSC Cruises Unveils Designs for Deluxe New Miami Terminal

Traveltek partner, MSC Cruises, has become the latest cruise company to unveil designs for a deluxe new terminal at PortMiami. The luxury cruise-line recently revealed plans to build a futuristic-looking...

Selling Beyond the Seat

With increasing fuel costs and an uncertain global political climate, it’s difficult to assess the long-term future of the airline industry. What is certain, however, is that, thanks to the...

Traveltek Adds Luxury River Cruise Line AmaWaterways to its Growing Network

River cruise specialist, AmaWaterways, is the latest major industry player to become part of the extensive Traveltek network. Users of Traveltek’s market-leading reservation platform and cruise booking system will soon...

Traveltek Unveils New Focus at ITB Berlin 2019

As in previous years, Traveltek will again be represented at ITB Berlin 2019. ITB Berlin is widely recognised as a leading travel trade show on a global scale. Now in...

Traveltek Prioritises ‘Booming’ Indian Travel Market

Leading British travel technology developer Traveltek is eyeing opportunities to grow in the Indian travel market, taking advantage of the country’s booming travel sector. Travolution Asian Summit The Glasgow-based supplier...

WOWcruise Partners with Traveltek to Launch New Website

Growing Welsh cruise travel agency WOWcruise has partnered with travel technology specialists Traveltek to launch a new website, giving customers the ability to search and book cruise packages online for...

Internet Booking Engines – Where It All Began…

The History  To understand the evolution of internet booking engines, it makes sense to look at the history of reservation software first.  Believe it or not, the first Airline Reservation...

ITE HCMC 2018 Set to Be Bigger than Ever – and Traveltek Will Be Part of the Action

The Mekong’s largest travel event, ITE HCMC, will take place next week between the 6-8th September in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. During the expo Traveltek’s APAC sales team will...

Traveltek Set to Make Waves at Australasia Cruise360

As proud associate partners of CLIA Australasia, Traveltek is delighted to showcase its innovative cruise booking technology at the upcoming Australasia Cruise360 event on August 31st 2018. With only one...

Traveltek Appoints Well-Known Industry Professional to Spearhead its Ambitious Expansion Campaign

New senior vice president EMEA, Cressida Sergeant, to leverage her global experience with major brands including Expedia and TravelSupermarket.com to maximise travel tech firm’s regional growth potential. Traveltek Group Ltd has appointed well-known...

Traveltek Teams with ASTA at Global Convention

As proud associate partner of the newly rebranded American Society of Travel Advisors, Traveltek is delighted to showcase its innovative travel agent and tour operator software at the upcoming ASTA Global...

Traveltek Announces Addition of Booking.com Inventory to its Award-Winning Platform

The Traveltek Group has bolstered the diversity and breadth of choice on its industry-leading booking platform via a new partnership with Booking.com, the global leader in connecting travellers with the widest...

Travel Technology Trends

We recently caught up with Traveltek’s Senior Vice President of Sales for the Americas, Francis Riley, to discuss his views on the importance of technology in the travel industry and...

Traveltek’s Tour Operator Technology Powers Record Year for Sandals Trade Sales

Only one year since Traveltek implemented its bespoke tour operating platform for Sandals in-house tour operator, Unique Caribbean Holidays Ltd. (UCHL), the company has reported a significant increase in trade...

Success for EMEA Sales Team at Arabian Travel Market

Traveltek staff, who were exhibiting at the event for the fourth year running, were kept busy throughout the show’s four days. They even managed to sign a new client during...

Traveltek Expands North America Team to Meet Strong Industry Demand for Advanced Tours & Cruise Tech

Traveltek Group Ltd has expanded its team in North America, bringing on board four business development managers to support its ambitious expansion strategy in the world’s largest travel market. Kevin...

Traveltek partners with Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection

Users of Traveltek’s market-leading booking platform in Australia will soon be able to access and make live bookings, including dynamic packaging, for all Uniworld and U by Uniworld experiences. Uniworld’s luxury river cruise itineraries, plus U...

“Travel Agents Are Humans Too”, Says Traveltek’s Chris Brown

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Yes, Traveltek has a global presence. While our headquarters are in Glasgow, UK, we operate as a remote-first business. Our team members are located in various regions across the world, including the UK, Europe, Hyderabad (India), Brisbane (Australia), and Dallas & Tampa (USA), ensuring that we provide exceptional service and support to our clients on a global scale.

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As a leading travel technology provider, Traveltek offers extensive expertise, industry-leading solutions, and a wealth of experience in the travel industry. Our products are designed to streamline operations, enhance efficiency, and drive business growth. We provide innovative solutions tailored to the unique needs of travel agents and companies, empowering them to succeed in a competitive market.

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Here are the top 10 smartest cities in the world — and none are in the U.S.

Smart cities in Europe and Asia are gaining ground globally while North American cities have fallen down the ranks, according to the 2024 Smart City Index released April.

Of the top 10 smart cities on the list, seven were in Europe.

This year's index was produced by the IMD World Competitiveness Center's Smart City Observatory in collaboration with the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO) that's based in Seoul, South Korea.

The report ranks 142 smart cities worldwide based on data analyzed by researchers, as well as survey responses of 120 residents in each city. The study captures an overview of how the infrastructure and technology available in a city impacts the city's performance and the quality of life of its inhabitants.

So, what is a smart city?

According to the IMD , a smart city is defined as "an urban setting that applies technology to enhance the benefits and diminish the shortcomings of urbanization for its citizens."

With very few exceptions, cities in the top 20 are geographically located in areas where social and economic environments are relatively predictable, even against the overall climate of global uncertainties. IMD Smart City Index 2024

The cities that perform well on the list have also developed initiatives that cater to their citizens' overall quality of life.

"Such initiatives have focused on developing green spaces and broadening opportunities for cultural events and social bonding, for example," according to the report.

"In the majority of these leading cities, such efforts have been combined with innovative strategies to attract and retain talent, foster investment in a selective fashion [e.g. pro-sustainability], and tackle long standing issues regarding geographical inequalities and inclusion," the report said.

Here are the top 10 smart cities, according to the 2024 Smart City Index.

• Zurich, Switzerland
• Oslo, Norway
• Canberra, Australia
• Geneva, Switzerland
• Copenhagen, Denmark
• Lausanne, Switzerland
• London, England
• Helsinki, Finland
• Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Notably, for the first time since the index's inception in 2019, there is an absence of North American cities in the top 20.

"Using three year moving averages (i.e. comparing a city's average ranking for the period 2021-24 to that of the period 2020-23), a significant number of US cities have been losing ground," according to the report.

"This is the case in particular for Washington DC, Denver, and Los Angeles (-12, -12, and -11 respectively), but also for San Francisco (-9), New York City (-7), and Chicago (-4)."

The highest ranking U.S. city this year is New York City which ranked 34th, followed by Boston at 36th and Washington DC, coming in at 50th place.

While European cities dominated the list, Asian cities are gaining ground too.

Here are the top 5 smart cities in Asia:

• Singapore (5th)
• Beijing (13th)
• Taipei City (16th)
• Seoul (17th)
• Shanghai (19th)

Singapore has consistently ranked among the top 10 positions since the index's inception in 2019. It ranked 7th from 2020 to 2023 — except in 2022 when no rankings were released, and jumped up two positions this year.

Taipei City has also jumped 13 positions over the last year, from 29th in 2023 to 16th this year.

"Cities must design and adopt strategies that can resist the test of a future plagued with growing uncertainties, " said Bruno Lanvin, president of the Smart City Observatory.

"Health-related concerns remain high, while climate-related ones grow even larger; a mix complicated by renewed international tensions. Trust and good governance are growing in importance, and the significance of Al in city design and management is set to increase," he said in the report.

"Counterintuitive as it may sound, Al can help cities to become more human-centric," Lanvin added.

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Automatic Refunds and No More Hidden Fees: D.O.T. Sets New Rules for Airlines

The Transportation Department issued new requirements on refunds when flights are canceled or delayed and on revealing “junk” fees before booking. Here’s what passengers can expect.

By Christine Chung

The Transportation Department on Wednesday announced new rules taking aim at two of the most difficult and annoying issues in air travel: obtaining refunds and encountering surprise fees late in the booking process.

“Passengers deserve to know upfront what costs they are facing and should get their money back when an airline owes them — without having to ask,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement, adding that the changes would not only save passengers “time and money,” but also prevent headaches.

The department’s new rules, Mr. Buttigieg said, will hold airlines to clear and consistent standards when they cancel, delay or substantially change flights, and require automatic refunds to be issued within weeks. They will also require them to reveal all fees before a ticket is purchased.

Airlines for America , a trade group representing the country’s largest air carriers, said in a statement that its airlines “abide by and frequently exceed” D.O.T. consumer protection regulations.

Passenger advocates welcomed the new steps.

Tomasz Pawliszyn, the chief executive of AirHelp, a Berlin-based company that assists passengers with airline claims, called it a “massive step forward and huge improvement in consumer rights and protection” that brings the United States closer to global standards in passenger rights.

Here’s what we know about the D.O.T.’s new rules, which will begin to go into effect in October.

There’s now one definition for a “significant” delay.

Until now, airlines have been allowed to set their own definition for a “significant” delay and compensation has varied by carrier . Now, according to the D.O.T., there will be one standard: when departure or arrival is delayed by three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international flights.

Passengers will get prompt refunds for cancellations or significant changes for flights and delayed bags, for any reason.

When things go wrong, getting compensation from an airline has often required establishing a cumbersome paper trail or spending untold hours on the phone. Under the new rules, refunds will be automatic, without passengers having to request them. Refunds will be made in full, excepting the value of any transportation already used. Airlines and ticket agents must provide refunds in the original form of payment, whether by cash, credit card or airline miles. Refunds are due within seven days for credit card purchases and within 20 days for other payments.

Passengers with other flight disruptions, such as being downgraded to a lower service class, are also entitled to refunds.

The list of significant changes for which passengers can get their money back also includes: departure or arrival from an airport different from the one booked; connections at different airports or flights on planes that are less accessible to a person with a disability; an increase in the number of scheduled connections. Also, passengers who pay for services like Wi-Fi or seat selection that are then unavailable will be refunded any fees.

Airlines must give travel vouchers or credits to ticketed passengers unable to fly because of government restrictions or a doctor’s orders.

The vouchers or credits will be transferable and can be used for at least five years after the date they were issued.

Fees for checked baggage and modifying a reservation must be disclosed upfront.

Airlines and ticket agents are now required to display any extra fees for things like checking bags or seat selection clearly and individually before a ticket purchase. They will also need to outline the airline’s policies on baggage, cancellations and changing flights before a customer purchases a ticket.

The rules, which apply to all flights on domestic airlines and flights to and from the United States operated by foreign airlines, have varying start dates.

For example, automatic refunds must be instituted by the airlines within six months. But carriers have a year before they’re required to issue travel vouchers and credits for passengers advised by a medical professional not to fly.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Christine Chung is a Times reporter covering airlines and consumer travel. More about Christine Chung

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Mumbai:  Spend 36 hours in this fast-changing Indian city  by exploring ancient caves, catching a concert in a former textile mill and feasting on mangoes.

Kyoto:  The Japanese city’s dry gardens offer spots for quiet contemplation  in an increasingly overtouristed destination.

Iceland:  The country markets itself as a destination to see the northern lights. But they can be elusive, as one writer recently found .

Texas:  Canoeing the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park can be magical. But as the river dries, it’s getting harder to find where a boat will actually float .

Life on Other Planets: What is Life and What Does It Need?

One day, perhaps in the not-too-distant future, a faraway planet could yield hints that it might host some form of life – but surrender its secrets reluctantly.

Our space telescopes might detect a mixture of gases in its atmosphere that resembles our own. Computer models would offer predictions about the planet’s life-bearing potential. Experts would debate whether the evidence made a strong case for the presence of life, or try to find still more evidence to support such a groundbreaking interpretation.

“We are in the beginning of a golden era right now,” said Ravi Kopparapu, a scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, who studies habitable planets. “For the first time in the history of civilization we might be able to answer the question: Is there life beyond Earth?”

For exoplanets – planets around other stars – that era opens with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Instruments aboard the spacecraft are detecting the composition of atmospheres on exoplanets. As the power of telescopes increases in the years ahead, future advanced instruments could capture possible signs of life – “biosignatures” – from a planet light-years away.

Within our solar system, the Perseverance rover on Mars is gathering rock samples for eventual return to Earth, so scientists can probe them for signs of life. And the coming Europa Clipper mission will visit an icy moon of Jupiter. Its goal: to determine whether conditions on that moon would allow life to thrive in its global ocean, buried beneath a global ice shell.

But any hints of life beyond Earth would come with another big question: How certain could any scientific conclusions really be?

“The challenge is deciding what is life – when to say, ‘I found it,’” said Laurie Barge of the Origins and Habitability Lab at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.

With so much unknown about what even constitutes a “sign of life,” astrobiologists are working on a new framework to understand the strength of the evidence. A sample framework, proposed in 2021, includes a scale ranging from 1 to 7, with hints of other life at level 1, to increasingly substantial evidence, all the way to certainty of life elsewhere at level 7. This framework, which is being discussed and revised, acknowledges that scientific exploration in the search for life is a twisted, winding road, rather than a straightforward path.

And identifying definitive signs remains difficult enough for “life as we know it.” Even more uncertain would be finding evidence of life as we don’t know it, made of unfamiliar molecular combinations or based on a solvent other than water.

Still, as the search for life begins in earnest, among the planets in our own solar system as well as far distant systems known only by their light, NASA scientists and their partners around the world have some ideas that serve as starting points.

Life That Evolves

First, there’s NASA’s less-than-formal, non-binding but still helpful working definition of life: “A self-sustaining chemical system capable of Darwinian evolution.” Charles Darwin famously described evolution by natural selection, with characteristics preserved across generations leading to changes in organisms over time.

Derived in the 1990s by a NASA exobiology working group, the definition is not used to design missions or research projects. It does help to set expectations, and to focus debate on the critical issues around another thorny question: When does non-life become life?

“Biology is chemistry with history,” says Gerald Joyce, one of the members of the working group that helped create the NASA definition and now a research professor at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California.

That means history recorded by the chemistry itself – in our case, inscribed in our DNA, which encodes genetic data that can be translated into the structures and physical processes that make up our bodies.

The DNA record must be robust, complex, self-replicating and open-ended, Joyce suggests, to endure and adapt over billions of years.

“That would be a smoking gun: evidence for information having been recorded in molecules,” Joyce said.

Such a molecule from another world in our solar system, whether DNA, RNA or something else, might turn up in a sample from Mars, say from the Mars sample-return mission now being planned by NASA.

Or it might be found among the “ocean worlds” in the outer solar system – Jupiter’s moon, Europa, Saturn’s Enceladus or one of the other moons of gas giants that hide vast oceans beneath shells of ice.

We can’t obtain samples of such information-bearing molecules from planets beyond our solar system, since they are so far away that it would take tens of thousands of years to travel there even in the fastest spaceships ever built. Instead, we’ll have to rely on remote detection of potential biosignatures, measuring the types and quantities of gases in exoplanet atmospheres to try to determine whether they were generated by life-forms. That likely will require deeper knowledge of what life needs to get its start – and to persist long enough to be detected.

A Place Where Life Emerges

There is no true consensus on a list of requirements for life, whether in our solar system or the stars beyond. But Joyce, who researches life’s origin and development, suggests a few likely “must-haves.”

Topping the list is liquid water. Despite a broad spectrum of environmental conditions inhabited by living things on Earth, all life on the planet seems to require it. Liquid water provides a medium for the chemical components of life to persist over time and come together for reactions, in a way that air or the surface of a rock don’t do as well.

Also essential: an energy source, both for chemical reactions that produce structures and to create “order” against the universal tendency toward “disorder” – also known as entropy.

An imbalance in atmospheric gases also might offer a tell-tale sign of the presence of life.

“In Earth’s atmosphere, oxygen and methane are highly reactive with each other,” Kopparapu said. Left to themselves, they would quickly cancel each other out.

“They should not be seen together,” he said. “So why are we seeing methane, why are we seeing oxygen? Something must be constantly replenishing these compounds.”

On Earth, that “something” is life, pumping more of each into the atmosphere and keeping it out of balance. Such an imbalance, in these compounds or others, could be detected on a distant exoplanet, suggesting the presence of a living biosphere. But scientists also will have to rule out geological processes like volcanic or hydrothermal activity that could generate molecules that we might otherwise associate with life.

Careful laboratory work and precision modeling of possible exoplanet atmospheres will be needed to tell the difference.

Going Through Changes

Barge also places high on the list the idea of “gradients,” or changes that occur over time and distance, like wet to dry, hot to cold, and many other possible environments. Gradients create places for energy to go, changing along the way and generating molecules or chemical systems that later might be incorporated into life-forms.

Plate tectonics on Earth, and the cycling of gases like carbon dioxide – buried beneath Earth’s crust by subduction, perhaps, or released back into the atmosphere by volcanoes – represent one kind of gradient.

Barge’s specialty, the chemistry of hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor billions of years ago, is another. It’s one possible pathway to have created a kind of primitive metabolism – the translation of organic compounds into energy – as a potential precursor to true life-forms.

“What gradients existed before life?” she asks. “If life depends so much on gradients, could the origin of life also have benefited from these gradients?”

Clearer mapping of possible pathways to life ultimately could inform the design of future space telescopes, tasked with parsing the gases in the atmospheres of potentially habitable exoplanets.

“If we want to be sure it’s coming from biology, we have to not only look for gases; we have to look at how it’s being emitted from the planet, if it’s emitted in the right quantities, in the right way,” Kopparapu said. “With future telescopes, we’ll be more confident because they’ll be designed to look for life on other planets.”

Search for Life

This article is one in a series about how NASA is searching for life in the cosmos.

Beginnings: Life on Our World and Others

The Hunt for Life on Mars – and Elsewhere in the Solar System

'Life' in the Lab

Searching for Signs of Intelligent Life: Technosignatures

Finding Life Beyond Earth: What Comes Next?

Related Terms

• Terrestrial Exoplanets
• The Search for Life

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NASA-Led Study Provides New Global Accounting of Earth’s Rivers

The novel approach to estimating river water storage and discharge also identifies regions marked by ‘fingerprints’ of intense water use. A study led by NASA researchers provides new estimates of how much water courses through Earth’s rivers, the rates at which it’s flowing into the ocean, and how much both of those figures have fluctuated […]

NASA’s ORCA, AirHARP Projects Paved Way for PACE to Reach Space

It took the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission just 13 minutes to reach low-Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in February 2024. It took a network of scientists at NASA and research institutions around the world more than 20 years to carefully craft and test the novel instruments that allow PACE […]

NASA’s CloudSat Ends Mission Peering Into the Heart of Clouds

Over the course of nearly two decades, its powerful radar provided never-before-seen details of clouds and helped advance global weather and climate predictions. CloudSat, a NASA mission that peered into hurricanes, tallied global snowfall rates, and achieved other weather and climate firsts, has ended its operations. Originally proposed as a 22-month mission, the spacecraft was […]

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Get started finding a cheap flight to Stavropol on Expedia by either choosing a deal on this page or entering into the search bar your travel dates, origin airport, and whether you want roundtrip or one-way airfare. You can filter for flexibility, number of stops, airline, and departure/arrival times to find the best flight for you.

We recommend using the ‘Flexible Dates’ calendar at the top of the page to see the price of plane tickets on the surrounding dates. This allows you to pick the cheapest days to fly if your trip allows flexibility and score cheap flight deals to Stavropol.

Roundtrip prices range from - , and one-ways to Stavropol start as low as .

Be aware that choosing a non-stop flight can sometimes be more expensive while saving you time. And routes with connections may be available at a cheaper rate.

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You have several options for which airline you choose to travel with to Stavropol. There are airlines flying into STW: . 

Cheap plane tickets may be available from different airlines at different times and with unique terms. It’s best to understand the details of each airline’s offer before judging its value.

For example, if you plan to check a bag or bring a carry-on, check whether the cheap airfare deal includes a baggage allowance. If not, verify whether the baggage fee is higher than the difference of other airline plane ticket deals offering free checked/carry-on baggage in exchange for a slightly higher airfare. 

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Find the best deals

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To change or cancel eligible flights, go to ‘My Trips’ and navigate to your itinerary. If you booked within the last 24-hours, you might be able to cancel your flight for free. Learn more about flight changes or cancellations from our customer service portal . Some plane tickets are available with no change fees, which you can filter for during your search.

Frequently asked questions

• The secret to having a worry-free travel experience is to pack in advance. First up, the essentials: passport, official ID, cash and any vital medications. Next, bring on board items that’ll help while away those hours, like your laptop or a few magazines. You’ll also want to pack your chargers, a neck pillow and a pair of earphones. Finally, don’t forget to toss in toiletries like a toothbrush, lip balm and a fresh set of clothes.
• Make sure you don’t have a Swiss Army knife hiding in the bottom of your carry-on luggage. Other restricted items include explosive or flammable products, such as fuel and fireworks, and gels and liquids in containers with a volume of more than 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters).
• The long, narrow aisles of your aircraft are not the best place for a fashion parade. Don comfortable layers and remember to take a sweater as it tends to get cool inside the cabin on long-haul flights. Flat, slightly roomy shoes are also a good choice.
• Unfortunately, a risk of long flights is developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot condition caused by prolonged periods of inactivity. To prevent this, make the most of every opportunity to stretch your legs and walk around the cabin. Compression socks and tights are also a great idea to help minimize this risk.
• First things first. Your ID and travel documents will need to be shown to security personnel. Keep them at hand so you don’t hold up the queue.
• The X-ray machine comes next. Remove anything metal on you that is likely to beep. This includes things like earphones or headphones, as well as your coat or jacket. They’ll need to be placed on the conveyor belt for screening.
• For just a few moments, you’ll have to unplug from the digital world. Your tablet, phone and any other electronics must also be sent through the scanner.
• Can’t travel without your favorite hand and nail cream? As long as the volume is no greater than 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) and it’s stored in a zip-lock bag, it’s OK to bring with you in your carry-on baggage.
• There’s a good chance you’ll be required to take your shoes off to be X-rayed, so wearing lightweight sneakers is always a clever idea.
• Knives and other sharp items can’t be taken on board. They’ll be confiscated at security, so pack them in your checked baggage.

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Pair of giant pandas set to travel from China to San Diego Zoo under conservation partnership

SAN DIEGO — A pair of giant pandas will soon make the journey from China to the U.S., where they will be cared for at the San Diego Zoo as part of an ongoing conservation partnership between the two nations, officials said Monday.

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said its caretakers recently visited China to meet the giant pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, ahead of their planned trip to Southern California. An exact date for the handoff hasn’t been set.

Yun Chuan, a mild-mannered male who’s nearly 5 years old, has “deep connections” to California, the wildlife alliance said. His mother, Zhen Zhen, was born at the San Diego Zoo in 2007 to parents Bai Yun and Gao Gao.

Xin Bao is a nearly 4-year-old female described as “a gentle and witty introvert with a sweet round face and big ears.”

“Our conservation partners in China shared photographs and personality traits of Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, but meeting them in person was so special,” said Dr. Megan Owen, the alliance’s vice president of conservation science. “It’s inspiring as people from around the world come together to conserve, protect, and care for these special bears, and we can’t wait to welcome them to San Diego.”

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has a nearly 30-year partnership with leading conservation institutions in China focused on protecting and recovering giant pandas and the bamboo forests they depend on.