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Insights How Smart Tourism Experiences are Served by Technology

Today’s visitor journey is fragmented. Customer data can help brands unlock seamless, digitally-enabled guest experiences within connected smart destinations.

The concept of “smart destinations” or “smart tourism” has been advancing the guest experience for years, but there’s one piece of the puzzle that the travel and hospitality industry has yet to unlock: the integration of customer data for proactive insights that enable personalization.

Smart tourism defines travel experiences that are digitally enabled and connected to technology, allowing guests to efficiently navigate through foreign cities, book activities online and utilize their mobile devices to tackle their entire itinerary.

But smart tourism is entering a new era of seamless travel, served not only by technology, but also by customer data.  

“The future of smart tourism is travel experiences that are proactive,” says Mukundhan Sundaram, senior director of technology at Publicis Sapient. “You’re removing all points of friction and frustration by putting data in the hands of the customer to effectively guide their journey.”

Learn how the next era of smart tourism can build guest loyalty and how customer data will transform the end-to-end guest experience.

What smart tourism is—and what it isn’t

Smart destinations are often enabled by specific technology upgrades, like mobile apps or online booking platforms, but that’s not all it is. Smart tourism is tourism that transforms the end-to-end guest experience through interconnected physical and digital technology.

“Technology upgrades implemented in a vacuum aren’t truly ‘smart,’ because they’re not grounded in the end-to-end guest experience,” says Sundaram, travel and hospitality industry expert.

Smart tourism is not just luxury travel; it applies to mass-market or affordable tourism experiences as well. Smart tourism creates seamless and luxurious experiences enabled by technology, increasing convenience and accessibility for travelers.

The next era of smart tourism, sometimes referred to as “cognitive tourism,” goes a step further by utilizing first-party customer data to proactively recommend the next step of the guest experience, whether that’s a reminder to get to the airport, an invitation for a vacation activity or a coupon for a recommended restaurant. This means no more written itineraries that need to be carried around and the ability to plan a dream vacation at the click of a button, taking much of the thinking out of the process.

Why guests crave smart destinations now more than ever

Post-COVID-19, travelers expect and rely on technology to power travel experiences across every touchpoint of their journey. Understaffed travel and hospitality brands need to use technology to bridge the gap at formerly in-person touchpoints that are becoming overwhelmed with “revenge tourism.”

But the need for smart tourism isn’t just because of a lack of staff. As travel prices continue to rise and loyalty falls, guests will revisit brands that personalize products and messaging. Almost one-third of travelers are more likely to stay in hotels that offer contactless checkout and/or personalized digital offers, according to 2022 research. Digitizing the travel experience allows brands to further tailor marketing and recommendations to customers based on their data.

Smart tourism also enables more sustainable, regenerative travel experiences that appeal to younger travelers. Roughly two-thirds of Millennials and Gen Z say that sustainability is important to them when they travel, according to the same study.

How can smart tourism transform the end-to-end travel experience?

From booking to hotel check-in and travel activities, brands can allow customers to share first-party data through mobile devices for more personalized and efficient travel experiences.

Here’s how brands can integrate customer data across each step of the travel experience:

Booking the vacation  

• Read blogs, forums and articles to research vacation options.
• Manually enter log-in information on several different websites to receive points and discounts on bookings.
• Fill out lengthy forms with contact information for each booking.
• Go to the brand website to enter a virtual metaverse experience to explore and learn about the destination.
• Scan a QR code from the website browser to give consent for the brand to automatically access all required booking credentials stored within a [decentralized digital identity], from payment information to contact information.
•  Receive personalized recommendations for travel based on metaverse activity and decentralized digital identity.

Checking in at the airport for a flight

• Enter the airport well in advance of the flight to stand in a long line to check bags.
• Check into flight via the website, and have to enter the flight number and remember to check in well in advance of the flight.
• Enter the long TSA line for security, and have to show your passport/ID and boarding pass.
• Airline app sends a notification to check in for your flight, and boarding information is automatically added to the app.
• App recommends what time to get to the airport based on traffic flow and locations and also shows recommendations for food around the gate area, allowing passengers to place orders for products or food in advance with stored payment methods.
• App allows passengers to check bags through a contactless method and use their phone to get through security and boarding with no queues.

Checking into a hotel for vacation

• Arrive at the front desk to wait in a long line.
• Front desk staff member has to check multiple databases to locate guest check-in information as the guest waits with their family and luggage.
• Guest has to juggle their ID and credit card and sign paper check-in forms and receives an envelope with room keys.
• Receive an email on the day of check-in with instructions on how to check in.
• Geo-sensing technology recognizes when you have reached the hotel property and sends a ping with the room information and room key.
• App guides visitors to their rooms and provides recommendations for initial food, activities and added amenities based on demographic information and travel history.

Accomplishing the travel itinerary

• Research and book the best activities near the hotel far in advance of the trip.
• Separately research and book the most convenient transportation and food options to accompany the activity.
• Check into each activity using a different ticket or pass, search deep in email inbox or print out the pass in advance.
• Receive a realistic recommended travel itinerary for the trip based on geo-location, preferences, demographics and other traveler information.
• In case of unanticipated events, the activities and overall itinerary are dynamic, with the ability to transition to new reservation times or plans depending on the situation.
• Receive proactive activity reminders for timing, transportation and necessary preparation.

In order to bring smart and even cognitive tourism experiences to life, travel brands need to connect physical and digital technology, as well as customer data, across the entire travel ecosystem. This includes city governments, payment processors, airports, airlines, hotels and more.

How Publicis Sapient creates smart destinations

Through partnerships with key industry players, Publicis Sapient helps global travel companies utilize artificial intelligence, big data, information of things, augmented and virtual reality and decentralized identity solutions to create connected travel ecosystems.

“Publicis Sapient is a global leader in smart destination solutions across geographies and sectors,” says Sundaram, travel and hospitality industry expert. “Our approach to smart tourism is customer-centric and involves a variety of stakeholders in order to be truly seamless.”

Approaching smart and cognitive tourism as an entire ecosystem rather than a singular touchpoint or brand in isolation allows hotels, airlines and cities to create frictionless and delightful travel experiences. At the same time, it creates experiences that are scalable over time and able to onboard and integrate new partners or hybrid legacy architecture.

Publicis Sapient helps brands like Miral to store every piece of information needed for travel in one place, digitally.

Contact Publicis Sapient to design and deliver a customer-centric smart tourism experience below.

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The Future of Luxury Travel Will Be Defined By Smart Tourism

Publicis Sapient + Skift

August 31st, 2021 at 10:00 AM EDT

As the world begins to recover from the pandemic’s effects and luxury travel evolves, there’s an opportunity to build new destinations from the ground up that implement cutting-edge technologies to usher in smart tourism and create bespoke experiences from day one.

Publicis Sapient

This sponsored content was created in collaboration with a Skift partner.

Luxury travelers increasingly want their trips to positively impact the people and places they visit as the global climate crisis continues to grow. Destinations have worked for years to make themselves more sustainable and encourage tourists to respect the environment while considering things like energy and water usage and food waste when traveling. Many luxury travelers have listened — and this group is key to influencing the growth of sustainable tourism.

Research from Altiant found that 44 percent of affluent consumers in Europe, Asia, and North America are prepared to spend 10 percent more on travel if it helps to protect the environment, and 39 percent would spend more than 10 percent extra. Another affluent traveler survey from Virtuoso found that nearly 70 percent of respondents feel traveling sustainably enhances the vacation experience.

As Varsha Arora, Skift senior research analyst, explained in Skift’s Sustainability in Travel 2021 report, “Destinations have started taking sustainability seriously with growing media pressure and traveler awareness, but have a long way to go to make significant reductions in emissions long-term.” However, new destinations and resorts that are serious about making long-term changes and exceeding luxury travelers’ expectations will have sustainability built into their design from day one. The future of tourism — especially in the luxury segment — is one where travelers don’t have to think about being environmentally friendly, since it’s already ingrained.

Everything from transportation, to hotels, to villas, will be designed to run entirely on renewable energy sources. Natural habitats will be closely monitored to ensure biological diversity and protect against invasive species. Construction will also be sustainable, with most buildings being assembled off-site to minimize the impact to animal habitats and human populations.

A high degree of digital connectivity will discreetly — yet powerfully — enable this sustainability and ensure that the destination can manage visitor flows and create low-impact, truly memorable experiences. It’s this marriage of sustainability and connectivity where “smart tourism” becomes reality.

Sooho Choi, executive vice president of Publicis Sapient, which recently published a content hub centered on smart tourism , explained: “Smart tourism — a concept driven by ‘smart cities,’ or destinations that are enhanced through digital tools — is essentially AI technologies embedded in a destination and its spaces. From airports, to hotels, to public areas, and beyond, a smart destination can better understand a traveler’s wants and needs and optimize the experience accordingly based on their preferences.”

WHAT’S SO SMART ABOUT IT?

Smart tourism is essentially about real-life experiences — the feelings evoked and memories made when one fully immerses themselves in a destination — rather than the technology itself. While technology will play a defining role in smart tourism, it’s only to enhance and elevate the traveler’s experience. Digital technology fuels every step of the journey, but it’s the destination and it’s offerings that are in the foreground. When done right, the technology should be a subtle companion to the traveler.

AUTOMATED BESPOKE

According to Choi, “Smart tourism can completely enhance the typical vacation experience by providing ‘​​automated bespoke’ offerings.” Smart tourism uses technology to acknowledge and build upon a traveler’s experience to ‘up-level’ the journey as it transpires, all while tending to their unique needs through a highly responsive digital end-to-end framework.

For example, travelers’ luggage could be automatically transported to their hotels without the traveler needing to collect their bags at the airport, which gets them to the destination faster and eliminates a touchpoint that doesn’t add value. Everything about the journey is sorted ahead of time, down to the last preference. From language barriers and dietary needs, to religious-based preferences and any other traveler requirement, the needs and personal preferences of every individual will be tended to, thanks to connected technology.

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Project is one example why automated bespoke is the backbone of smart tourism. A game changer for luxury travel, Red Sea will run on 100 percent sustainable solar and wind. The core of Red Sea’s operations is a smart destination management system that supports a variety of personalized digital services to its visitors.

SMART CITIES AND BEYOND

“Using human-centric design every step of the way creates real value for travelers,” said Choi. “Customers can immediately tell when something wasn’t designed with real people in mind or how they will experience something. The destinations that make these considerations will increasingly be rewarded in this new travel era.”

Going forward, luxury travelers will expect that the value they’ll get from their vacation will be higher than any previous trips they’ve taken. Even smart destinations can’t rest on their laurels — each visit must offer something new and build off previous experiences. Using an automated bespoke approach to ensure no two travelers receive the same experience so that they’re enticed to return is the key to making destinations stand apart from the competition.

To learn more about Smart Tourism, visit the Content Hub here

This content was created collaboratively by Publicis Sapient and Skift’s branded content studio, SkiftX .

Have a confidential tip for Skift? Get in touch

Tags: artificial intelligence , luxury , publicis sapient , Red Sea Development Company , saudi arabia , SkiftX Showcase: Consulting , SkiftX Showcase: Destinations

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How to Travel More Sustainably

Don’t skimp on doing your own research, and be aware that ‘green’ certificates aren’t always all they’re cracked up to be.

Credit... Gabriel Alcala

Supported by

By Paige McClanahan

• April 22, 2021

So you’re vaccinated and eager to — finally — plan a real summer vacation after a rough year, but you don’t want to add to the problems you might have read about: overcrowding, climate change, unfair working conditions in the tourism industry. What’s a thoughtful traveler to do?

For those who want to travel responsibly, it comes down to this: You, the traveler, have to do your homework.

Looking for a hotel or tour operator that has earned a sustainability label might seem like a good place to start, but the reality isn’t so simple. There are around 180 certification labels floating around in the tourism industry, each purporting to certify the green credentials of a hotel, restaurant, tour operator or even a destination. And while some of those labels are well enforced, others might better be described as greenwashing — when a company portrays itself as an environmental steward, but its actions don’t match the hype.

“The range is enormous — from rigorous, impartial and excellent to, frankly, poor,” said Randy Durband, the chief executive of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council , a nonprofit organization that establishes and manages global standards for sustainable travel. “We strongly believe in the value of third-party certification, when it’s done right,” Mr. Durband added. “But the way the word ‘certification’ is used in tourism is out of control.”

Still, while the labels might be all over the map, many businesses are waking up to the importance of improving their environmental and social performance, said Andrea Nicholas, the chief executive of Green Tourism , an Edinburgh-based certification body with more than 2,500 members. The pandemic has brought the concept of sustainable tourism forward by five to 10 years, she said. Before, she added, many businesses saw sustainability as an “add-on.”

“What we’re seeing now, from the interest we’re getting, is that it’s a must-have,” she said.

There are some promising signs that consumers, too, are waking up to the consequences of their vacations. More than two-thirds of respondents to a recent seven-country global survey for American Express Travel said that they “are trying to be more aware of sustainability-friendly travel brands to support.” Another poll, this one for the digital travel company Booking.com, found that 69 percent of the more than 20,000 respondents “expect the travel industry to offer more sustainable travel options.”

What does “sustainable travel” mean, anyway?

Given the diversity of destinations and contexts that a traveler might encounter, there’s no universal answer to what sustainable travel means. A hotel’s water efficiency is a lot more important along Spain’s dry Mediterranean coastline than in rain-soaked western Scotland, for instance.

But experts say that the concept is about a lot more than just reusing the towels in your hotel room or buying a carbon offset for your flight, although those are good places to start.

Sustainability is also about the wages and working conditions of the people who are waiting tables on your cruise ship or schlepping your bag up a trail; it’s about the additional pressure you might be putting on an already-crowded city , heritage site or natural area ; it’s about whether your hotel buys its produce from a farm down the road or from a supplier on the other side of the world, or whether the money you spend goes into the community you’re visiting — or into the distant account of a multinational.

“What you need to do is marry the corporate social responsibility with an informed tourist consumer who knows what they’re asking for, and then demands it,” said Freya Higgins-Desbiolles, an adjunct senior lecturer in tourism at the University of South Australia. She listed some questions that travelers should ask themselves before they take their next trip: How can I travel in an off-peak time? How can I go to places that aren’t overcrowded? How can I ensure that the money I spend ends up in the local economy?

Johannah Christensen, a nonprofit executive and longtime concerned traveler, says that she always looks for some sort of reliable certification when she books a block of hotel rooms for an annual professional event. The Green Key label — a certification program that is headquartered in Copenhagen, where Ms. Christensen lives — is one that she has used in the past, but she is always sure to do some digging on her own. (This 2016 guide to some of the major tourism certifications can be a good starting point.)

“You can look for those green check marks, but understand what’s implied in them,” she said. “What does the hotel actually have to do to earn it? Don’t be afraid to ask questions.”

How to do your homework

Asking questions — both while you’re traveling and, more important, before you book — is one of the most powerful things that travelers can do, said Gregory Miller, the executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Responsible Travel . He recommends people start by looking closely at the websites of the tour operators, hotels and destinations that they’re considering. If they don’t find any language about sustainability, “that should be a flag,” he said.

Beyond that, he suggests that travelers check his organization’s list of responsible travel tips , which include recommendations like hiring local guides, asking permission before taking photos of people, staying on designated trails in natural areas and thinking twice about handing out money to children. While they’re traveling, Dr. Miller said, people shouldn’t be afraid to ask difficult questions of their service providers, or to call out waste or abuse when they see it — whether directly to a manager or in an online review.

“Certification can be a tool in the toolbox, but don’t be limited by that,” Dr. Miller said. “It’s about choices, and travelers do have the choice.”

Susanne Etti, the environmental impact specialist at Intrepid Travel , a global tour operator based in Australia, had other tips for travelers. She said they could start by checking the list of the more than 230 travel organizations that have joined the Tourism Declares initiative, members of which have pledged to publish a climate action plan and cut their carbon emissions.

Another reliable indicator, she said, is whether a company has been classified as a “B Corporation” — a rigorous sustainability standard that’s not limited to the tourism industry. Her company, Intrepid, has achieved the distinction, as have the apparel company Patagonia and ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s. The B Corporation website lists some three dozen companies in the “travel and leisure” sector — from a paddle sports company in Hawaii to an Ecuadorean tour bus operator. A number of other tourism businesses are listed under “hospitality,” including Taos Ski Valley and Orlando-based Legacy Vacation Resorts.

Dr. Etti also shared some of the advice that she follows in her own travels. “When you fly, make it count,” she said, adding that, before the pandemic, when she would travel from her current home in Australia to her native Germany, she would do the long-haul flight, but then choose trains or other less-polluting ways to get around Europe, even when cheap short-haul flights were readily available.

Dr. Etti also recommended that travelers learn to slow down. “Stay in one location longer,” she said, “to really understand how life works in that community.”

Rethinking what travel means

Many travelers also need a shift in mind-set, said Dominique Callimanopulos, the head of Elevate Destinations , an international tour operator based in Massachusetts that has won a number of awards for its commitment to sustainability. People should learn to see their travels as an opportunity for exchange with a host community rather than a simple consumer transaction. Ms. Callimanopulos said that even her sustainability-inclined clientele rarely do their homework: She has received more questions about the availability of hair dryers than about the company’s environmental or social practices.

“People can make a shift from thinking just about what their personal experience is going to be to looking at the impact of their experience on the ground, on the destination and on the community,” she said.

Lindblad Expeditions , which operates adventure cruises in destinations like Alaska, the Antarctic and the South Pacific, has also won awards for its approach to sustainability and for giving back to the communities it visits. Sven-Olof Lindblad, the company’s chief executive, said that he continues to see people spending up to $40,000 on an Antarctic cruise without doing any research on the practices of the company offering the trip.

“You wouldn’t just buy a car from an ad without understanding what it was and how it compared,” he said. “I’m absolutely amazed at how little diligence people sometimes do in relationship to travel.”

Mr. Lindblad recommended that, in addition to doing their own research, travelers could speak to a travel adviser or travel agent who can help them dig for answers that might not be readily available on a company’s website.

“When people choose to travel, they should really understand what they’re getting into,” he said, “because there’s a lot of smoke and mirrors in this business.”

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive 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 list for 2021 .

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Smart Tourism Technologies’ Ambidexterity: Balancing Tourist’s Worries and Novelty Seeking for Travel Satisfaction

• Published: 27 January 2022
• Volume 24 , pages 2139–2158, ( 2022 )

Cite this article

• Jahyun Goo   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7373-289X 1 ,
• C. Derrick Huang 1 ,
• Chul Woo Yoo 1 &
• Chulmo Koo 2  

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Tourists deal with two intrinsic, uncertainty-driven attributes of travel, tourist worries and novelty seeking, that simultaneously affect their transaction and travel experience satisfaction. Rapid technological advances coupled with uncertainties caused by momentous events such as COVID-19 highlight the increasing significance of smart technologies in the tourism industry. This study explores the relationships between novelty and worries and travel satisfaction, as well as examines how tourists enhance their quality of trips with the use of smart tourism technologies. We find the tourists’ novelty seeking would enhance the trip experience, leading to overall travel satisfaction. In contrast, tourist worries, particularly in trip planning, would negatively affect tourists’ transaction satisfaction, which in turn impacts the overall travel experience satisfaction. As a moderator in its ambidextrous role, smart tourism technologies help tourists to develop a sense of novelty when planning and visiting a destination and mitigate the worries emanated from the uncertainty of transaction made during the pre-trip planning. Insights and implications of such findings are discussed for both theory and practice.

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1 Introduction

Travel involves the notion of “departure,” where people leave their normal place of work and residence for short periods of time for a limited breaking with established routines and practices of everyday life and allowing one’s senses to engage with a set of stimuli that contrast with the everyday and the mundane (Urry, 1990 ). The fact of departure from the relatively certain routine practices to an unfamiliar situation inevitably brings aspects of abnormal, uncertain environment which might otherwise remain opaque. Such uncertainties simultaneously give rise to an intriguing tension between novelty and worry in travel. On one hand, consuming travel goods and services would supposedly generate pleasurable experiences that are different from those typically encountered in everyday life. It speaks to us in ways that we look at the environment with interest and curiosity when we go away or at least as we anticipate doing so. On the other hand, travel, being the departure from familiarity and routines, inevitably causes tourists to worry (Jin et al., 2016 ; Larsen et al., 2009 ). In order for travel to happen, for example, purchasing and consumption of goods (e.g., luggage, travel gears and apparels, etc.) and services (flights, hotels, meals, admission tickets, etc.) is necessary. Such transactions are less certain than what people make on a daily basis and represent risks to tourists in the form of potential overpayment, incorrect purchases, ineffective arrangements, and so on. Advancing this view, we posit that travel by nature inevitably puts tourists in a situation where they simultaneously deal with worries and novelty seeking. In other words, while tourists would be worried about uncertainties in trip planning and booking, some level of “unknown” can be interesting for novelty seekers (Kim & Kim, 2015 ; Larsen et al., 2009 ) as it enriches their travel experience and satisfaction (Prebensen & Xie, 2017 ).

The literature has long identified and confirmed that these two uncertainty-related issues—tourist worries (Baron et al., 2000 ; Jin et al., 2016 ; Larsen et al., 2009 ) and novelty seeking (Assaker & Hallak, 2013 ; Jang & Feng, 2007 ; Kim & Kim, 2015 ; Toyama & Yamada, 2012 )—significantly affect tourists’ travel experience and satisfaction. The effort required to balance these two conflicting issues may discount the value of travel experience, as both cognitive and emotional control constitutes subjective costs, biasing choices away from effortful actions (Jin et al., 2016 ; Larsen et al., 2009 ). Literature in individual psychology also suggest that facing such conflicting expectations is considered aversive, since recruiting cognitive control to resolve conflict is effortful (cf., Freeston et al., 1994 ). Therefore, it is important to identify ways tourists can simultaneously address these two intrinsically conflicting, uncertainty-driven attributes of travel, and we posit that information technologies could be used in the contexts of cognitive effort involved in resolving such conflicts. Rapid technological advances coupled with uncertainties caused by momentous events such as COVID-19 highlight the increasing significance of smart technologies in the tourism industry. However, while smart tourism technologies (STT) have served as a key mechanism for managing against risks (Huang et al., 2017 ; Yoo et al., 2017 ) and enhancing tourists’ experience and satisfaction (Narangajavana Kaosiri et al., 2019 ; Narangajavana et al., 2017 ), the specific ways and mechanisms of STT tourists use to cope with these two uncertainty-driven factors simultaneously have not been empirically studied.

To bridge this critical gap, this current study sets out novelty seeking (defined as the individual’s drive to explore contrast between present perception and past experience ) and tourist worries (defined as the individual’s attempt to engage in mental problem-solving regarding tourist trip-related issues where outcomes are thought to be uncertain and contain possibilities for negative results ) as distinct concepts and explicitly explores the relationships between them and travel satisfaction. Specifically, the current study raises the question if the tourists’ novelty seeking enhance the trip experience and the travel satisfaction while at the same time tourist worries negatively affect tourists’ the overall travel experience and satisfaction.

Furthermore, this study attempts to investigate the facilitating role of smart tourism technologies as travelers deal with worries and novelty simultaneously. To this end, we intend to examine how tourists enhances the travel experience with the STT’s ambidexterity, defined as STT’s ability to mitigate worries from uncertainty when arranging and purchasing travel products/services while simultaneously allowing tourists to seek novelty in the trips . We examine how the STT’s ambidexterity takes place in trip satisfaction, how STT usage can mitigate worries during trip planning online (transaction satisfaction), and how it can encourage tourists to expand the expectations and experiences by seeking novelty and variety (Assaker & Hallak, 2013 ; Kahn, 1995 ; Kim & Kim, 2015 ). To empirically investigate STT’s ambidexterity in enriching travel experience and satisfaction, we model STT as a moderator in the relationships between tourists’ worries in the travel planning and their travel experiences and between tourists’ novelty seeking and their travel experiences.

Using the survey data collected from a travel club in South Korea, we conduct an individual-level study that offers important contributions to the current literature on smart tourism. First, we theorize and empirically confirm that there exists tension between positive and negative concerns in travel emanating from the uncertainty in tourists’ interactions with travel goods and services. Tourists attempt to address these uncertainty-driven concerns by using STT in pursuit of their travel satisfaction. This theoretical perspective is particularly appropriate in the era of smart tourism because STT are considered to be a means of facilitating tourist-information interactions (Gretzel et al., 2015 ; Ho et al., 2015 ; Werthner & Klein, 1999 ; Yuan et al., 2019 ). Second, we specify and examine the moderating roles of STT, yielding insights into potential ambidextrous effects of STT on two uncertainty-driven factors that directly affect individual tourists’ travel transaction and travel experience satisfaction. Given that prior research has primarily used the technology adoption perspective to examine the direct influence of STT on travel satisfaction (e.g., Chen & Chou, 2019 ; Huang et al., 2017 ; Prebensen & Xie, 2017 ; Ukpabi & Karjaluoto, 2017 ), our work contributes to the literature by deepening the understanding of situations under which the STT’s ambidexterity process takes place and offers actionable and prescriptive advice to travel agencies and providers regarding the management of tourists’ uncertainty with travel.

2 Research Background

2.1 travel satisfaction and smart tourism technologies.

Smart tourism technologies, or STT, in this study refer to any forms of technologies that are associated with interconnection, synchronization, and concerted use for travel (Gretzel et al., 2015 ) and can include smartphone apps, websites of online travel agencies, destination smart infrastructure, to name a few. Literature suggests that STT aggregate and harness data derived from physical infrastructure, social connections, government/organizational sources, and human bodies/minds in combination with the use of advanced technologies to transform tourist’s travel experiences. Consistent with the conceptualization by Huang et al. ( 2017 ) and Yoo et al. ( 2017 ), we view that STT constitute four key attributes—informativeness, accessibility, interactivity and personalization—which tourists leverage for information search, transaction, communication, and content generation so as to enhance the usability and perceived usefulness of the technologies. Studies in smart tourism generally recognize that STT support the travel planning process by providing relevant information and services to users in an interactive manner, thereby facilitating tourist’s informed decision that can lead to the enhanced travel satisfaction.

Satisfaction is judgement that a user or consumer makes whether a product or service, in this case a tourism product/service attribute and/or entire trip, offers a reasonable level of fulfillment when consumed (Oliver, 1993 ). Satisfaction involves a continuing evaluation of a product, service, or an experience, based on the difference between the expected level and the actual level of performance of the product/service/experience (Oliver, 1997 ). In forming the decision on satisfaction, both cognitions (expectations and performance) and emotions can play a significant role (del Bosque & San Martín, 2008 ; Oliver, 1993 ). Extending this concept to the context of this research, we regard travel satisfaction as the perception affected by fulfilling the gap between the expected performance of travel products and services and what a tourist actually experiences on the trip.

Research has found that smart tourism technologies play an important role in travel planning and tourism experience (Gretzel et al., 2015 ; Koo et al., 2017 ; Lee et al., 2015 ). One stream of such research focuses on the influence of STT, which include all forms of online tourism applications, information sources (e.g., online travel agents, personal blogs, public websites, company websites, social media, smartphone apps) and other smart technologies (i.e., artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and Internet of Things), on different aspects of travel such as pre-travel planning, decisions, and purchasing of trips (Jeong & Shin, 2020 ; Kim et al., 2011 ; Yoo et al., 2017 ; Yoo et al., 2009 ), the expressing of loyalty (Wang et al., 2019 ), the triggering of electronic work-of-mouth (eWOM) (Luo & Zhong, 2015 ), customer engagement (Lee et al., 2021 ), and attitudinal factors (Gretzel et al., 2006 ; Huang et al., 2017 ). Recently, smart tourism studies have turned the attention to examining the STT’s role in tourists’ travel experiences. For example, various studies focus on discovering the relationship between STT and trip expectation (Narangajavana et al., 2017 ), place experience (Azis et al., 2020 ; Chung et al., 2017 ; Tussyadiah & Fesenmaier, 2009 ), and tourist satisfaction (Narangajavana Kaosiri et al., 2019 ). In the planning phase, it is theorized that four attributes of online tourism information sources—accessibility, information reliability, interaction, and personalization—are key to planning a trip (No & Kim, 2015 ). Travelers have found the Internet to be useful for all categories of travel decisions such as the destinations to visit, the locations to stay, and the activities to take on (Xiang et al., 2014 ). And new media such as social networks and smartphones help travelers to extend the focus of information search for travel decisions from travel products and services to information to improve travel experience (Chung & Koo, 2015 ; Wang et al., 2012 ; Xiang & Gretzel, 2010 ; Xiang et al., 2014 ).

In addition to the actual experience, travel satisfaction can be influenced by initial expectation and online searching and the arrangements and purchases of travel products and services such as flight, hotels, tours, tickets, etc. when travelers use STT for trip planning (Constantin, 2012 ; Filieri et al., 2015 ; Tseng, 2017 ). Such transactions are a significant part of travelers’ engagement in STT as an e-commerce platform for travel products and services, and, as such, we also separately examine “transaction satisfaction” as part of the overall travel experience satisfaction. To define transaction satisfaction in smart tourism, the current study refers to Buhalis’s notion of e-tourism that “reflects the digitalization of all processes and value chains in the tourism, travel, hospitality and catering industries” ( 2003 , p. 6). Based on this notion, forming satisfaction judgment for using STT for travel planning and transactions involves not only the purchasing and browsing experience on the e-tourism sites at the time of transactions but also the stages preceding and following the purchases. Thus, the current study defines the transaction satisfaction based on the comparison between pre-purchase expectations and post-purchase performance of the travel-related products/services, as well as the consumer online purchasing experience of the products/services.

2.2 Tourist Worries

To consume tourism products and services, travelers must leave their home location and move to a geographical different place and engage in activities different from their routines, bringing about some degree of uncertainty and unpredictability, especially at the stage of planning a trip. This leads to tourist worry, defined as “the individual’s attempt to engage in mental problem-solving regarding tourist trip-related issues where outcomes are thought to be uncertain and contain possibilities for negative results” (Larsen et al., 2009 , 261). Worry is different from risk; while risk measures the potential impact of certain adverse events (as the product of the probability of such events happening and the magnitude of their consequences), worry is a relatively uncontrollable chain of thought as a function of uncertainty concerning possible negative future events (Borkovec, 1994 ; Freeston et al., 1994 ). Tourist worries emanate from the uncertainty that tourists face when they cannot foresee the consequences of their purchase decisions (Schiffman & Kanuk, 2000 ). Perception of travel risk generates a feeling of anxiety (Reisinger and Mavondo 2005) and fear of unknown consequences (Dowling and Staelin 1994), which leads to tourist worries.

There are many worry-inducing factors, such as health and safety during a trip, financial costs associated with package tours, flights, accommodation, attractions, and activities, ability to complete the trip as planned, and so on. In particular, people tend to worry mostly about whether reservations and tickets may contain mistakes as compared to dangerous hazard, and the level of worry tend to be higher during trip planning than traveling in situ (Larsen et al., 2009 ). This study focuses on tourist worry also because it has positive effects in helping people finding better ways of doing things and determining priorities relative to the different strategies for reducing uncertainty (Baron et al., 2000 ).

Because tourism is an experiential good, travelers cannot try out or even perceive the quality of a trip in advance. Such uncertainty at the planning stage naturally leads tourists to worry about purchasing tourism products/services, because decisions can only made based on descriptions available (Werthner & Klein, 1999 ), and that it is difficult, if not impossible, to evaluate the value for money before the actual experience (Quintal et al., 2010 ). Worries can arise in the service process of travel bookings, be it through travel agencies, websites, or other intermediaries. For instance, when using an online booking service, travelers need to be presented with necessary information (e.g., user instructions and status updates) to accomplish service tasks (e.g., reservation for local events) and keep track of the service workflow (e.g., checking refund status). If information provided is incomplete or even incorrect, travelers may worry about if the desired services are booked correctly and if they will receive the service accordingly. Worries can also arise from the service-delivery channels themselves, such as the reliability of the service providers or the vulnerability associated with online transactions (e.g., technical problems and security risks). Taken together, tourist worries are likely to have a significant impact on travelers’ satisfaction towards travel-related transactions.

We can further examine the role of tourist worries through the lens of the uncertainty reduction theory (Berger, 1986 ; Berger & Calabrese, 1974 ), which posits that individuals employ three general categories of information-seeking strategies—passive, active, and interactive—to reduce uncertainty and increase the other party’s predictability. Passive strategies involve unobtrusive observations of target individuals to obtain information about them. Active strategies involve seeking information from third parties or through manipulation of the target person’s environment. Interactive strategies involve obtaining information directly from the target person through such communication methods as interrogation and self-disclosure. Although the concept of uncertainty reduction originates in interpersonal communication, it is also applicable to consumer service (e.g., Choudhury et al., 1998 ; Murray, 1991 ; Siehl et al., 1992 ), which is often characterized by incomplete and ambiguous information or evidence that consumers must use in evaluating the service (Siehl et al., 1992 ). In this sense, travelers worried about uncertainty in trip planning and travel transactions would attempt to determine the priorities and strategies of uncertainty reduction leading to an increase in predictability of the behavior of the other party (e.g. travel agents, tour providers, online reservation systems, etc.), which in turn decreases one’s worries of the interaction (Baron et al., 2000 ).

Because purchasing of travel products and services is considered risky (Huang et al., 2010 ), an active uncertainty strategy such as extensive information search can reduce worry about the risks associated with travel and thus enhance the quality of experience (Money & Crotts, 2003 ). Based on the conceptualization of tourist worries and the uncertainty reduction theory, we identify smart tourism technological attributes—i.e., informativeness, accessibility, interactivity, and personalization—that contribute to the means of tourist worry reduction. Use of, for instance, review sites such as TripAdvisor and virtual product experience in travel-related websites can help increase predictability of actual experiences from pre-travel arrangements as a major coping means of tourist worries. This need is in sync with the trend that STT play an increasingly important role in all phases of travel planning, such as pre-travel planning and decisions (Gretzel & Yoo, 2008 ; Yoo et al., 2017 ) and the final destination choices (Luo & Zhong, 2015 ).

2.3 Novelty Seeking in Travel

The notion of uncertainty often has negative connotations, but in the case of travel, uncertainty can bring about positive impact. A critical aspect of tourism and travel is that “they supposedly generate pleasurable experience which are different from those typically encountered in everyday life…When we go away, we look at the environment with interest and curiosity” (Urry, 1990 , p.1). In other words, travelers look for “novelty,” which is generally defined as the degree of contrast between perception at present and experience in the past (Pearson, 1970 ). The six dimensions of the novelty construct of a tourist (Lee & Crompton, 1992 ) —change from routine, escape, thrill, adventure, surprise, and boredom alleviation—are all associated, albeit with varying degrees, with the uncertainty nature of travel. Many tourists actively take advantage of such uncertainties and seek novelty in their choices to travel through, for instance, enjoyment in meeting people from other cultures and unexpected types of facilities and attractions of interest; they may purposely engage in “adventure tourism,” in which they step away from their usual, comfortable settings and explore the unique features of the local culture and environment. From a consumer marketing perspective, consumers have a desire for novelty or complexity in making choices (Kahn, 1995 ). In this study, we adopt the definition of novelty seeking as the individual’s drive to explore contrast between present perception and past experience (Cohen, 1979 ; Jang & Feng, 2007 ; Pearson, 1970 ).

It is widely acknowledged that novelty seeking is a central component of travel motivation and, therefore, influences tourists’ decision-making process (Assaker & Hallak, 2013 ; Kim & Kim, 2015 ; Toyama & Yamada, 2012 ). Prior research has shown that the travel experience meeting or exceeding the expectations for novelty can positively impact a tourist travel satisfaction. Perhaps the most direct support comes from a study by Toyama and Yamada ( 2012 ), in which it is found that novelty plays an important role in tourists’ perception and contributes to overall satisfaction. At a deeper level, emotional arousal and sensing seeking, both related to novelty of a destination, are found to positive influence a tourist’s liminal experience (Zhang & Xu, 2019 ), and a perceived “coolness” of a destination is positively related to traveler satisfaction (Chen & Chou, 2019 ). As a result, novelty seeking positively influences a traveler’s intention to revisit a destination (Jang & Feng, 2007 ).

The use of smart tourism technologies is related to novelty seeking in several ways. Conceptually, the inherent novelty seeking desire and behavior are indistinguishable from inherent innovativeness (Hirschman, 1980 ), paving ways for new and different planning and consumption patterns such as STT. As argued by Jansson ( 2002 ), tourism gaze has become increasingly associated with the use of media images, and, as such, STT allow for consumer-governed arrangements more suitable to traveler demands (Kim et al., 2017 ; Volchek et al., 2020 ). This may be because individuals often seek to experience a “reality” (thus travel satisfaction) that they already have imagined in their search (use of STT for novel destinations/activities) (Urry, 1990 ). It is noted that social media and travel reviews play an important role prior to travel by offering ideas and making it easier to visualize the destination (Gretzel & Yoo, 2008 ) and thus often make travel planning more enjoyable and exciting (Amaro et al., 2016 ). Further, individuals motivated by novelty are likely to seek out new and potentially discrepant information (Hirschman, 1980 ). For instance, sensation-seeking travelers are more likely to obtain information via the Internet and purchase travel products online (Park & Stangl, 2020 ; Pizam et al., 2004 ), and those who prefer serendipitous travel are more likely to use on-the-fly, real-time information sources such as mobile phones (Huang et al., 2014 ). As a result, the use of STT can enhance travelers’ novelty seeking experience or activities, which can lead to higher level of satisfaction.

3 Research Model and Hypothesis

This current study views novelty seeking and tourist worries, both related to uncertainty, as distinct concepts and sets out to explicitly explore the relationships between these and travel satisfaction. In this context, smart tourism technologies play an ambidextrous role for travelers to develop and discover novel destinations and activities when planning a trip, while helping them mitigate the transaction worries emanated from uncertainty of booking and purchasing decisions made for a trip. Our research model is depicted in Fig.  1 .

Research model

3.1 Tourist Worries

Tourists worry about trip-related issues with potentially negative outcomes such as crimes in the destinations and whether reservations may contain mistakes (Larsen et al., 2009 ). At the core of worry is an intolerance of uncertainty about future events, which is a common characteristic of travel products and services since they are intangible in nature and cannot be seen or inspected prior to purchase (Holloway, 2004 ; Huang et al., 2010 ; Lui, 2019 ). When tourists worry about the decisions that they have made for travel-related purchases (for instance, when a traveler reports that “I don’t feel comfortable with the reservations that I have just made.”), they experience the post-purchase cognitive dissonance as a result of apprehension of possible undesirable outcomes (Cooper & Fazio, 1984 ; Oliver, 1997 ; Tseng, 2017 ). And such post-purchase cognitive dissonance has been shown to increase consumer anxiety and, in turn, may reduce their satisfaction towards purchase decisions (Hofstede, 2001 ; Jin et al., 2008 ; Tseng, 2017 ). Therefore, we argue that,

H1a: Tourist worries is negatively related to transaction satisfaction.

Many risk factors, such as hazards related to political instability of the destination, strange food, culture barriers, and crime, can induce tourist worries (Lepp & Gibson, 2003 ). In addition to prompting travelers to take on uncertainty reduction strategies, worry, as a cognitive state of mind, causes anxiety toward travel that leads to preoccupation with precautionary behavior and may limit the traveler’s satisfaction of the activities at the destination (Abubakar & Mavondo, 2014 ). For instance, in a study of Chinese tourists to Australia, it is found that the more tourists worry, the more they need to cope emotionally (Wu et al., 2020 ). We thus posit that tourist worries contribute to limiting the enjoyment of the travel experience and overall satisfaction.

H1b: Tourist worries is negatively related to travel experience satisfaction.

3.2 Novelty Seeking

Seeking variety, complexity, and novelty is a common consumer behavior that lead to consumption stimulation, and the resulting emotional arousal is a key determinant for achieving recreation satisfaction (Floyd, 1997 ). Despite the intrinsic uncertainty of travel due to the departure from familiarity of home location and/or daily activities, travelers seek novelty in a trip to alleviate boredom, change from routines, and escape from reality (Lee & Crompton, 1992 ). This is a particularly important aspect in certain styles of travels. For instance, the positive arousal felt by amusement theme park visitors leads to pleasure and satisfaction (Bigné et al., 2005 ), and the perceived “coolness” positively impacts Generation Y’s place attachment and satisfaction towards particular destinations (Chen & Chou, 2019 ). Although the explorer- and drifter-type travelers may be the most willing to forego the comfort of familiarity and seek out novel experience (Basala & Klenosky, 2001 ), novelty seeking in general has been found to be a direct, positive antecedent of the mid-term intention to revisit a destination (Jang & Feng, 2007 ) and has a positive effect on overall satisfaction (Toyama & Yamada, 2012 ). Therefore, we posit that,

H2: Novelty seeking is positively related to travel experience satisfaction.

3.3 Smart Tourism Technologies’ Ambidexterity

Smart tourism technologies play an ambidextrous role for tourists to mitigate the worries emanated from uncertainty of decisions and purchases made during the pre-trip planning, w hile enhancing their novelty seeking experience. One of important attributes of STT is informativeness. The use of STT for the evaluation and purchase of travel products and services—a significant improvement over the traditional processes of searching and booking with travel agents—counters tourist worries as it acts as the most important information source as well as the most convenient channel for booking transactions. Because tourism goods and services are difficult to physically inspect prior to the purchase, travelers look for other indicators to help them evaluate their values (Korgaonkar and Karson, 2007) and search for and read online comments to seek support for their decision (Fan and Zhang, 2015). In addition, with their accessibility, interactivity, and personalization, STT provide personalized recommendations, evaluations, and reviews from others who have already consumed the same or similar products or services to help travelers find those that meet their specific needs (Zhou and Yang, 2019; Chen and Xie, 2008). STT can also alleviate worries about reliability and performance, as consumers respond strongly to the perceived trust when making online purchase decisions (Kim et al., 2012 ). As a result, travel-related goods and services have been a leading application of e-commerce (Werthner & Ricci, 2004 ), and STT have become an essential tool for all phases of travel bookings, from selecting destinations, searching for vendors, comparing prices, to completing transactions (Xiang et al., 2014 ; Yoo et al., 2017 ). As evidenced in past studies, using STT in travel planning may thus help tame tourist worries about travel booking and reservations by mitigating the uncertainty and anxiety of tourists (Pana et al., 2021 ); as such, the negative impact of worries on transaction satisfaction will be weaker as the degree of STT use increases. Therefore, we argue that,

H3a: STT positively moderates the relationship between tourist worries and transaction satisfaction.

STT allow travelers to find the places to visit and prepare for the experience via personal commentaries, content sharing, and other forms of communications (Chung et al., 2017 ; Narangajavana Kaosiri et al., 2019 ; Narangajavana et al., 2017 ). STT such as social media enable travelers to obtain relevant, personalized information about a trip and even consult with those who have already experienced that destination (Huang et al., 2017 ). For example, using smart tourism apps and services in the destinations can save tourists from worrying about safety (Pai et al., 2021 ). Because tourists can obtain useful information to counter their worries in the destination and make informed decisions in pre-trip planning, it is likely that they are more satisfied with the whole trip experience. Such acts can significantly reduce a traveler’s doubts and worries about a trip so that the negative impact of tourist worries on travel experience satisfaction will be weaker as the degree of STT use increases. We therefore posit that STT plays a moderating role in the relationship between tourist worries and travel experience satisfaction.

H3b: STT positively moderates the relationship between tourist worries and travel experience satisfaction.

Beyond using STT for travel transactions, tourists’ level of satisfaction when it comes novelty seeking can be amplified because STT can enhance their experience in both pre-trip searches of and actual encounters with novel locations and activities. For example, travelers increasingly use the Internet to search for destination activities such as hidden attractions and shopping detours to enhance the trip experience (Xiang et al., 2015 ). Social media allow for a richer, deeper, and more interactive research on various aspects of a trip, create expectations for a destination, and make travelers more excited about a trip (Gretzel et al., 2015 ; Narangajavana et al., 2017 ). Smartphones increase the value of the trip, let users “imagine” and plan for new and novel activities, and greatly enable serendipitous travel (Narangajavana Kaosiri et al., 2019 ; Narangajavana et al., 2017 ). And online shared photos and videos mediate tourist experience by stimulating fantasies and providing pleasurable memories (Bradley et al., 1992 ; Narangajavana Kaosiri et al., 2019 ; Tussyadiah & Fesenmaier, 2009 ). The use of STT in pursuit of novelty also leads to tourist happiness resulting in travel satisfaction (Shin et al., 2021 ) and thus destination revisit intention (Pai et al., 2020 ). All such uses of STT can lead to an exotic location, an on-the-go schedule, or an off-the-beaten-path activity, all of which can enhance the overall travel experience in a novel way so that the positive impact of novelty seeking on travel experience satisfaction will be strengthened as the degree of STT use increases. We therefore hypothesize:

H3c: STT positively moderates the relationship between novelty seeking and travel experience satisfaction.

Aforementioned studies suggest that STT have a positive impact on various phases of travel. It is done through both the exploitation and exploration use of the smart tourism technologies (Huang et al., 2017 ). The key attributes of STT—informativeness, accessibility, interactivity, and personalization—allow travelers to efficiently and effectively search tourism products and services and complete transactions, as well as plan for and manage trip itinerary. We therefore posit the explicit relationships between STT and the travel satisfactions:

H4a: STT is positively related to transaction satisfaction.

H4b: STT is positively related to travel experience satisfaction.

3.4 Transaction and Travel Experience Satisfaction

Among the most important task in the trip planning stage is to search for and complete reservations and bookings for travel products and services. As the service literature indicates, service quality is critical to the satisfaction of the service, which in turn leads to the satisfaction of the overall experience when the service is performed (Baker & Crompton, 2000 ; Neal et al., 1999 ; Otto & Ritchie, 1996 ). In the context of tourism, it is also found that satisfaction with travel/tourism experience is a positive function of satisfaction with pre-trip (and other) services (Neal et al. ( 1999 ). Therefore, we argue that a better experience in travel transactions would lead to a better experience of the whole trip:

H5: Transaction satisfaction is positively related to travel experience satisfaction.

4 Research Methods

4.1 data collection.

Data was collected through a survey conducted on the members of one of the largest online travel clubs in Korea, which served as our sampling frame that allowed us to gain access to a large group of people who may hold diverse interests, attitudes, beliefs, and values regarding the travel. While convenient and cost effective, such sampling frame approach may concern with random sampling and nonresponse rate tracking due to the anonymous nature of the Internet. We followed Andrews et al.’s ( 2003 ) approach to overcome this issue and used sample and participant selection quality criteria to maintain the random sampling process within artificially defined sampling frame. Specifically, we first of all came up a list of travel clubs as the result of the key word search with “travel club” from one of the most widely used search engines in Korea. We adopted this list as our sampling frame for the study. Then, we applied the criteria of access (i.e., open access for public participation), size (i.e., the highest number of registered members), and activity (i.e., the most active in terms of the highest number of posts within the past 30 days) to further define the sampling population, from which the travel club was selected for this study. We followed this elaborated process to ensure that the selected travel club appropriately reflected the sampling population that fitted well with the current study context of smart tourism.

Next, with the support of the club administrator, an invitation to participation in the survey was posted in the general notice section. After the definition of STT provided in the survey questionnaire, we asked respondents to choose one STT to complete the survey. With two “reminder” posts in one week apart, we received a total of 325 responses, of which 319 responses were valid without missing values and thus used for the further analysis. The demographics of 319 responses are summarized in Table  1 . Overall, the demographic characteristics of respondents in the data indicated a good representation of STT user community and deemed appropriate for the further analysis.

4.2 Operationalization of Constructs

All latent constructs in this research were measured using multi-items adapted from prior studies. We used seven-point Likert rating systems, from 1 being strongly disagree to 7 being strongly agree. Appendix A provides the specific items used in the survey.

Consistent with the tourism literature (cf., Lieber & Fesenmaier, 1985 ; Neal et al., 1999 ; Swan & Combs, 1976 ), our model of travel satisfaction discerns between the transaction satisfaction and the experience satisfaction. We used five items to measure travel experience satisfaction and four items to measure travel transaction satisfaction (Neal et al., 1999 ). To properly respond to the criticism of inefficacy of using the psychometric measure for capturing the degree of satisfaction in travel (c.f., Brown et al., 1993 ; Cronbach & Furby, 1970 ; Lord, 1963 ; Teas, 1993 ), we followed Baker and Crompton ( 2000 ) and Huang et al. ( 2017 ) by employing a subjective disconfirmation measure for both transaction and travel experience satisfaction. Specifically, respondents were asked to record a single score from their own evaluation of satisfaction directly against their desired satisfaction level.

Tourists’ worries should vary as a function of situational factors and depend on the individuals’ expectations and experiences of such factors. Three items were adopted from Larsen et al. ( 2009 ) to capture individual’s state of being a tourist that pertains to the various uncertainties when travelling, as opposed to a personal disposition or a trait, as measured in generalized worry. We adopted three items from Kim and Kim ( 2015 ) to substantively capture various dimensions of novelty seeking (cf., Lee & Crompton, 1992 ) involving an altered routine as well as new experience and discovery by pleasant surprises.

Consistent with Huang et al. ( 2017 ) and Yoo et al. ( 2017 ), we measured smart tourism technologies as a second order construct consisting of four first order constructs, namely i) personalization, ii) informativeness, iii) interactivity, and iv) accessibility. They represent four distinct aspects of the smart tourism technologies while grouped under a single multidimensional construct (Law & Wong, 1999 ). We implemented the second-order factor as formative construct by aggregating in appropriate combinations to form a super-ordinate second-order construct STT because multiple first-order constructs and their measurement items are necessary in order to fully capture the entire domain of the STT construct; we do not anticipate the elements of a particular attribute to be necessarily correlated with each other.

Three items were used to measure the personalization aspect of STT, capturing the perception of travelers (respondents) if STT meet their specific needs or information. Three items were used to measure the informativeness aspect of STT. They captured how much travelers (respondents) perceive information obtained through STT as useful or relevant. We used three items to measure travelers’ (respondents’) perception about the interactivity aspect of STT, which aided real-time communication and information sharing among users. Three measures were used to capture how easy travelers (respondents) could access and use STT.

We included two control variables—years of experience in and self-efficacy of smart tourism technologies—in our model to control for possible influence on the travel transaction satisfaction. The number of trips and the length of trip were also included in the model to control their possible influence on the travel experience satisfaction.

5 Results and Analysis

We adopted Partial Least Squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method with the SmartPLS package (Ringle et al., 2005 ) for testing both the measurement model and the structural model. We chose the PLS techniques because the current study is more prediction-oriented by exploring the relationships among these uncertainty-driven constructs and the moderation effects in a unique setting of smart tourism than validating the nomological network of the model using the covariance-based SEM (Fornell & Bookstein, 1982 ). For that, SmartPLS provides the ability to model latent constructs even under conditions of non-normality and small- to medium-size samples (Ringle et al., 2005 ). Additionally, PLS is appropriate in this study because of its effectiveness of testing the model with a small sample size (Chin, 1998a ). The conservative sample size requirements for PLS models is 10 times either (a) the largest number of formative indicators in a block or (b) the largest number of independent variables impacting a dependent variable, whichever is greater (Chin, 1998b ). Our sample size of 319 exceeds the recommended minimum of 50 for adequate model testing. In addition, the PLS technique allows for our second order STT construct to be modeled as formative with four first-order constructs in the structural model.

5.1 Measurement Model

A thorough assessment of the measurement model was performed. First, both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed and confirmed nine factors with high loadings of 0.7 and above, supporting the unidimensionality of the scales (see Table  2 ). Cronbach’s alpha of all constructs employed in this study were higher than 0.74, showing strong reliability of latent constructs (Nunnally, 1978 ). Next, the convergent validity of the measurement model was tested using composite reliability and average variance extracted (AVE) (Johnson & Wichern, 2007 ). Table  2 shows that composite reliability values are greater than the lowest of 0.76 and AVE ranged from 0.54 to 0.86, confirming the convergent validity of the measurement model (Fornell & Larcker, 1981 ).

The results provided in Tables  2 and 3 confirm the discriminant validity of the measurement model: 1) correlation between pairs of constructs is below the recommended threshold (Hair et al., 2009 ), 2) cross-loadings of all items have a higher value in the corresponding construct than in any other constructs, and 3) the square root of AVE for each construct is greater than its correlation level.

5.2 Common Method Bias

We followed the suggestion by Podsakoff et al. ( 2003 ) to adequately address the possible common method bias. First, two different response formats were employed for independent variables and dependent variables to control the possible methodological artifact in the response process (Podsakoff et al., 2003 ). For example, we use seven-point Likert scale to measure predictor and moderator variables, whereas the subjective disconfirmation measure is used for both dependent variables of travel transaction and travel experience satisfaction. Second, Harman’s one-factor test (Podsakoff et al., 2003 ) and Lindell and Whitney’s ( 2001 ) marker variable test were conducted to gauge the threat of common methods bias. The results of the Harman’s one-factor test showed no dominating single factor with the first factor accounted for only 22.15% of the total 78.44% variance. In addition, using a three-item latent construct, need for cognition (α = 0.78), for which there exists little theoretical basis for a relationship with our research variables, we performed the Lindell and Whitney ( 2001 ) marker variable test. The results showed that the maker variable’s average correlation with the research variables in the model was low ( r  = 0.08) and insignificant. Taken together, we conclude that common method bias is not a serious threat in this study (Podsakoff et al., 2003 ).

5.3 Structural Model

The assessment and estimation of the structural model was conducted using SmartPLS (Ringle et al., 2005 ). A bootstrapping procedure with resampling of 500 subsamples was conducted to determine the statistical significance of the parameter estimates. Based on the results of this procedure, the precision of the magnitude, statistical significance of the path coefficients, and R 2 in the structural model were assessed. Overall, the results suggest a satisfactory fit of the model to the data with the R 2 values of the two dependent variables: 0.49 and 0.74 for travel transaction satisfaction and travel experience satisfaction, respectively. The results of the PLS analysis are provided in Fig.  2 .

We first note that the results of tourist worries were mixed. It was significantly and negatively associated with travel transaction satisfaction (β = −0.335, p < 0.01), supporting H1a. However, the relationship with travel experience satisfaction, albeit a negative association, showed statistically insignificant. Thus, H1b was not supported. The interpretation of these interesting results is discussed in the next section. Novelty seeking was significantly and positively related to travel experience satisfaction (β = 0.261, p < 0.05), supporting H2. Consistent with the literature, the relationship between travel transaction satisfaction and travel experience satisfaction was strongly significant and positive (β = 0.585, p < 0.001), supporting H5. Overall, the results confirm our view that the tourists’ novelty seeking would enhance the trip experience, leading to the tourists’ overall travel satisfaction. In contrast, tourist worries would negatively affect tourists’ travel transaction satisfaction.

Second, the STT’s ambidexterity in moderating the relationships between two intrinsic, uncertainty-driven attributes of travel—tourist worries and novelty seeking—and the travel transaction satisfaction as well as travel experience satisfaction panned out well as hypothesized. Our interaction terms are modeled with the STT acting as “quasi” moderators (Carte & Russell, 2003 ; Sharma & James, 1981 ), because the STT is also hypothesized to directly impact both travel transaction satisfaction and travel experience satisfaction. In other words, our interaction terms take the form y  =  x  +  z  +  x * z , where y is travel transaction satisfaction or travel experience satisfaction, x is two intrinsic, uncertainty driven variables (tourist worries and novelty seeking), and z is STT. The moderation effect of STT on the negative relationship between tourist worries and travel transaction satisfaction was significant and positive (β = 0.352, p < 0.001), in addition to its significant and positive direct effect on travel transaction satisfaction (β = 0.393, p < 0.001), supporting H3a and H4a. This indicates that STT positively affect the tourist’s travel transaction satisfaction by mitigating worries emanated from the uncertainty of transaction (during pre-trip planning or in situ). However, the role of STT on travel experience satisfaction was mixed. The moderation effect of STT on the insignificant negative relationship between tourist worries and travel experience satisfaction also turned out to be insignificant, not supporting H3b. However, the moderation effect of STT on the positive relationship between novelty seeking and travel experience satisfaction was significant and positive (β = 0.395, p < 0.05), in addition to its significant and positive direct effect on travel experience satisfaction (β = 0.378, p < 0.05), supporting H3c and H4b. This indicates that STT positively affect tourists’ travel experience satisfaction by allowing and enabling them to seek and explore variety and excitement on their trips. Lastly, all the control variables turned out to be insignificant.

6 Discussion

The current study conceptualized the tourist uncertainty with two constructs, tourist worries and novelty seeking, since reducing worries and promoting novel expectations about travel destinations or overall travel experience have been core parts of planning and preparing the travels (Cohen, 1972 ; Fennell, 2017 ; Huang et al., 2010 ). We explicitly explored their relationship with travel satisfaction and examined how the attributes and the ambidextrous role of smart tourism technologies play in forming tourists’ transaction and travel experience satisfaction. The research model is extensively supported with the empirical analysis, and our findings yield a rich set of critical insights and important contributions to theory development in the use of smart technologies in tourism.

First, we reframed the travel uncertainty with two different and opposing aspects of the tourists. More often than not, uncertainty is associated with negative expectations, such as an important antecedent of risk (Fennell, 2017 ; Williams & Baláž, 2015 ). However, we noticed that in the domain of tourism, uncertainty due to departure from routine and familiarity also plays a positive role in promoting travel satisfaction by encouraging and enabling the various tourist gazes with curiosity and new discovery through ways of encountering or experiencing the novelty in the tour destinations (Chen & Chiou-Wei, 2009 ; Chen & Chou, 2019 ; Pizam et al., 2004 ; Urry, 1990 ; Williams & Baláž, 2015 ). Advancing this view, this study theorized two constructs (i.e., tourist worries and novelty seeking) in the uncertainty framework and empirically demonstrated that they both significantly and simultaneously influence transaction satisfaction and travel experience satisfaction. Specifically, tourist worries negatively influence transaction satisfaction (cf., Borkovec, 1994 ; Jin et al., 2016 ; Larsen et al., 2009 ), whereas tourists’ novelty seeking positively impacts travel experience satisfaction (cf., Assaker & Hallak, 2013 ; Jang & Feng, 2007 ; Kim & Kim, 2015 ; Toyama & Yamada, 2012 ). This unique theoretical frame that identified and confirmed two intrinsic, uncertainty-induced factors co-existing and impacting travel satisfaction in opposite ways not only extends the extant tourism literature on uncertainty associated with travel but also offers additional research opportunities to the future studies in this domain.

Second, this theoretical frame about travel uncertainty also prompted us to explore tourist behaviors to counter worries—the negative side of tourist uncertainty—while seeking novelty—the positive side of tourist uncertainty—in order to increase travel satisfaction. We examined this possibility extensively with the role of smart tourism technologies, as the spread of STT has critically changed the landscape of tourism by providing accessible and personalized information in interactive platforms (Gretzel et al., 2015 ; Xiang & Gretzel, 2010 ; Xiang et al., 2015 ). Our study examined the direct relationship between STT and travel transaction and experience satisfaction, and our findings were consistent with the extant literature (e.g., Huang et al., 2017 ; Koo et al., 2015 ; Neuhofer et al., 2015 ; Wang et al., 2012 ; Yoo et al., 2017 ). More important, this study provided a nuanced picture of how STT interact with the tourist’s efforts in managing worries and seeking novelty to enhance travel satisfaction. Our findings show that STT attributes significantly moderate the relationships between tourist worries and transaction satisfaction and between novelty seeking and travel experience satisfaction. Figure  3 shows the interaction plots as to how the travel satisfaction, given tourist worries and novelty seeking, changes at different levels of correspondents’ STT use.

Interaction plots

Our post hoc analysis clearly shows that the respondent groups of high- and low-level use of STT have different slopes in two interaction plots. Specifically, the degree of travel transaction satisfaction (TTSAT) drops drastically in the respondent group with low STT use as tourist worries creep in. However, even with growing tourist worries, the travel transaction satisfaction of the group with the high STT use shows a flattening pattern (albeit still decreasing slightly). This indicates the mitigating impact of STT on tourist worries, especially for those tourists with high level of worries. The plot of novelty seeking shows that the travel experience satisfaction goes upward as tourist’s novelty seeking increases. In particular, the travel experience satisfaction of the group with high level of STT use increases more quickly than that of the group with low use of STT. This result indicates that even though novelty seeking in general increases overall travel experience for all, the group with high-level use of STT seems to be able to enhance their trip experience through excitement and variety more than those with low-level of STT use. This finding not only asserts the importance of using STT in travel planning, consistent with literature (Steinbauer & Werthner, 2007 ), but also provides insight into the mechanism of how such impact takes place.

It is interesting to further examine STT’s ambidexterity that mitigates the negative side (i.e., tourist worries) while enhancing the positive impact (i.e., novelty seeking) of travel uncertainty with respect to existing literature. Given that most of recent studies explore the theoretical aspects or the simple relationship between STT and satisfaction (Ahani et al., 2019 ; Kirova & Thanh, 2019 ), this study tests the moderating role of STT empirically to uncover how STT interact with other existing variables to produce satisfaction as outcomes. Interestingly, travelers often cope with considerable uncertainty in pre-trip decisions, caused not by the lack of information but by cognitive overload from too much information, as it is difficult, if not impossible, to navigate and examine numerous alternative products and services as well as a variety of promotional deals (Xu & Schrier, 2019 ). Well-designed STT with pictorial metaphor and virtual product experience in travel-related websites such as TripAdvisor and Airbnb, for example, can help reduce the traveler’s cognitive effort and induce a simple and effective decision (Hopf et al., 2020 ; Mirsarraf et al., 2018 ; Steinmann et al., 2014 ), as well as minimizing undesirable outcomes or post-purchase regret (Riquelme & Kegeng, 2004 ; Román, 2010 ). Our study also confirms the findings in the information systems (IS) literature, suggesting that IS plays an important role in addressing uncertainty issues. For example, IS has been found to critically reduced the uncertainty in e-commerce, an important factor that hinders transactions (Pavlou et al., 2007 ). At the same time, IS also provides playfulness and hedonic values to users (Lowry et al., 2013 ). STT, as an advanced form of IS, can be a game changer in dealing with both positive and negative aspects of travel uncertainty simultaneously (cf., Werthner et al., 2015 ).

7 Conclusion and Future Research Direction

With the clear evidence that travelers’ use of smart tourism technologies enriches their travel experience and satisfaction by reducing worries and facilitating novelty seeking, especially in the travel planning stage, our study not only advances theory development in smart tourism but also offers important implications to the tourism providers and promoters. Except for the more complicated products and services (such as cruises or tours), travel transactions have largely moved online. In addition to being more convenient and efficient than the traditional face-to-face meetings or phone calls with travel agents, use of STT in completing transactions also alleviates tourist worries, leading to higher level of transaction satisfaction. Based on the findings of this study, travel vendors can expect more positive reactions from travelers by taking on measures to further ease their worries about bookings and reservations. As an example of such worry-reduction applications, United Airlines specifically prints “Book without worry; Cancel for free within 24 hours of booking” right below the “Confirm” or “Continue” button on the reservation page to encourage immediate booking.

The findings of this study also imply that travel bureaus and tour promoters can take measures to call upon travelers’ intention to seek novelty in trips through STT by increasing the exploration and uniqueness aspect of a tour or destination on the promotional websites, social media pages, and apps (Assaker & Hallak, 2013 ; Jang & Feng, 2007 ; Toyama & Yamada, 2012 ). As Urry ( 1990 ) suggested, the tourist gaze is structured by culturally specific notions of what is extraordinary and therefore worth viewing. On the travel destination page, for instance, in addition to the usual topics such as “where to eat,” “where to stay,” and “what to do,” focused coverage of a few unusual activities and unique spots with photos and videos shared by previous travelers can stimulate daydreaming and anticipation for travelers seeking escape from familiarity and routines with personalized itineraries (Neuhofer et al., 2015 ; Volchek et al., 2019 ). Such practices offer opportunities for novelty-minder travelers to explore destinations, gaze at particular objects, in the company of various types of people.

COVID-19 has significantly increased the travel risk perception to the extent that negatively impacts the intention to travel (Sánchez-Cañizares et al., 2021 ), and the STT’s ambidexterity may have even greater implications in the post-pandemic era. On the one hand, the use of STT can help alleviate such uncertainties: It is found, for instance, that COVID-9 has caused tourists to increase their intention to use smartphones, especially to when making payments for purchases (García-Milon et al., 2021 ). On the other hand, STT allow travelers to engage in novel-seeking activities via “virtual travel” before or even in lieu of actual physical trips (Atsiz, 2021 ; Zhang et al., 2022 ). Applying and extending the findings of the current study on STT’s role in travelers’ perceptions, behaviors, and satisfactions amid uncertainty can significantly contribute to tourism research and practice after COVID-19.

Although this study was conducted based on sound theories and valid methodologies, it is not without limitations. First, we collected data from tourists in South Korea. Therefore, we can assume that the results of the study reflect the sample group. Tourists with different nationality or ethnicity may have different travel motivations, gazes, and travel planning (Kozak, 2002 ), thus leading to different types of satisfaction (Lee et al., 2004 ). Therefore, to generalize the findings of the study, future studies can be done with data from other countries and various backgrounds. Second, we designed a second-order construct, STT attributes, with four formative first-order constructs, informativeness, accessibility, interactivity, and personalization in the study. Although this design shows significant results, other facets of STT can be also considered. In addition, we used STT as an umbrella term. It is possible that if the STT is defined in a narrow scope (such as mobile apps or payment systems only), different aspects of STT can be studied individually. Future studies can take that approach to extend the understanding STT attributes. Third, the current research explores the STT’s ambidexterity by taking a snapshot of the informants who already completed the trips. However, STT may work differently in different phases of travel. For example, travel satisfaction may change weeks or even months after the completion of a trip through sharing pictures and dialogues with friends and family. As such, different attributes of STT may impact travel satisfaction at different phases of travel. Therefore, we believe that dividing travel phases further with multiple data collections will provide more complete picture of STT and travel experience in future research. Lastly, this study examines the role of STT from a single traveler’s perspective. When there is more than one person planning the trip, such as in the case of a couple or a travel group, the balance between tourist worries and novelty seeking could be determined by the difference in personalities, and the moderating role of STT can therefore be different. Examining the STT’s ambidexterity in the existence of multiple decision makers in travel planning is an interesting and useful extension of the current study.

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Goo, J., Huang, C.D., Yoo, C.W. et al. Smart Tourism Technologies’ Ambidexterity: Balancing Tourist’s Worries and Novelty Seeking for Travel Satisfaction. Inf Syst Front 24 , 2139–2158 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-021-10233-6

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The future of tourism: Bridging the labor gap, enhancing customer experience

As travel resumes and builds momentum, it’s becoming clear that tourism is resilient—there is an enduring desire to travel. Against all odds, international tourism rebounded in 2022: visitor numbers to Europe and the Middle East climbed to around 80 percent of 2019 levels, and the Americas recovered about 65 percent of prepandemic visitors 1 “Tourism set to return to pre-pandemic levels in some regions in 2023,” United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), January 17, 2023. —a number made more significant because it was reached without travelers from China, which had the world’s largest outbound travel market before the pandemic. 2 “ Outlook for China tourism 2023: Light at the end of the tunnel ,” McKinsey, May 9, 2023.

Recovery and growth are likely to continue. According to estimates from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) for 2023, international tourist arrivals could reach 80 to 95 percent of prepandemic levels depending on the extent of the economic slowdown, travel recovery in Asia–Pacific, and geopolitical tensions, among other factors. 3 “Tourism set to return to pre-pandemic levels in some regions in 2023,” United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), January 17, 2023. Similarly, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) forecasts that by the end of 2023, nearly half of the 185 countries in which the organization conducts research will have either recovered to prepandemic levels or be within 95 percent of full recovery. 4 “Global travel and tourism catapults into 2023 says WTTC,” World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), April 26, 2023.

Longer-term forecasts also point to optimism for the decade ahead. Travel and tourism GDP is predicted to grow, on average, at 5.8 percent a year between 2022 and 2032, outpacing the growth of the overall economy at an expected 2.7 percent a year. 5 Travel & Tourism economic impact 2022 , WTTC, August 2022.

So, is it all systems go for travel and tourism? Not really. The industry continues to face a prolonged and widespread labor shortage. After losing 62 million travel and tourism jobs in 2020, labor supply and demand remain out of balance. 6 “WTTC research reveals Travel & Tourism’s slow recovery is hitting jobs and growth worldwide,” World Travel & Tourism Council, October 6, 2021. Today, in the European Union, 11 percent of tourism jobs are likely to go unfilled; in the United States, that figure is 7 percent. 7 Travel & Tourism economic impact 2022 : Staff shortages, WTTC, August 2022.

There has been an exodus of tourism staff, particularly from customer-facing roles, to other sectors, and there is no sign that the industry will be able to bring all these people back. 8 Travel & Tourism economic impact 2022 : Staff shortages, WTTC, August 2022. Hotels, restaurants, cruises, airports, and airlines face staff shortages that can translate into operational, reputational, and financial difficulties. If unaddressed, these shortages may constrain the industry’s growth trajectory.

The current labor shortage may have its roots in factors related to the nature of work in the industry. Chronic workplace challenges, coupled with the effects of COVID-19, have culminated in an industry struggling to rebuild its workforce. Generally, tourism-related jobs are largely informal, partly due to high seasonality and weak regulation. And conditions such as excessively long working hours, low wages, a high turnover rate, and a lack of social protection tend to be most pronounced in an informal economy. Additionally, shift work, night work, and temporary or part-time employment are common in tourism.

The industry may need to revisit some fundamentals to build a far more sustainable future: either make the industry more attractive to talent (and put conditions in place to retain staff for longer periods) or improve products, services, and processes so that they complement existing staffing needs or solve existing pain points.

One solution could be to build a workforce with the mix of digital and interpersonal skills needed to keep up with travelers’ fast-changing requirements. The industry could make the most of available technology to provide customers with a digitally enhanced experience, resolve staff shortages, and improve working conditions.

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Complementing concierges with chatbots.

The pace of technological change has redefined customer expectations. Technology-driven services are often at customers’ fingertips, with no queues or waiting times. By contrast, the airport and airline disruption widely reported in the press over the summer of 2022 points to customers not receiving this same level of digital innovation when traveling.

Imagine the following travel experience: it’s 2035 and you start your long-awaited honeymoon to a tropical island. A virtual tour operator and a destination travel specialist booked your trip for you; you connected via videoconference to make your plans. Your itinerary was chosen with the support of generative AI , which analyzed your preferences, recommended personalized travel packages, and made real-time adjustments based on your feedback.

Before leaving home, you check in online and QR code your luggage. You travel to the airport by self-driving cab. After dropping off your luggage at the self-service counter, you pass through security and the biometric check. You access the premier lounge with the QR code on the airline’s loyalty card and help yourself to a glass of wine and a sandwich. After your flight, a prebooked, self-driving cab takes you to the resort. No need to check in—that was completed online ahead of time (including picking your room and making sure that the hotel’s virtual concierge arranged for red roses and a bottle of champagne to be delivered).

While your luggage is brought to the room by a baggage robot, your personal digital concierge presents the honeymoon itinerary with all the requested bookings. For the romantic dinner on the first night, you order your food via the restaurant app on the table and settle the bill likewise. So far, you’ve had very little human interaction. But at dinner, the sommelier chats with you in person about the wine. The next day, your sightseeing is made easier by the hotel app and digital guide—and you don’t get lost! With the aid of holographic technology, the virtual tour guide brings historical figures to life and takes your sightseeing experience to a whole new level. Then, as arranged, a local citizen meets you and takes you to their home to enjoy a local family dinner. The trip is seamless, there are no holdups or snags.

This scenario features less human interaction than a traditional trip—but it flows smoothly due to the underlying technology. The human interactions that do take place are authentic, meaningful, and add a special touch to the experience. This may be a far-fetched example, but the essence of the scenario is clear: use technology to ease typical travel pain points such as queues, misunderstandings, or misinformation, and elevate the quality of human interaction.

Travel with less human interaction may be considered a disruptive idea, as many travelers rely on and enjoy the human connection, the “service with a smile.” This will always be the case, but perhaps the time is right to think about bringing a digital experience into the mix. The industry may not need to depend exclusively on human beings to serve its customers. Perhaps the future of travel is physical, but digitally enhanced (and with a smile!).

Digital solutions are on the rise and can help bridge the labor gap

Digital innovation is improving customer experience across multiple industries. Car-sharing apps have overcome service-counter waiting times and endless paperwork that travelers traditionally had to cope with when renting a car. The same applies to time-consuming hotel check-in, check-out, and payment processes that can annoy weary customers. These pain points can be removed. For instance, in China, the Huazhu Hotels Group installed self-check-in kiosks that enable guests to check in or out in under 30 seconds. 9 “Huazhu Group targets lifestyle market opportunities,” ChinaTravelNews, May 27, 2021.

Technology meets hospitality

In 2019, Alibaba opened its FlyZoo Hotel in Huangzhou, described as a “290-room ultra-modern boutique, where technology meets hospitality.” 1 “Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has a hotel run almost entirely by robots that can serve food and fetch toiletries—take a look inside,” Business Insider, October 21, 2019; “FlyZoo Hotel: The hotel of the future or just more technology hype?,” Hotel Technology News, March 2019. The hotel was the first of its kind that instead of relying on traditional check-in and key card processes, allowed guests to manage reservations and make payments entirely from a mobile app, to check-in using self-service kiosks, and enter their rooms using facial-recognition technology.

The hotel is run almost entirely by robots that serve food and fetch toiletries and other sundries as needed. Each guest room has a voice-activated smart assistant to help guests with a variety of tasks, from adjusting the temperature, lights, curtains, and the TV to playing music and answering simple questions about the hotel and surroundings.

The hotel was developed by the company’s online travel platform, Fliggy, in tandem with Alibaba’s AI Labs and Alibaba Cloud technology with the goal of “leveraging cutting-edge tech to help transform the hospitality industry, one that keeps the sector current with the digital era we’re living in,” according to the company.

Adoption of some digitally enhanced services was accelerated during the pandemic in the quest for safer, contactless solutions. During the Winter Olympics in Beijing, a restaurant designed to keep physical contact to a minimum used a track system on the ceiling to deliver meals directly from the kitchen to the table. 10 “This Beijing Winter Games restaurant uses ceiling-based tracks,” Trendhunter, January 26, 2022. Customers around the world have become familiar with restaurants using apps to display menus, take orders, and accept payment, as well as hotels using robots to deliver luggage and room service (see sidebar “Technology meets hospitality”). Similarly, theme parks, cinemas, stadiums, and concert halls are deploying digital solutions such as facial recognition to optimize entrance control. Shanghai Disneyland, for example, offers annual pass holders the option to choose facial recognition to facilitate park entry. 11 “Facial recognition park entry,” Shanghai Disney Resort website.

Automation and digitization can also free up staff from attending to repetitive functions that could be handled more efficiently via an app and instead reserve the human touch for roles where staff can add the most value. For instance, technology can help customer-facing staff to provide a more personalized service. By accessing data analytics, frontline staff can have guests’ details and preferences at their fingertips. A trainee can become an experienced concierge in a short time, with the help of technology.

Apps and in-room tech: Unused market potential

According to Skift Research calculations, total revenue generated by guest apps and in-room technology in 2019 was approximately $293 million, including proprietary apps by hotel brands as well as third-party vendors. 1 “Hotel tech benchmark: Guest-facing technology 2022,” Skift Research, November 2022. The relatively low market penetration rate of this kind of tech points to around $2.4 billion in untapped revenue potential (exhibit).

Even though guest-facing technology is available—the kind that can facilitate contactless interactions and offer travelers convenience and personalized service—the industry is only beginning to explore its potential. A report by Skift Research shows that the hotel industry, in particular, has not tapped into tech’s potential. Only 11 percent of hotels and 25 percent of hotel rooms worldwide are supported by a hotel app or use in-room technology, and only 3 percent of hotels offer keyless entry. 12 “Hotel tech benchmark: Guest-facing technology 2022,” Skift Research, November 2022. Of the five types of technology examined (guest apps and in-room tech; virtual concierge; guest messaging and chatbots; digital check-in and kiosks; and keyless entry), all have relatively low market-penetration rates (see sidebar “Apps and in-room tech: Unused market potential”).

While apps, digitization, and new technology may be the answer to offering better customer experience, there is also the possibility that tourism may face competition from technological advances, particularly virtual experiences. Museums, attractions, and historical sites can be made interactive and, in some cases, more lifelike, through AR/VR technology that can enhance the physical travel experience by reconstructing historical places or events.

Up until now, tourism, arguably, was one of a few sectors that could not easily be replaced by tech. It was not possible to replicate the physical experience of traveling to another place. With the emerging metaverse , this might change. Travelers could potentially enjoy an event or experience from their sofa without any logistical snags, and without the commitment to traveling to another country for any length of time. For example, Google offers virtual tours of the Pyramids of Meroë in Sudan via an immersive online experience available in a range of languages. 13 Mariam Khaled Dabboussi, “Step into the Meroë pyramids with Google,” Google, May 17, 2022. And a crypto banking group, The BCB Group, has created a metaverse city that includes representations of some of the most visited destinations in the world, such as the Great Wall of China and the Statue of Liberty. According to BCB, the total cost of flights, transfers, and entry for all these landmarks would come to $7,600—while a virtual trip would cost just over $2. 14 “What impact can the Metaverse have on the travel industry?,” Middle East Economy, July 29, 2022.

The metaverse holds potential for business travel, too—the meeting, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) sector in particular. Participants could take part in activities in the same immersive space while connecting from anywhere, dramatically reducing travel, venue, catering, and other costs. 15 “ Tourism in the metaverse: Can travel go virtual? ,” McKinsey, May 4, 2023.

The allure and convenience of such digital experiences make offering seamless, customer-centric travel and tourism in the real world all the more pressing.

Three innovations to solve hotel staffing shortages

Is the future contactless.

Given the advances in technology, and the many digital innovations and applications that already exist, there is potential for businesses across the travel and tourism spectrum to cope with labor shortages while improving customer experience. Process automation and digitization can also add to process efficiency. Taken together, a combination of outsourcing, remote work, and digital solutions can help to retain existing staff and reduce dependency on roles that employers are struggling to fill (exhibit).

Depending on the customer service approach and direct contact need, we estimate that the travel and tourism industry would be able to cope with a structural labor shortage of around 10 to 15 percent in the long run by operating more flexibly and increasing digital and automated efficiency—while offering the remaining staff an improved total work package.

Outsourcing and remote work could also help resolve the labor shortage

While COVID-19 pushed organizations in a wide variety of sectors to embrace remote work, there are many hospitality roles that rely on direct physical services that cannot be performed remotely, such as laundry, cleaning, maintenance, and facility management. If faced with staff shortages, these roles could be outsourced to third-party professional service providers, and existing staff could be reskilled to take up new positions.

In McKinsey’s experience, the total service cost of this type of work in a typical hotel can make up 10 percent of total operating costs. Most often, these roles are not guest facing. A professional and digital-based solution might become an integrated part of a third-party service for hotels looking to outsource this type of work.

One of the lessons learned in the aftermath of COVID-19 is that many tourism employees moved to similar positions in other sectors because they were disillusioned by working conditions in the industry . Specialist multisector companies have been able to shuffle their staff away from tourism to other sectors that offer steady employment or more regular working hours compared with the long hours and seasonal nature of work in tourism.

The remaining travel and tourism staff may be looking for more flexibility or the option to work from home. This can be an effective solution for retaining employees. For example, a travel agent with specific destination expertise could work from home or be consulted on an needs basis.

In instances where remote work or outsourcing is not viable, there are other solutions that the hospitality industry can explore to improve operational effectiveness as well as employee satisfaction. A more agile staffing model  can better match available labor with peaks and troughs in daily, or even hourly, demand. This could involve combining similar roles or cross-training staff so that they can switch roles. Redesigned roles could potentially improve employee satisfaction by empowering staff to explore new career paths within the hotel’s operations. Combined roles build skills across disciplines—for example, supporting a housekeeper to train and become proficient in other maintenance areas, or a front-desk associate to build managerial skills.

Where management or ownership is shared across properties, roles could be staffed to cover a network of sites, rather than individual hotels. By applying a combination of these approaches, hotels could reduce the number of staff hours needed to keep operations running at the same standard. 16 “ Three innovations to solve hotel staffing shortages ,” McKinsey, April 3, 2023.

Taken together, operational adjustments combined with greater use of technology could provide the tourism industry with a way of overcoming staffing challenges and giving customers the seamless digitally enhanced experiences they expect in other aspects of daily life.

In an industry facing a labor shortage, there are opportunities for tech innovations that can help travel and tourism businesses do more with less, while ensuring that remaining staff are engaged and motivated to stay in the industry. For travelers, this could mean fewer friendly faces, but more meaningful experiences and interactions.

Urs Binggeli is a senior expert in McKinsey’s Zurich office, Zi Chen is a capabilities and insights specialist in the Shanghai office, Steffen Köpke is a capabilities and insights expert in the Düsseldorf office, and Jackey Yu is a partner in the Hong Kong office.

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Discover the innovative features and cutting-edge technologies that make Moscow a Smart City leader. From efficient transportation systems to advanced energy management, Smart City Moscow is transforming urban living for its citizens. Explore the benefits and possibilities of a smarter city with Moscow smart city strategy.

Smart City Moscow, Russia

2.127 smart points.

Environment

Connectivity, life quality.

Moscow, on the Moskva River in western Russia, is the nation’s cosmopolitan capital. In its historic core is the Kremlin, a complex that’s home to the president and tsarist treasures in the Armoury. Outside its walls is Red Square, Russia’s symbolic center. It’s home to Lenin’s Mausoleum, the State Historical Museum’s comprehensive collection, and St. Basil’s Cathedral, known for its colorful, onion-shaped domes.

Once Moscow started to revive its legend and cultural gem, the number of visitors to VDNKh has been rapidly increasing to reach around 25 million people annually. In 2018, it saw the record-breaking 30 million guests! During its 80-year history, the exhibition was called in different ways: VSKhV, VDNKh, and VVTs. Its original purpose was to demonstrate the achievements of the national economy to Muscovites and numerous Moscow guests. However, today it has become a Grand Centre of leisure, education, and culture.

Examples of Smart City Development in Moscow:

• Implementation of a unified Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) that integrates various modes of transportation, including public transport, private vehicles, and bicycles, to provide a seamless and efficient travel experience for citizens.
• Deployment of a network of smart sensors and devices that collect and analyze data on traffic flow, air quality, noise pollution, and other environmental factors to help city officials make informed decisions and improve the quality of life for residents.
• Creation of digital platforms and services, such as e-government portals, online payment systems, and mobile apps, that enable citizens to access information and services quickly and easily, anytime and anywhere.

Companies and their Results Moscow smart city strategy:

• Yandex, the leading Russian search engine and technology company, has developed a number of smart transportation solutions in Moscow, including a ride-sharing service called Yandex.Taxi, a car-sharing service called Yandex.Drive, and a public transport planning tool called Yandex.Transport.
• Huawei, the Chinese tech giant, has partnered with Moscow authorities to deploy 5G networks and other advanced technologies to support the city’s smart city initiatives. The company has also established a research and development center in Moscow to focus on AI and other emerging technologies.

Statistics in Numbers:

• According to the Moscow Department of Information Technology, the city has installed more than 200,000 smart devices and sensors to monitor traffic, air quality, and other environmental factors.
• The Moscow Metro, which carries more than 7 million passengers per day, has implemented a smart ticketing system that allows commuters to pay for rides with their smartphones.
• Moscow’s e-government portal, which provides access to more than 500 online services, has registered more than 18 million users since its launch in 2011.

Interesting Facts:

• Moscow was ranked as the 9th smartest city in the world in 2020, according to the IESE Cities in Motion Index.
• The city has launched a number of smart city pilot projects, including a program to use blockchain technology to store and share data on real estate transactions and a project to deploy autonomous vehicles in certain parts of the city.
• Moscow authorities have set a goal of reducing the city’s carbon footprint by 30% by 2030 through a range of initiatives, including the promotion of electric vehicles and the implementation of energy-efficient buildings and infrastructure.

Plans for Moscow smart city 2030 strategy roadmap:

• The Moscow smart city strategy Roadmap, which was adopted in 2016, outlines a number of key priorities and initiatives for the city’s smart city development through 2030. These include:
• Expanding the use of digital technologies and services to improve the quality of life for residents, such as smart healthcare and education.
• Enhancing the city’s transportation infrastructure and mobility services to reduce congestion and improve accessibility.
• Promoting sustainable development and energy efficiency through the use of renewable energy sources and green building practices.
• Fostering innovation and entrepreneurship through the development of a strong ecosystem of startups, research institutions, and venture capital firms.

The Moscow Smart City strategy represents a comprehensive and ambitious plan to transform the city into a more livable, sustainable, and innovative urban environment. Through the use of advanced technologies and data-driven solutions, the strategy seeks to improve the quality of life for citizens and create a more prosperous and resilient city for future generations.

Moscow smart city strategy Technograd

Technograd is the chief front office of Moscow’s professional training system. The complex was opened in the Knowledge Park at VDNKh on 3 September 2018, with Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin invited.

Training program

Technograd offers the world’s and the country’s best training programs in more than 40 most in-demand professions and professions of the future. The programs have been based on actual employers’ requirements. The complex gives an opportunity to train, retrain, and upgrade skills in any of the chosen careers. Its platforms provide excellent conditions for training specialists for small and medium-sized businesses. The training programs have been developed taking into account the specifics of each line of business and include case studies of leading entrepreneurs and experts.

Assembly point of the future

In the country’s sole supermarket of professions, everyone of any age can acquire an in-demand profession or choose his or her future job, taking training based on cutting-edge teaching methods. The innovative education complex of a new type is VDNKh’s attraction point.

Muscovites use the advantages of a smart city every day: they connect to the internet on a train or in the streets, arrange doctor’s visits via the Unified Medical Information Analysis System (UMIAS), pay utility bills online, and attend an online school. Mos.ru presents this article on how Moscow has managed to become one of the world’s smartest cities.

A Smart City is a system of city service resources that are used as efficiently as possible to provide maximum convenience for its residents. It requires a close connection between smart city projects (street CCTV cameras, public services, smart transport systems, and others) in a megalopolis.

City Wi-Fi and mobile internet

There are many points with free Wi-Fi access in Moscow streets, parks, and pedestrian areas, including over 2,000 located inside the Garden Ring and in Moscow parks.

The Internet can also be accessed from public transport. The network covers the metro, the MCC, the Aeroexpress trains to the airports as well as buses, trams, and trolleys. This means there is no need to authorize again after changing from one form of transport to another.

Mobile internet still costs Muscovites eight times less than in New York. Moscow is second in fixed telephone accessibility.

Smart transport

Moscow’s intelligent traffic control system is an important element in a Smart City. In Moscow, this system includes more than 2,000 traffic lights, 3,500 traffic detectors, and 2,000 CCTV cameras. Data from these devices are transferred to the Traffic Management Center’s situation room, where they are analyzed online, which helps control traffic. In the future, this information will make it possible for the Traffic Management Center to forecast traffic patterns due to street closures, the introduction of one-way traffic, or a newly designated bus lane.

Moscow was the first Russian region to launch a website where the public can pay various fees, and attain city services, and that moved permits and documents to the cloud allowing users to receive several services in one package.

Muscovites can check on and pay traffic tickets and utility bills, arrange a doctor’s visit, top-up a Troika card, sign up children for a club or do many other things in only minutes. There are 222 services in total on mos.ru now.

Visit a doctor online

The Unified Medical Information Analysis System (UMIAS) was launched in Moscow in 2011. It can be used to find the closest medical center, arrange a doctor’s visit, or get sick leave papers. UMIAS has reduced lines in clinics 2.5 times since it was launched.

UMIAS works at 678 medical centers, unites 21,500 doctors, and 9.5 million patients as well as 359 million arrangements, and provides for over 500,000 transactions every day. About 700,000 people use UMIAS to arrange to see a doctor every week.

City and Active Citizen

Muscovites can directly interact with the Moscow government and influence the city’s life. Our City is a feedback channel where residents can comment on officials and utility services issues.

Muscovites can report on the lack of a rubbish basket in a park, a broken staircase or pavement tile as well as rubbish on the street, poor landscaping care, or a pothole. Over a million users are registered on the website. Almost 1.8 million problems have been resolved with this website so far.

The Active Citizen online referendum system allows citizens to give an opinion on various issues, starting from additional bus routes and lawn mowing to the name of the new metro ring. “Active Citizens” save up bonus points to get brand souvenirs or tickets to theatres or museums. Today over 1.9 million participants are registered in the system, with 2,600 voting sessions held and over 81 million opinions taken into account.

Electronic school

The Moscow Electronic School project started in September 2016. The main elements include digital school records and online registering as well as an electronic library with textbooks and lesson scenarios. The scenarios have replaced lesson plans and look more like a presentation with materials and tasks. Teachers all around the city can find the necessary scenario at the library, add something new to the existing one, or create a new one and share it with others.

This system allows teachers to exchange opinions and creates healthy competition between teachers because scenarios can be rated and the number of downloads is recorded. As of today, teachers have created almost 50,000 lesson electronic scenarios. Interactive blackboards – 84-inch touch screens – can be used to make lessons more interesting. School students can draw on it, move elements from one place to another, paint various areas, and so on with a stylus or their fingers. Today’s children are used to electronic devices, so they like working that way. For example, in history lessons, students use the blackboard to enjoy drawing trade routes or circle areas where certain tribes lived. Some subjects, such as geometry, actually look better with 3D images. Thanks to internet access, teachers can quickly pull up information such as laws, articles, videos, and many other things on the interactive blackboard.

Moscow schools also use online school performance and attendance records as well as the “Attendance and Food” system, in which parents can see children’s marks and their education in general: what topics were covered and what homework is due. The system allows parents to monitor their child’s arrival and departure from school and what they had for lunch.

Video analytics

Moscow is one of the world’s top ten cities in the number of CCTV cameras. There are over 146,000 cameras installed in entrance halls, courtyards, public places, and educational institutions. Recordings are used to solve 70 percent of violations and crimes. The cameras also help monitor utility services.

Recordings are kept at the united data storage and process center. In case of an emergency, it is possible to book the archived information from the necessary camera for 30 days by calling 8 (495) 587-0002. The application number received from the operator must be given to law enforcement or legal counsel. If not booked, the archived information is kept for five days.

World recognition

It is fair to call Moscow a smart city, and this title is recognized by the global community. Last July, PricewaterhouseCoopers included Moscow in the top five megalopolises that are ready for innovation. Last June, the Russian capital won the WeGO award. Moscow received special mention in the category of e-government services, and last February, Intelligent Community Forum ranked Moscow among the top seven finalists in the most intelligent city contest.

Industrial design

A special style has been developed for the design of structures used in the new signage system. Materials were selected to minimize vandalism and that do not require painting to maintain their appearance. The exterior design was inspired by Moscow architecture.

How was the Moscow smart city strategy development?

The development of a single transport navigation signage system began in 2013 and was ready within a year. The pilot project was launched in the metro: information signs with pedestrian maps and exit numbers appeared at five stations. At the same time, maps for system accessibility appeared at the bike-share stations.

The first bus stop with the new signage was completed in Moscow in 2015. Signage with city maps for pedestrians also began appearing at that time.

The new navigation system began to be used on a wide scale in 2016. Information for the passengers is placed in the metro and at the stops as well as on pedestrian streets.

Over the past 7 years, the number of tourists has increased by 65 percent, from 12.8 million to 21 million people. City revenues from tourism, festivals, and cultural events have soared by 70 percent. A new navigation system has been introduced for the convenience of city residents and tourists: signs and markers are currently available in eight administrative areas as well as at every bus stop

Social care and assistance

Social-sector funding has almost doubled in 2011. In 2018, 430 billion roubles were allocated for social care and assistance projects. Apart from cash payments, the city implements other projects that make life easier. For example, 85 percent of buses, trolleybuses, and trams are adapted for people with disabilities, and to add to this the Exciting Activities for Senior Citizens project has been launched.

Since 2013, the city has planted over 90,000 trees and 1.9 million shrubs under the One Million Trees project. The air is becoming cleaner: Nitrogen oxide and carbon oxide emissions are down 20 and 30 percent, respectively, and those of tiny particles have decreased by an average of ten percent. And tap water no longer reeks of chlorine.

Parks and green zones

550 parks, since 2011, the city has improved 550 parks and green territories, including the creation of 259 new parks. In 2017, 113 green zones were improved. There are plans to still improve 84 parks before the year is out. Trees and shrubs cover 49 percent of the city’s area.

Construction

The city no longer implements high-density (infill) construction projects, and the construction of properties with an area of 21.2 million square meters has been canceled. New hospitals, schools and kindergartens, transport interchanges, and metro stations appear each year.

Science and innovations. Moscow smart city strategy

The city has established 33 technology parks accommodating thousands of small and medium-sized innovative companies. 39 industrial complexes prioritizing innovation development have been registered. 12 technology parks for children are being developed at local universities, offering classes for school children.

The number of weekend markets has increased ten-fold. Since early 2018, there are 102 marketplaces. Over 4,000 illegal trading facilities have been dismantled during the past five years, a standard system for siting kiosks has been drafted, and a 96.6-percent outlet-accessibility coefficient is now posted.

Since 2011, the city has improved 550 parks and green territories, including the creation of 259 new parks. In 2017, 113 green zones were improved. There are plans to still improve 84 parks before the year is out. Trees and shrubs cover 49 percent of the city’s area.

Since 2011, the city has opened over 90 new sports facilities, and the number of city residents preferring a healthy lifestyle has doubled. During the summer of 2018, Moscow hosted the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Luzhniki Stadium was renovated in the run-up to the event, and home stadiums for Spartak and CSKA were also built.

In the past few years, Moscow built 42 new cultural facilities and restored over 1,000 architectural landmarks, including the Arch of Triumph on Kutuzovsky Prospekt, the Pashkov House, the Gnessin School of Music, the Izvestia building, Helikon Opera, and many others as well.

Moscow city governed Moscow city is governed by a system of local government that consists of a Mayor, a City Duma (legislative body), and various executive bodies. The current Mayor of Moscow is Sergey Sobyanin, who has been in office since 2010. The City Duma is made up of 45 deputies who are elected for a term of five years. The executive bodies of Moscow city government are responsible for implementing policies and programs as directed by the Mayor and the City Duma. These bodies include the Moscow City Government, which is headed by the Mayor, and various departments responsible for areas such as transportation, education, and healthcare.

Building and courtyard Moscow smart city strategy

By 2015, the city renovated 105,900 residential building entrances and sections and replaced 29,500 lifts in apartment houses. In all, 21,875 courtyards were improved in 2011-2016. Parking space volumes tripled, and 17,353 new playgrounds and 4,487 sports facilities were installed

City projects

Moscow pioneered the development of key city-life aspects . Other Russian cities utilize the capital’s experience in implementing city-level projects to create a people-friendly urban environment, to modernize the transport sector, and implement IT projects at local schools

Route connectivity

The system is intended for the metro, surface transport, pedestrian spaces, the city’s bike-share network, and transit hubs, and it facilitates orientation along the way on the ground and underground. Each component is designed for a specific place, where it helps plan a route.

City maps for pedestrians have appeared in Moscow for the first time. All of them are designed with due account of the person’s location. It is marked “You are here.” The maps are oriented so that everything on the right is also to the right of the person looking at the map. Those accustomed to cardinal directions for orientation will see an arrow pointing to the north. The maps have circles indicating a five-minute walk from their location.

Metro Exits

Metro exits are now numbered clockwise. This helps people find the right direction. Major interchange hubs comprising several stations (Okhotny Ryad — Teatralnaya — Ploshchad Revolyutsii) have consecutive numbering. In addition, exits adapted for passengers with impaired mobility are marked with ramp and lift icons.

City landmarks that help orient visitors are marked with images and icons. This helps people identify them quicker and find the desired direction. Landmarks are indicated in the navigation system and serve as additional reference points.

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Royal Smart Tourism LLC is one of the Best Travel & Tourism Company in Dubai.

We organize Tours and Activities like Dubai City Tours, Abu Dhabi City Tours, Sharjah, Ajman City Tours, Desert Safari, Dubai Parks and Resorts, Dhow Cruise Dinner, Helicopter Tour, Sightseeing Tour Across UAE, Skydive and many more.

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Discover the hidden delights of the Dubai desert on a adventure. Enjoy a barbecue dinner and traditional entertainment...

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Duration: 8 Hours

**BOOK AND GET SPECIAL OFFER**  IMG Worlds of Adventure is Dubai’s first mega themed entertainment destination promising visitor...

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi

Duration: 10 Hours

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is a mostly indoors amusement park on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is the first Ferrari-branded...

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Absorb Dubai Marinas unrivaled architecture, opulent yachts, and breathtaking waterfront sights at its best! Go on an atmospheric dhow cruis...

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Duration: 4 Hours

One of the most fascinating and sought-after attractions at The Dubai Mall is the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo. It provides guests wi...

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Customers Says

Sebastian M

Recent traveller.

I’m speechless with everything. It’s a dream come true to us! It’s a highly recommended for each and everyone to try & experience this in Dubai. Clean & well maintain

I have been seeing tv ads for this attraction for over 12 months and was determined to see it in person. Our visit did not disappoint. Purchase of tickets online a different story. There seemed to be a lot of people queuing but when we got in it was not crowded. The underwater tunnel was amazing, lots of displays (a few more identification signs on display ranks would be helpful).

Adventurer700612

Its in Dubai Mall so you can have aquarium visit while hanging out in the mall. You can see part of Aquarium by walking through the mall for free. To get the best experience take the tickets. Its not expensive and the view is amazing. Families with young kids must do it. Kids will love it.

Fantastical experience and wonderful if you have the time. There is so much to see and explore. Great location as you will most likely visit the mall anyway and awesome for photos.

Enjoyed the self guided tour around the aquarium and underwater zoo. Easy walk/DIY tour as its all air-conditioned within the complex.

Nice aquarium and small zoo( mostly marine) good for something to do in Dubai. Kid friendly, some interactive exhibits in the zoo

Very good fast and great prompt response and ticket was activated in seconds. Aquarium was awesome very friendly staff enjoyed much

It was a nice experience even though we expected more. Thanks and look forward to using your service.

Best of the best We planned this placed for our 7 year old to have fun but believe me guys not only him we enjoyed to fullest..This place is just so so amazing..we reached there around 12 but we left this place around 11pm and we didn’t knw where our time went…Rides are super duper fun!!MUST VISIT️

Artchiepelago

All staffs are very accomodating and friendly. Especially our service Umair. He is very friendly and kind to talk with. We finished and enjoyed our adventure till closing time and he still waited. Thank you very much for the experience!

Hamzashahbaz992

Best in Business It was a great experience and our guide Mr Ali is a very good man. He went an extra mile to show us around and guided us through various areas. If you ever come to Dubai and don’t know who to book with. Use his services. Thank You for a wonderful experience.

Great deal and fun park! Great deal and nice park to do during the summer heat of Dubaï. I've received the tickets really quick via WhatsApp. Avoid the queue by goings before 3pm (it was empty !)

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Moscow Travel Guide: Best Things to Do + More [2023]

· everything to know about visiting moscow, including the best things to do and how to get around. ·.

Moscow is Russia’s vibrant capital city, and it also happens to be the largest city in all of Europe. The city’s long and infamous history makes it one of the most unique places we have ever visited.

The architecture ranges from centuries-old palaces to uniform, gray concrete buildings. The people range from cold and private to warm and welcoming. Moscow is a city is strong juxtapositions, and we learned a lot during our time there.

This post will break down all you need to know about visiting Moscow, including the best things to do, how to get there, how to get around, and more.

The Best Things to Do in Moscow

1. explore the red square.

The Red Square is the heart of Moscow. Most of the city’s top attractions can be found here, including just about everything on this list. The Kremlin, St. Basil’s Cathedral, and Lenin’s Mausoleum are all located here, and the State Historical Museum and GUM are not far from here, either.

The Red Square is a common home for parades, protests, and seasonal celebrations. There are massive Christmas celebrations here, with food vendors and carnival rides set up in numbers.

2. Check Out the Ziferblat

The Ziferblat is a café in Moscow that is unlike any café we have ever been to. While most cafes charge you for your drinks and food, the Ziferblat charges you for your time.

Upon arrival, you are given a clock. When you leave, the barista calculates how much time you spent in the café and charges you accordingly. This concept was created to help visitors to be more intentional with their time, and the cafe itself is incredibly charming.

For a detailed look at everything you need to know before you visit, make sure you read my post about visiting the Ziferblat Cafe in Moscow .

3. Marvel at St. Basil’s Cathedral

St. Basil’s Cathedral is one of the most iconic churches in the world, and it was the single thing we were most excited to see while in Moscow. Built almost 500 years ago, St. Basil’s Cathedral is recognized by its colorful domes and whimsical style. The church is of the Russian Orthodox faith, and the inside is just as wondrous as the outside.

St. Basil’s Cathedral is located on the edge of the Red Square, making it incredibly convenient to visit. Entrance for non-worshippers costs 800 rubles, and tickets can be bought at the church

4. Explore the Kremlin

The Kremlin is the largest active fortress in Europe, and it is the site of most of Russia’s government affairs. In addition to government buildings, the Kremlin Complex is filled with courtyards, towers, and museums that are open to the public. If you have the time, you could spend a couple of days fully exploring all that there is to see in the Kremlin.

5. Walk Through Lenin’s Mausoleum

Vladimir Lenin is one of the most important figures in Russian history, and his body is located perfectly embalmed in a mausoleum in the Red Square. The Mausoleum is open to the public to visit, and as long as you are willing to go through a few security checks, it is easily one of the best things to do in Moscow. Its convenient location in the Red Square makes it a can’t miss attraction.

There is absolutely no photography allowed inside the Mausoleum. Do not test this rule.

6. Wander Along Arbat Street

The Arbat is a very popular street in Moscow that is lined with stores, cafes, and other touristy attractions. It is one of the oldest streets in the city, dating back to the 1400s. This street is both quaint and trendy, and there are many walking tours that introduce tourists to the neighborhood’s wonders and highlights.

7. Catch a Show at the Bolshoi Theatre

As a lover of the arts, it is hard to think of Moscow and not think of ballet. Russia has always been a top dog in the world of fine arts, and Bolshoi Theater is one of the best places to catch a performance. We were lucky enough to attend an Opera here, and it is a venue that you don’t want to miss out on if you enjoy opera, ballet, or orchestral performances.

8. Visit the State Historical Museum

The State Historical Museum is one of the most respected museums in Moscow. Despite its name, it is not really focused on the history of Russia as a nation. Rather, it contains a collection of artifacts from all throughout Russia’s history.

The museum’s collection is very broad in nature. It houses some items from indigenous tribes that used to occupy the region, pieces collected by the Romanov family, and more.

9. Wander Around GUM

GUM is an absolutely massive mall within walking distance of the Red Square. It isn’t just the size that draws visitors here; it’s the sense of luxury. The mall is so beautiful inside, much like the metro stations.

While visiting a mall might not sound like it belongs on a bucket list, this mall does. You will not want to miss out on visiting GUM while in Moscow.

10. Admire the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

While St. Basil’s Cathedral is the most iconic church in Moscow, it isn’t the only one. The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is absolutely stunning, with massive golden domes. It is the tallest Orthodox church in the world, and it is the seat of the Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow.

It is located just about a mile from the Red Square, just south of the Kremlin Complex. You can walk to it from the Red Square in about 20 minutes.

How to Get to Moscow

Flying to moscow.

Moscow has three major international airports: Sheremetyevo (SVO) , Domodedovo (DMO) , and Vnukovo (VKO) . All three of them are directly connected to downtown Moscow by the Aeroexpress trains, which leave every 30 minutes throughout the day. By Aeroexpress train, you can expect to get to the city center in 25-45 minutes depending on the airport that you fly into.

Sheremetyevo is the biggest and busiest of the three airports, and it is the one you are most likely to fly into – especially if you are coming from outside of Europe or the Caucus region. We flew into Sheremetyevo on a direct flight from New York City.

I usually provide backup airport options, because flying right into the city isn’t always the cheapest way to get where you’re going. Unfortunately, when it comes to Moscow, don’t really have a choice other than to fly right into Moscow. It is a very remote city, and it is usually the cheapest place to fly into in Russia as a whole.

Since Sheremetyevo is so busy, you will probably find a great flight option anyway. I wrote in  my post about finding cheap flights  that using hub airports will lead to more affordable airfare, and the same logic applies here. Even though Russia’s national airline, Aeroflot, is no longer a member of the SkyTeam Alliance, Moscow is still a major hub connecting passengers from all over the world.

READ OUR CHEAT SHEET

Train or Bus to Moscow

Trains and buses are one of the most popular ways to get around Europe. However, they’re of very little use when you’re trying to get to Moscow.

Moscow is hundreds of miles from the nearest major cities. The only major European city that can even be reached within 8 hours on the ground is St. Petersburg, and even the Baltic capitals of Riga, Vilnius, and Tallinn are over 12 hours away.

If you want to get to Moscow, the best option is almost always to fly. While the train routes to Moscow are scenic, they simply take forever.

How to Get Around Moscow

METRO | TROLLEYS | TRAMS | BUSES

Moscow has one of the most memorable metro systems in the world. Its metro lines are very deep underground, and the stations are absolutely stunning. Each station has its own unique style, but all of them contain escalators that seem to go on forever.

The system was built in an effort to showcase the power of the Soviet Union and its bright future. The plans were a form of propaganda, but they resulted in what is still one of the most visually appealing subway systems on earth.

Moscow’s metro system isn’t just pretty. It is also very useful and accessible. The system has 17 lines that connect the city and its surrounding area.

But wait; there’s more!

The Moscow metro system is also incredibly affordable, with each ride costing less than a dollar. The metro is by far the best way to get around Moscow, as it is almost impossible to beat the connection times and the low cost to ride.

Tickets can be bought at electronic, English-speaking kiosks in stations, or directly from ticket counters at certain larger stations. There are also day passes available, which are a very solid option if you plan on riding the metro several times per day.

The metro is by far the best way to get around Moscow.

In addition to the metro system, Moscow also has a network of buses, trams, and trolleys. This system is nowhere near as convenient or well-connected as the metro, though, and is likely of little use to you during your trip. There is no Uber in Moscow, but a similar app named Yandex is available if you need a ride in a pinch.

How Many Days Do You Need in Moscow?

Moscow is the biggest city in all of Europe, and it is absolutely loaded with things to do. You could spend weeks in Moscow and still find new things to do. Of course, most travelers don’t have that kind of time to spend in one place!

I recommend spending no less than three full days in Moscow, and ideally closer to five or seven.

Moscow is very spread out, and it can take some time to get from one major point to another. There are also so many places that are nice to just sit back and relax, which is hard to do when you’re in a hurry trying to cram activities into just a few days.

If you only have a week to visit Russia, I’d advise spending all of the time in one city. If you decide to split your time between Moscow and St. Petersburg, I recommend not trying to squeeze in any day trips beyond those two cities.

When Is the Best Time of the Year to Visit Moscow?

There are two different ways to approach this question. Personally, I think the best time to visit Moscow is around Christmas and New Year’s Day. While the weather will be absolutely freezing, Moscow is a surreal winter wonderland in December and January.

We were in Moscow right before Christmas. While it was very cold, you can always bundle up. Exploring the Christmas markets and pop-up ice skating rinks throughout Moscow is one of my favorite memories from anywhere I’ve traveled, and I dream of going back to do it again.

If you aren’t fond of the cold, Moscow is beautiful in the summer. It tends to get pretty cold in the shoulder seasons, so if you want warm weather, you should plan to visit in the summer. Moscow actually gets pretty warm in July and August, and there are a bunch of fantastic places to soak up the sun within the city.

The best time to visit Moscow is either around Christmas or from late May to August.

Is Moscow Safe to Visit?

While Moscow is a truly wonderful city, there’s no denying that visiting Russia comes with risks. As the country is run by an infamous communist dictator, concerns about visiting are valid. While we didn’t experience any sort of threat or negative treatment during our time in Moscow, we visited in a peaceful time.

In our experience, Russia doesn’t seem to detain normal Americans or Westerners to use as pawns. As a regular person, as long as you don’t commit any crimes, there is a slim chance you will run into any issues. However, Russia will not hesitate to enforce its laws against foreigners, and illegal behaviors will likely land you in a very compromising position.

Russia will not hesitate to enforce its laws against foreigners, and illegal behaviors will likely land you in a very compromising position.

To make matters worse, Russia has a bad reputation for gang violence. While the Russian mafia has very little interest in normal Western tourists, they won’t hesitate to pick a fight with anyone who ventures into their sphere of influence. If you seek out illegal substances or activities, you could be a target of the mafia.

If you seek out illegal substances or activities, you could be a target of the mafia.

Finally, since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, things are all very different. Russia is currently at war, and there are battles raging within 8 hours of Moscow. While it is still relatively safe to visit, that could change at any time as the war with Ukraine continues.

Is Moscow Worth Visiting?

Without a doubt, Moscow is worth visiting. It is one of the most unique major cities we have ever visited, and we hope to make it back one day. The Russian Orthodox churches are stunning, the city’s history is unlike any other, and the food is to die for.

While many visitors prefer St. Petersburg to Moscow, I think Moscow deserves a lot of hype of its own. Moscow is the beating heart of Russian culture and history, and it’s a place I highly recommend checking out if you have the chance.

That’s all we have for you about Moscow! I hope this post was helpful as you plan your trip to Russia’s capital.

Have you been to Moscow? Or is this your first time visiting? Comment below if you have anything to add to our travel guide!

Hi, I'm Greg. I'm an avid traveler who has traveled to over 50 countries all around the world with my wife and kids. I've lived in Italy, Mexico, China, and the United States, and I dream of moving abroad again in the future. With this blog, I provide my audience with detailed destination guides to my favorite places and pro-tips to make travel as stress-free as possible.

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• Smart Living

The People Who Attend Wellness Retreats

Published on 4/11/2024 at 1:30 PM

Steps away from the swim-up bar, an aqua cycling class is in session. The instructor is getting creative: students are doing crunches with their feet propped up on the handlebars of the bike, which is submerged in the pool. Some are a few margaritas deep, but several others stick around for the water aerobics class that follows. The instructor never stops smiling.

Wellness travel is currently seeing a significant rise in popularity. A 2023 report by the Global Wellness Institute projects wellness tourism to grow nearly 17 percent annually, becoming a $1.4 trillion industry in 2027. There are many potential reasons for the boost — namely, a renewed emphasis on wellness and longevity post-pandemic — but what is it that attendees of these retreats are seeking, really?

And so I find myself in the Yucatán Peninsula, staying at Unico 20°87° for the resort's annual Aura Wellness event, to answer that very question. Only in its second year, Aura Wellness is essentially a low-stakes wellness retreat, with guests welcome to attend classes and activities as they see fit. From morning to night, the itinerary is brimming with workouts, meditations, skin-care workshops, and cooking classes.

There's something for everyone, and sometimes maybe too much. At least, that's how it can feel when you're trying to decide between the aqua yoga class or a sound bath at 8 a.m. Both are certainly a far cry from something called a "shotathlon" taking place at the main pool later that day. (I would later learn that just meant the passing around of tequila shots to everyone in the pool.)

"As soon as I saw what events would be available, I was very drawn to participate and get the most out of it," Amy says, "'cause now we're gonna go sit on a beach chair." Amy and her husband, Michael, both in their early 30s, are visiting from just outside of Philadelphia. They're currently expecting and in the first trimester; relaxation was the main goal for the trip, but the wellness activities are a bonus.

Amy and I are still catching our breath from the Mind, Body, and Soul Functional Training workout taught by personal trainer Roy Chan when Michael joins us to sit on the Costera Terrace. It's 11:15 a.m., and the sun is beating down on the limestone.

"We were using a five-pound weight, but I felt strong," Amy says, reflecting on the workout. Amy has a regular fitness routine and works out at least four times a week with a focus on strength training. Michael hasn't tried any of the workouts, but he and Amy did take a cooking class. Michael has celiac disease , and the resort's gluten-free options were a big draw.

Earlier that morning before the workout, Amy did the Energy Reset Meditation with mindset coach Shannon Bills . The meditation prompted participants to set intentions for their future selves and envision their "podium speech" upon accomplishing those intentions.

Amy does shorter 15-minute meditations to go to sleep , but she was surprised she was able to stay present for the full hour. She says, "Any time I found my thoughts racing, I just tried to take a really deep breath and bring myself back into that moment. It's helpful on vacation because you know your only job is to sit there and breathe. It created an environment to be able to focus."

That time and space is invaluable for Amy and Michael, especially as they get closer to expanding their family. "This trip was about unplugging and relaxation," Amy says. "The hustle of life can just be a grind." Michael adds, "Hopefully you can just try to establish something and then bring it home with you and ride that momentum."

Something to note about wellness tourism: it's often done in pairs. At least during this wellness event, I notice a lot of couples, whether newly wed, pregnant, or dating. It helps to have someone with you at the shaman blessing. That's where I saw Dimmery and Paulina.

No one's mingling at the shaman blessing, but it still feels intimate for the roughly two dozen of us in attendance. We sit on bean bags as the shaman alternates between Spanish and an indigenous language to speak about gratitude, remaining present, and honoring lost loved ones. The shaman has us stand facing all four cardinal directions several times. A few giggles are stifled, but those same people are more solemn when the shaman comes around to individually bless them.

The following day, I again see Dimmery and Paulina at the Immersive Sound Bath led by sound healer and astrologer Ambi Kavanagh . The meditation is taking place inside a serene studio with floor-to-ceiling windows. It's incredibly calming, despite a few reminders of life as usual: the humming of air conditioning, dumbbells clanging around in the gym next door, someone snoring.

I catch up with Dimmery and Paulina in the lobby after the sound bath . The dating couple in their late 20s is visiting from Dallas, and they're there to celebrate Paulina's birthday. The shaman blessing and sound bath were the activities they were most looking forward to. "When we looked at the itinerary, those are the two that seemed most aligned," Dimmery says.

Of the shaman blessing in particular, Dimmery says, "There's just something about being able to look into a practitioner's eyes and see the legitimacy of the work and the internal work that they put themselves through. I felt that with the shaman. I got a lot of out of it."

Whereas other guests may be taking advantage of the workouts, I notice how Paulina and Dimmery seem more drawn to the spiritual activities. That's something that brought the couple together in the first place. "I just started my spiritual journey about three to four years ago. When we met, he told me he was also on a spiritual journey," Paulina says. "I just wanted to learn and experience these things."

Like Amy and Michael, Paulina and Dimmery also seek to unplug. "It might be cliché, but relaxation is obviously first and foremost," Dimmery says. He adds that "alignment" and "energy" were words that resonated from both the shaman blessing and sound bath. "I want to be able to go back home and feel energized and rejuvenated from everything."

Roy, who taught the functional training class, has his own theories on why wellness retreats are having a moment, and it has something to do with millennials getting older. He is visiting from Los Angeles, and this is his first time working a wellness retreat at a resort. "The community aspect of it, surprisingly, is very nice," Roy says. "Everybody does their own thing, but it's nice to go to a restaurant or walk by and say hi to someone that you met in class."

"People are out of the college-party blackout thing, and they're kind of reversing it."

Roy thinks many millennials are getting into wellness tourism because they don't party like they used to . Though the pool definitely gets rowdy in the afternoon, and there are a few bachelorette parties in attendance, the mood is pretty subdued, especially for an all-inclusive during spring break season. Roy noticed how many of his younger clients prioritize immediate results over longevity : "They try all these shortcuts to get there, and then they sustain an injury and realize sh*t doesn't work." At a wellness retreat, however, the demographic — and therefore the goals — are different.

"Looking at the demographic here — and myself being in that demographic — people are out of the college-party blackout thing, and they're kind of reversing it," Roy says. "The body doesn't respond to the abuse the way it used to. It doesn't come back the same way."

An emphasis on wellness is crucial to helping people show up in their relationships or at work, Roy says. "You need to be centered first before you give that energy outward — otherwise, I feel like people can be pretty unhappy in the day to day. When people come here, they look for that."

Physical and spiritual work play big roles in wellness tourism, but there's also the mental element. And though many guests are coupled up, some choose to go on that journey alone.

Tamesha is a nurse from Texas here on a solo trip. She explains that she needed a trip to reset before taking her kids on vacation in the summer, and was sold after learning about the the Aura Wellness offerings. "I'm really big into nutrition and I love working out at home. It actually is healing to me," she says. "I just needed some time."

Tamesha and I are sitting on pool chairs, waiting for aqua yoga to begin. It's the early morning and the sun is starting to cast a golden glow over the pool. There's a whirring in the background as our yoga mats are inflated.

Tamesha is unapologetic about being that person who works out on vacation. "I am that friend," she says, laughing. "I will find a way to get a workout in, even if I have to wake up a little earlier than my friends or just go walking." Tamesha's done a meditation and aqua cycling during her stay so far, but she's also just spent a lot of time by the ocean, eyes closed, listening to the water. "That's the best healing place to be," she says.

Toward the end of our conversation, Tamesha shares why she's really here. "I am really seeking balance. I just had a tragic event happening in my life: my ex-husband committed suicide. It's been a wild ride, and our daughter's 12. And so, I'm grieving and working through all of those things," she says. "I'm really here to reset and get realigned so I can find my footing in life again."

Tamesha speaks of the pressure women face to show strength at all times, even in the face of hardship. "Society tells us that we have to be so strong," she says. "You're more courageous, and you're stronger, when you seek help." In the Black community as well, Tamesha says there can still be stigmas surrounding mental health and therapy.

"As a nurse, I know how important it is to center myself. I've seen when my patients don't give themselves that time, how it affects the kids," Tamesha says. "I'm grateful for my education and my experience to be able to know that it's OK to take that break. The kids will be OK, cause with this break, I'll be a better person for them. I'll explain to them why I had to go away for a few days cause mommy wants to be healthy for you." Tamesha and I take the aqua yoga class, and celebrate not falling in.

It's my last day and my bags are stored in the lobby as I walk to one last lunch. New guests are arriving, getting the tour of the property. The aqua cycling class is going on, and the same instructor is slapping the water to the beat of whatever house track is playing, his arms outstretched like a bird.

It's too soon to tell how I was changed by these few days of wellness. There has been no radical transformation, really, but there are a few notable differences: the knee pain I arrived with has surprisingly gotten better, despite all the working out, the eczema on my face is nearly gone, likely thanks to the humidity, and I generally feel unfazed. When I can't seem to find chicken tenders for less than $25 at the Cancún International Airport, I just laugh.

Kelsey Garcia is the associate content director of POPSUGAR Balance, where she oversees lifestyle coverage, from dating to parenting and financial wellness. Kelsey is passionate about travel, skin-care trends, and changes in the social media landscape. Before joining the POPSUGAR team more than eight years ago as an editorial assistant, she interned at Elle and Harper's Bazaar, among other publications.

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New reports from the World Travel & Tourism Council ( WTTC ) and Microsoft highlights the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its role in shaping the future of Travel & Tourism.

The final two reports of a series on Artificial Intelligence from WTTC entitled “Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI): Overview of AI Risks, Safety & Governance” and “Artificial Intelligence (AI): Global Strategies, Policies & Regulations,” underscore a commitment to a digital future that prioritises safety, ethical considerations, and responsible AI adoption.

Launched during the global tourism body’s participation at the UN General Assembly in New York, these reports mark significant milestones in WTTC’s mission to promote innovation and excellence in customer experiences through the safe and trustworthy integration of AI.

“Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI)” delves into the potential risks associated with AI deployment and offers strategies for establishing frameworks that promote transparency, accountability, and fairness.

From addressing bias and discrimination to ensuring human oversight of AI systems, this report empowers organisations to harness the power of AI responsibly.

In the fourth and final instalment, “Artificial Intelligence (AI): Global Strategies, Policies & Regulations,” WTTC provides a detailed overview of the AI ecosystem across key countries and international organisations.

It shows how policymakers are navigating the AI landscape and shaping regulations and strategies to foster AI innovation, while ensuring its ethical and responsible use.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “In a rapidly evolving landscape, AI emerges as a catalyst for positive change. The insights provided in these reports demonstrate that AI is not just a technological advancement; it is a strategic tool that can personalise customer experiences, drive sustainable improvements, and shape the future of Travel & Tourism.

“AI is already being used across our sector with incredible results. Several major hotel groups including Iberostar are using AI to monitor and reduce food waste, which recently resulted not only in a 27% cost saving but prevented thousands of kilos of unwanted food going to landfill.”

Julie Shainock, Managing Director, Travel, Transport, & Logistics Industry for Microsoft said: “We are seeing AI being embraced across the entire travel eco-system enhancing the customer experience, the employee experience and also driving more efficiency in operations, but we know we are only at the beginning of the journey.

“We are excited to see what the future holds as AI becomes more widely adopted to automate the more mundane tasks of travel and harness the true spirit of travel, to elevate the human experience.”

According to WTTC, AI has the power to revolutionise how businesses in the Travel & Tourism sector operate, offering immense opportunities for growth and innovation.

Both reports underscore the urgent need for Travel & Tourism businesses to embrace AI as a strategic priority, investing in talent and fostering collaboration between humans and AI.

But despite the sector’s increasing recognition of AI’s potential, challenges such as AI-skilled workforce shortages in the Travel & Tourism sector persist, highlighting the importance of proactive measures to overcome barriers to adoption.

As AI continues to reshape the world, WTTC remains at the forefront, advocating for safe, ethical, and inclusive AI innovation.

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Moscow extends a warm welcome to Indian travellers with enhanced infrastructure and hidden gems

Russia actively promoting moscow as a tourist destination for indian travellers, improving infrastructure and visa process..

Russia is making an active bid to attract Indian travellers to visit Moscow -- a huge megalopolis and the historical, political and spiritual heart of the Russian Federation. The Moscow City Tourism Committee is promoting the city not only as a cultural capital but also as a business hub as it plans to onboard trade partners, tourists and vacationers. Moscow has also strengthened cooperation with the tourism sectors of allied nations, hosting familiarization tours for delegates and arranging business trips to showcase the city's tourism potential.

To accommodate visitors, Moscow is improving its infrastructure: signs are now available in English and Chinese, all announcements on public transport are repeated in English, and hotels are also adapting to cater to the needs of guests from various countries and ensure a comfortable stay. "We are still on our way to restore the flow of Indian tourists in Moscow like it used to be before the pandemic," said Bulat Nurmukhanov, Head of International Cooperation Division of Moscow City Tourism Committee.

Bulat further said that before the pandemic, there was a steady growth of 12-15 per cent on a year-on-year basis. In the first half of the year, Moscow received about 20,000 Indians, compared to the same period a year ago, it is about 56 per cent higher. In a bid to make Moscow a must-visit destination, the committee is actively working on improving the infrastructure for international travellers. Moscow is spearheading the development of innovative standards in catering to the needs of foreign travellers.

Tourists arriving in the capital can stay in hotels of various price segments. They can savour traditional Russian cuisine, and can also indulge in a diverse culinary experience, with options ranging from authentic Indian delicacies to continental dishes prepared to the highest standards. In 2022, the number of foreign tourists who visited Moscow increased by 6.3 per cent compared to 2021, reaching a total of 1.7 million.

Travelling to Moscow has now become easier as tourists from India and 54 other countries can apply for an electronic visa to enter Russia from August 1, 2023. The impact of e-visa rollout would be available by October this year after the quarterly data from the Russian border control agencies is analysed, Bulat said.

Moreover, the Russian government is planning to come out with a virtual 'Foreign Tourist Card' that will enable cashless payments for various services. "The idea behind this card is, a person back home in India can remotely apply for this card and then he/she can transfer money from the personal bank account to this bank account," Bulat added.

Meanwhile, sources in the Indian Embassy in Moscow told reporters that the Indian tourism ministry as well as the governments of Goa and Kerala are slated to participate in roundtable discussions this month. There are also plans to engage social media influencers to improve the inward traffic to India. Before the pandemic, around 3 lakh Russian tourists visited India annually. The numbers are down to around 80,000-90,000 of late.

To facilitate easy visitor movement across the city, there is "Discover Moscow" -- a navigation and travel web portal about Moscow and "RUSSPASS travel service" -- a digital platform designed for planning trips across Russia. The Discover Moscow portal features descriptions of over 1,200 architectural landmarks in Moscow. The site provides news, digests with festival and event information and curated lists of exhibition venues.

By availing the RUSSPASS travel service, tourists can access all essential information for a trip to Moscow on the site, including visa and currency matters, accommodation and transportation options in the capital. The site also offers a trip builder feature, allowing tourists to select pre-designed city routes or create their own itinerary from their favourite locations. There are versions of the site in Russian, English, Spanish and Arabic.

On the cultural scene, Moscow boasts 10,000 cultural venues including theaters, museums, libraries, parks, cinemas, concert halls, and more. In the last decade, around 900 parks and green spaces have been renovated.

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7 misconceptions that Indian tourists have about Moscow: Survey

Updated on: 16 February,2024 03:35 PM IST  |  Mumbai mid-day online correspondent |

• Text  

The survey conducted by Intourist, a company with 95 years of background in the inbound tourism market in Russia, among tourists from India who visited Moscow, asked them about their primary expectations for Moscow and the difference from their actual experience

There is a strong stereotype that pictures Russians as people who never smile but people will easily warm up to you while you are there. Photo Courtesy: Moscow Tourism

A new survey has revealed the most common myths among Indian tourists about Moscow, the Russian capital. From being cold to expensive and even locals not talking English, the survey has shown a wide variety of misconceptions. The survey conducted by Intourist, a company with 95 years of background in the inbound tourism market in Russia, among tourists from India who visited Moscow, asked them about their primary expectations for Moscow and the difference from their actual experience. The poll results were used to form a list of popular myths about Moscow, most of which were successfully debunked in the process.

“When a tourist arrives in Moscow, the first thing that comes to a foreigner’s mind is probably the Red Square, all covered in snow (and maybe a layer of red caviar on a giant piece of bread, thanks to the latest Slavic girl trend). Although it is a pretty memorable image, there’s so much more that the Russian capital can give to its visitors”, commented Aleksandr Musikhin, the general director of Intourist and inbound tourism committee head of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR).

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Myth : Moscow is cold Reality : There are four seasons, and the summer is very warm There are four distinct seasons to fit any taste beginning April. Moscow spring is probably the loveliest of them all with its fresh air, blossoming trees and cafeteria terraces opening all over the city. Summer in the city is usually hot, with a great choice of refreshing activities: you can visit an open pool like Chaika or Luzhniki, explore any of the renovated parks with a glass of lemonade, or even spend a day at the beach of Serebryany Bor. Sure, winters in Moscow are cold, but thanks to well-adjusted heating systems both in the buildings and public transport, freezing isn’t really an option.

Myth : Moscow is too Soviet Reality : Moscow’s architecture is a beautiful eclectic mixture of nearly a thousand years of history If you take some time to look around the city, a couple of beautiful landmarks from different times will appear just around the corner. Besides Soviet architecture, there are buildings dated with 12-19 centuries along the ‘bas-reliefs’ from the art nouveau period and shining skyscrapers of the Moscow City cluster — all for aesthetic pleasure.

Myth : Moscow is one of the most expensive cities in the world Reality : There are options for a trip with any budget According to the EIU rating of 2021, Moscow didn’t even make the top 100 of the annual rich cities list. There are lots of accommodation options, eateries and shopping establishments to fit your desires and financial possibilities: from Stoleshnikov Lane with its boutiques to vast malls such as Europolis or Atrium, where the clothing stores are open side by side with fast-food restaurants, beauty salons, cinemas, playgrounds etc.

Myth : There is no decent food in Moscow, except for borscht and pelmeni Reality : Moscow is full of the high-quality restaurants with Russian and world cuisines Setting aside the fact that there’s more to the traditional Russian cuisine than you would first expect, Moscow can offer a hungry tourist a wide range of food options: there are halal and kosher, vegetarian and vegan, European and Asian restaurants all over the city. A homesick Indian tourist can also easily find an authentic eating place serving a ‘Thali’ or a ‘Dosa’ or other Indian vegetarian options.

Myth : People in Moscow are mean and unfriendly Reality : Moscovites a warm-hearted and helpful There is a strong stereotype that pictures Russians as people who never smile. Thankfully, any public place in Moscow will prove it wrong in mere seconds. Big city people may not be keen on showing emotions to strangers, yet it usually takes a short dialogue for a change of heart, and most of the people passing by will gladly show you the directions or give a helpful tip if asked.

Myth : Moscow is unsafe Reality : Crime rate in Moscow is lower than in many European tourist cities. Moscow is an extremely hi-tech city. Last year, Moscow became the leader among BRICS cities in terms of technological and spatial development. Moscow's high technological progress also means a high level of development of security systems. Moscow has a "smart city" system – outdoor CCTV cameras and a face recognition system on the streets and in the subway. According to some estimates, the crime rate in Moscow is lower than in many European tourist cities. Being in Moscow you don't have to worry about your safety.

Myth : Nobody speaks English in Moscow Reality : Young generation of Moscovites speaks English fluently Travelling nowadays is a popular hobby among millennials and Gen Z, so the majority of young Moscow residents speak fluent English. Foreign languages are taught in schools and universities, with the addition of online courses and countless apps for personal studies that help to maintain speaking skills — so be sure that you will find help when needed. And if you are not much of a people person, all navigation in Moscow public transport is dubbed in English, so you won’t even have to ask for help since the tourist infrastructure is well-developed.

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35 Travel Products You'll Feel Like A God Among Mortals For Owning

This travel wallet that'll hold your boarding pass, passport, credit cards, ID, and SO much more will feel like the hammer to your Thor.

BuzzFeed Staff

1. A portable digital luggage scale  because every time you go to the airport your luggage is a pound overweight and you have to pay those outrageous baggage fees. Hook this bb to your luggage handle, lift it up, and the display will let you know how many more outfits you can cram into your suitcase without going over the weight limit. You'll feel SO godlike looking over at the mortals who are stressing and praying their bag isn't overweight. 

You can switch between pound and kilogram measurements. 

And check it out on  TikTok !

Promising reviews: "When checking a bag, you always want to know the weight so you don't get charged extra. I was super nervous when this scale weighed a bag at almost 49 pounds knowing that the weight limit was 50 pounds and scales can vary. Was holding my breath when it was put on the scale at the airport and the scale came up as 49 pounds! Relieved and thrilled that this luggage scale was accurate! " — Sky

"This was a great investment. No more guessing what our suitcases weight before getting to the airport. Found the accuracy to be very spot-on . If you check a bag on your travels, you need one of these!" — pax

Get it from Amazon for $10.99+  (available in seven colors/styles and as a pack of two). 

2. An Apple AirTag  to keep your anxiety at bay while flying. I mean, who  doesn't  fear their bag being lost? Gods with AirTags, that's who! Put it in your suitcase, wallet, or whatever you're afraid to lose and use the Find My app to always be able to see where your bag is. 

You can put the AirTag on Lost Mode and receive a notification when it's been detected by the Find My app. 

Promising review: "I bought a pair of these AirTags for a trip to France, and I’m so glad I did! First of all, the setup is super easy; I had zero problems and both were done in like five minutes . I put one in my purse and one in my suitcase. On the way back home, the airline lost my luggage. Checked the Find My app where the AirTag is tracked, and I could see that it never left the Charles de Gaulle airport. I felt more assurance being able to track my bag through the app as it made its way across the world back to me . 10/10 would recommend!" — Lindsay Kirby

Get it from Amazon for $24 .

3. An inflatable foot rest  so you can literally kick your feet up, sit back, and relax like a god while you fly. It can be inflated to three heights and comes with an eye mask, earplugs, dust cover, and drawstring bag. So perfect for children and adults on long flights! 

Promising review: "This footrest pillow is essential for those who travel very long distances. It is not only uncomfortable but unhealthy to leave feet dangling down for many hours or days at a time while traveling. I purchased this pillow to situate between my airplane seat and the seat in front of mine. It is wonderful to be able to prop my feet up, with bent knees, while watching movies or sleeping. I regularly fly the same route that is about 30 hours (including layovers), and when I am unable to get a seat up front, this footrest pillow keeps me more comfortable at the back of the plane ." — Yvonne N

Get it from Amazon for $24.99  (available in four colors and in a two-pack). 

4. And an  inflatable wedge pillow  because after being up at 2 a.m. to make a 6 a.m. flight, you're gonna reaaaaally want a nap and, let's face it, it's nearly impossible to get comfy on a plane. You can also prop your phone up in this and comfortably watch your fave show as you drift off.

Promising review:  "I used this on four international flights last month and it made all the difference in the world. It's compact, easy to inflate/deflate, very versatile in how you can position it, doesn't rely on the tray table, and works well for bulkhead seats as well as those with someone in front of you. I can't sleep with my head back without snorting myself awake, so this is a perfect alternative. I can very comfortably lean forward in my seat and sleep almost like I can in a bed.  I'm 6'2" and this pillow is plenty tall enough to just rest on my lap and let me lean forward into it without feeling crunched over.  This pillow will easily let me get enough comfortable periods of sleep on a nine-hour flight that I don't feel completely drained upon arrival. My wife tried mine out before we left on vacation and loved it so much she had me order her one. We both wouldn't travel without them now." — Still Chilly In Colorado

Get it from Amazon for  $24.99.  

5. A  two-pack of dip clips  you'll love love love dunking your nuggets and fries in with ease. This  Shark Tank- approved little baby clips right onto your car vent and holds your sauce so you don't have to worry about making a mess or struggling to dip your food in your fave sauce while on the go. You'll fall so deeply in love with it, you'd think it was Aphrodite. 

Saucemoto is a small biz founded in 2017.

Okay, besties, so I have not stopped bragging about my little chicky nuggy dip clip since I got it last Christmas. This is by far one of my favorite things I've ever received. I LOVE chicken nuggets, I wanna be a chicken nugget, but I did not like trying to dunk my nuggets while driving. This thing is so convenient for days that I don't have much time to eat and just have to grab something quick and keep going. Get yourself one if you're nugget obsessed like me, everyone who's seen it in my car has gotten one for themselves and not regretted it !

Promising review: " This is the greatest invention . I’m in my car a lot and anytime I order any fast food I always have to order dip, doesn’t matter what I’m eating. This thing came in handy not only for me but my son, too . Perfect for me because it comes with two holders and I like at least two dips at a time. I know I’m making this out to sound like it’s a billion dollar invention but I just love it. It’s a very handy thing to have in your car . I’m forever spilling my sauces all over the place because there is nowhere to put them, and then I saw this and knew I just had to try it. It’s a total game changer in my car . Thanks to whoever invented this. It’s GREAT!! " — Denise

Get a pack of two from Amazon for  $9.99  (available in three colors, a version with window adapters, and in four-, six-, and eight-packs).

6. A sand-free beach blanket because you LOVE the beach but can't stand the sand. This bb is designed so that sand rolls right off it and you don't end up packing a whole bunch up and bringing it home with you. Your day at the beach just got a whooole lot more enjoyable. 

It comes in a convenient little bag so you can travel with it easily and it has a little pouch for storage. It also comes with a bottle opener!

Promising review: "Absolutely excellent. I’ve taken this to the beach three times now and it’s awesome. Absolutely massive and sand doesn’t stick to it. Sure, if you step on it with sandy feet or push sand onto it it’ll sit on top but it just brushes off or shakes off without working for it at all . Ideal fabric for laying out at the beach. Great value, a must-have!" — Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $34.95  (available in two colors).

7. And a  sand-removal powder bag  — a talc-free and reef-friendly product that'll get all that sand off your body easy peasy. Don't let the sand stop you from enjoying your vacay; this bb is gonna take care of the part of the beach that you absolutely can't stand and you'll finally understand exactly how Loki must feel. 

Shakalo is a small biz based in San Diego.

Promising review: "We recently moved to a beach area, and we are constantly there. This item has changed our entire lives! It lasts decently long (depending on how much you use it), it smells super good (not at all like baby powder), and it's super effective. It has saved me from vacuuming my car at least 1–2 times a week. And I even use it on my dogs' paws and bellies to make sure they're taken care of too. I will definitely be buying the refill and another bag to have exclusively in the car. " — Gabbs Uresti

Get it from Amazon for $24.99  (also available in a three-pack).

8. A window seat BevLedge  so you can double fist those drinks on your flight in Thor's honor without worrying about taking up all the space on your little tray or having to hold one. It'll securely hook onto the window and there's even space to put your phone and earbuds! 

BevLedge is a small biz.

Promising review: "A friend recommended this to me as a vital travel companion, now that I've returned to frequent flying. I initially thought of it as a novelty, but now that I've used it, it's a necessity. It keeps the workspace clear for my laptop, but it also organizes all the little pieces that can become so annoying to keep up with — glasses, earphones, etc. It got my seat mate's immediate attention, as well as a few other folks nearby. I suspect they'll have one soon. Watch for one soon in a window near you!" — Timothy G. Wolfe

Get it from Amazon for $19.99 .

9. A handy RFID-blocking travel wallet complete with a — *get ready* — passport pocket, boarding pass compartment, three credit card slots, an ID slot, a slim card pouch, a slim pocket — *takes a breath* — a ticket slot, a cellphone pouch, a coin zippered pocket, a key holder, and a pen holder, all in one place. No more searching for your boarding pass or digging through your carry-on for your credit card when purchasing your morning coffee. Cue the Muses, this is def worthy of one of their songs.

Promising review: "I absolutely love this wallet. I needed a new travel wallet, and this holds everything I need all in one place, and it still closes nicely and stays flat! I can fit my boarding pass, passport, ID, credit cards, money, checked baggage tickets, receipts, and more in it, yet it doesn’t bulk up or look like an overstuffed mess. It's just amazing. The description says it only holds US money, but I just used the boarding pass flap to hold all my Japanese yen (¥), which are larger. I didn’t use the zippered pocket for coins as I much prefer a separate coin purse for that sort of thing. I definitely recommend to anyone who travels a lot!" — Anthony Luu

Get it from Amazon for $11.99+  (available in 33 colors).

10. Vacuum-free space-saving compression bags  so that instead of packing seven outfits for your three-day trip, you can pack 10. Put your clothes in em, zip 'em up, roll the bag, and *voila* you don't have to choose which 'fit to leave behind because in the words of the Green Goblin, "Gods don't have to choose, we take" ...every freakin' outfit we own on vacay with us. 

Promising review: "These were the things I never knew I needed for traveling. They work just as advertised and are really useful when going on a trip. I always hate at the end of a trip having to mix dirty and clean clothes — a 'laundry bag' or plastic shopping bag never really felt like a good enough separation . These bags seal up and conceal the most stinky, wet clothes from your clean unused clothes. They are going to be one of my new necessities for my big family when traveling. " — Sarbello

Get a set of eight from Amazon for $15.90 . 

11. An  expandable hard shell carry-on suitcase  with wheels, an internal compression divider, a TSA-approved lock, and a built-in CHARGER PORT!! 🥳🥳🥳  It has a designated pocket for your laptop (up to 15") and fits into most US flight overhead bins. Def will be an upgrade from your current carry-on — it's giving zero to hero vibes and this bb is obvi the hero.

You'll need a portable charger which is *not* included — it just has the port for easy access — so be sure to grab one!

Promising review: "I was reluctant to consider a hard shell roller bag, convinced they hold much less than my soft side one. This Aerotrunk 23" bag fits in the overhead bin and is very spacious inside . It rolls like a dream and the interior is very well laid out . Both sides pack plenty and secure contents well and the mesh zippered bags are great for toiletries, lingerie, etc. An added bonus is the outside laptop compartment, which also stores all other electronics you might travel with. It's also classy looking! All in all, a great buy." — LCM

Get it from Amazon for  $159.95+  (available in four sizes, three colors, and in a three piece set).

12. Or  Solgaard's Carry-On Closet  that has a super impressive six-tier, pop-out shelving system. If you're the kind of person who needs 12 outfits for a four-day trip (I mean, options, hello!) this little bag will help you practically bring a whole closet on vacay with you while keeping everything neat and compact in its assorted compartments. And it's an airline-friendly size!

The smaller size is accepted as a carry-on by all international airlines, including European budget ones, while the larger one meets all US airline standards. 

Promising review: "Great design that allows me to organize everything I need in much less space than I ever expected . Take your time to select and pack your things thoughtfully and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much you can get into this carry-on. I have several pieces of luggage in different sizes and I’m giving them away because this is all I need. The size and versatility make it the perfect carry-on." — Michelle C.

Get it from Solgaard for $295+ (available in two sizes and 14 colors). 

13. And some  luggage wheel protectors  so you can waltz through the airport without hearing your suitcase squeak behind you. *You in your head ~smoothly~ rolling your luggage all around* — ha, you silly mortals with your noisy suitcases. 

Promising review: "These are fire! Definitely provides little grip, moves quietly, doesn’t mess with the luggage wheel rotation , and little less vibration, I guess, because rubber is absorbing. Love the bright red color that goes well with my carbon fiber luggage. Easy to install, and it’s funny they have directional line/arrow like car tires lol details count for me." — Tieng Nguyen

Get an eight-pack from Amazon for $9.99  (available in eight colors). 

14. A  travel-friendly blanket  that doubles as a pillow because why the heck are planes soooo cold?! It'll reaaaally come in handy when it's too hot to bundle up but you know you're gonna freeze your butt off the entire five-hour flight. No need to sweat it out in a hoodie and sweatpants — this soft little blanket will keep you warm and cozy as you watch the mortals shiver. 

Oh! It also comes with a backpack clip so you can clip it to your backpack/luggage and avoid taking up precious carry-on space.

Check it out on TikTok here . 

Promising review: "I ordered two of these and my daughter and I both use them numerous times while flying recently. They compact nicely, have a loop that can go through the handle of a carry-on, and are the perfect size for snuggling up and sleeping on the airplane. It is lightweight and I will not fly again without it!" — SweetMama

Get it from Amazon for $29.95 (available in six colors).

15. A portable espresso maker  because you need caffeine for your 7 a.m. flight but gods don't pay airport prices or stand in those suuuper long lines. This bad boy lets you use  Nespresso pods  so you can have your morning coffee wherever and whenever you please. 

Promising review: "The best thing for traveling ever!! I have to have espresso every morning and most small hotels and gas stations don't have espresso coffee so this is perfect! Easy to use. The cleaning takes 30 seconds; just rinse with water and let it dry." — Joanna Verdeja

Get it from Amazon for $54.90 .

16. A lightweight, compact  stroller  that can fit in the overhead bin on a plane (cuz it folds up so small) so you don't have to rent one when you're out. Also a plus — you won't have to go wait for it when grabbing your luggage! Pull this baby out and stroll your kiddo right on over to grab your suitcases. 

It can hold kids who weigh up to 55 pounds and it only weighs 9.5 pounds.

Promising review:  " This is a must-have for all parents with toddlers , especially if you are going on a trip.  We went to a place where they do not recommend a stroller because it’s too bulky and gets in your way. Well, using this was not a problem at all.  People were amazed how this thing works, and it’s really handy. Very easy to fold. Very light and not space consuming in your trunk! Love it so much!" — Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $139.99+  (available in two colors and four styles).

17. An AirFly Pro wireless transmitter  so you can connect your wireless earbuds to the plane's entertainment system and rewatch Hercules  for the 60th time since your anxiety kicks in on planes. Sit back, relax, and enjoy your movie. 

You can connect up to two pairs of earbuds at a time, and it has 16+ hours of battery life for extra long flights. 

Twelve South is a husband and wife-owned biz based in Charleston, South Carolina that specializes in designing accessories inspired by and made for Apple products since 2009.

Promising review: "Ever since I purchased my wireless Bose earbuds , I always hated having to use another set when I was on an airplane with the seat-back entertainment system. I tried many different models to connect the system to my Bluetooth headsets until I came across this one, and it is amazing! It seamlessly connects to my headset, very clear and reliable audio, and it takes the stress away from having to carry a number of headsets! Thank you!!!" — Ryan Malloy

Get it from Amazon for $34.99+  (available in three styles and two colors).

18. Sea Bands , which target an acupressure point on your wrists to help eliminate nausea because gods don't vomit. You ever seen Zeus throw up? Didn't think so. Whether you're on a cruise getting sea sick or are on a road trip that has you ready to hurl, these babies are here to help. 

Read more about acupressure and nausea at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center .

Promising review: "These were awesome! My entire family suffers from motion sickness, especially carsickness. My little one gets sick in the car on a regular car ride through the city. So I knew that a long road trip was going to be a disaster. I was amazed at how well these bands worked for everyone! Not one single person complained about being sick for 12 hours in the car. At one point I did have one child remove their bands because they said they were getting too tight. But after only a few minutes without them, a headache started to come on, so they immediately put them back on and the relief was instant. I have suffered for decades and now I know better. I will never travel without mine again! " — 1SmartCookie

Get a set of two from Amazon for $8.52+  (available in a multipack and in six colors).

19. A small power bank charger  that's perfect for travel to charge your phone, tablet, AirPods, smartwatch, whatever ya got. Perfect if you can't ever find a freakin' outlet that isn't already taken at the airport. 

Promising review:  "This little gem is amazing! This year we were fortunate enough to do some local traveling and attend quite a few concerts . I take a ton of videos and pictures, often draining the battery. This power-packed product charged not only my phone when it was low, but my boyfriend’s AND the girl next to us!! Since you can only take small bags into venues, this slipped right into the pocket behind my phone! We had numerous comments on it bc of the little paw charge indicator. The flashing came in handy a few times when we found ourselves in the dark! I will be buying more and giving them as gifts this year!" — Annetastic

Get it from Amazon for  $17.99+  (available in four colors).

20. A set of handy DEET-free  mosquito-repelling bracelets  so those annoying little bloodsuckers have no chance to ruin any part of your day. They use essential oils like citronella to help keep those pesky bugs away from you. You'll feel so godly you could probz lift Thor's hammer — pshh, look around at all the foolish mortals getting bit. 

Check out a TikTok of the mosquito-repelling bracelets in action. 

Promising reviews: "I moved last year from Southern California to North Carolina. Bugs of all types have always been attracted to me but the amount of bites I got last summer was WILD. Someone gave me one of these types of bracelets to use one day and it seemed to work SOOOOOO I decided to buy myself an arsenal to prepare for this summer. I read the reviews and about 99% of them had great results. I've only used this bracelet twice but both times I was outside and untouched.  I'm not fond of the smell, I'm hyper sensitive to smells, but I'd rather have the odor than being chewed alive." — Tracey Agopian

"You need these. As soon as mosquito season begins, I slip one of these over my wrist or ankle and I’m safe from being bitten. Highly recommend." — chris cullen

Get a 10-pack from Amazon for $9.99  (also available in 25- and 50-packs). 

21. A super spacious  weekender bag , aka the most convenient carry-on bag ever. Why? This thing has a little handle pass-through so you can attach it to your rolling luggage, two water bottle holders, a padded laptop pocket, and an exterior zip pocket, and it can be carried as a crossbody or handbag or on your shoulder. 

As if that weren't enough, it's also made of 100% recycled polyester!

Promising review: "How did I ever travel without this weekender? I brought this as my carry-on piece on a 17-day trip to London, and it is CLUTCH. I'm telling you, buy it yesterday!! I got the lightest color, and it's incredibly durable, so many pockets inside and out, super spacious inside, many straps to choose from to carry, and looks sleek. I was concerned about the price at first, but it's worth every single penny. I love how the pass-through on the outside that holds this bag onto the handle of your luggage can be zipped closed to use as another pocket. " — LAinFlight

Get it from Everlane for $95 (available in five colors). 

22. Or a  Cincha travel belt  to securely fasten your bag to your rolling suitcase. It's adjustable and it comes in tons of cute designs that'll make it hard to choose just one. 

It adjusts up to 38 inches, so it works with most bags.

Cincha Travel is a small BIPOC-owned biz based in Oakland, California that specializes in adjustable vegan-leather-trimmed travel belts. The brand donates 100 airline miles for each purchase to help reunite migrant families.

Promising review: "Makes traveling so much less of a headache! Got this after seeing it in a BuzzFeed article before my Jamaica trip. Made traveling so much more pleasant. Didn't have to worry about my tote falling off my suitcase the entire time. Highly recommend!" — Zaid Shahatit

Get it from Amazon for $39.99 (available in 18 colors and designs).

23. A portable lock box so you can go enjoy the water like the little mermaid you are without worrying about your phone and credit card being stolen. No more "I'll stay back and watch our stuff" and more *actually* enjoying your getaway. Simply secure this bad boy to your beach chair and go see why Sebastian felt that life is better down where it's wetter.

You can also use this in your room to keep valuables protected. You can either set a three-digit combination code or use the provided key!

Promising review: "This is a must-have for vacations. We took it to Atlantis in the Bahamas and it worked perfectly. Held our phones, room keys, etc. while we were out enjoying the beach or pool . Just looped it to our beach chair or table. Highly recommended." — Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $44.95 (available in five colors).

24. A pair of 2nd Gen Apple AirPods Pro  with noise cancellation so you can drown out the sound of the screaming toddler on the plane. Plus you can listen to the Thor: Ragnarok soundtrack on full blast and ~marvel~ in feeling like a god for having these. He's the god of thunder, you're the god of travel. 

Promising review:  "The AirPods Pro deliver exceptional sound with effective noise cancellation. Their comfortable design, seamless controls, and adaptive features make them a top choice for a premium wireless earbud experience. With spatial audio, long battery life, and effortless connectivity, they excel in both performance and convenience. Great deal." — Altruistic

Get them from Amazon for $199 .

25. An Airplane Pocket tray cover   because you're a germaphobe and everything disgusts you, especially germ-filled surfaces on a seven-hour flight. This has four stretchy pockets so you can store your flight essentials and it's water-resistant and machine washable because yes, we've gotten to the age where we wanna clean things that help keep other things clean. 

Check this bb out on  TikTok ; it's made by a small biz!

Promising reviews:  "I used it last week and it was terrific.  It fit everything: magazine, iPad, tissues, gum, glasses, phone, earplugs and water bottle.  It stretched easily but tightly over the tray and both the flight attendant and my seat mates complimented me on it.  I plan to use it every time I fly. It would be perfect for children, too . Highly recommend it." — Sue G. 

"I love this for several reasons. One, it keeps me from having to touch the airplane seat pocket/tray table. Two,  by putting my belongings inside I can’t leave anything behind.  Three, It's  lightweight and takes up very little space . And four,  I throw it in the washing machine after every trip . No regrets and people always ask about it when they see me pull it out." — JHoov88

Get it from Amazon for $29.99. 

26. Plus a patterned travel tray for kids  with different modes for "snacking," "tablet viewing," "contained toy play," and "free play," so your kiddo isn't touching a germ-y surface *and* so they don't make a huge mess on the plane tray.

Lusso Gear is a small biz that specializes in travel products. 

Promising review : "Absolutely love this for traveling with kids!!! We bought this for a recent trip with our daughter and it made snack time and playtime on the flight so much easier and mess-free . It’s sturdy, high-quality, and fits perfectly on the tray table and tablet. It’s also a nice extra layer of protection from germs when traveling. Our daughter loved the cute mermaid design too!" — Laura Knotts

Get it from Amazon for $26.95 (available in three prints). 

27. A hands-free (rotating!) phone mount  that can be used on ALLLLLL airlines! Mount it to your table tray so you can *easily* watch your fave movie on the flight, or mount it to the arm of a chair or any flat surface! 

Perilogics is a small biz creating hyper-functional tool holsters and bags for carrying your stuff on the go. 

Promising review : "I bought this nifty gadget about six months ago for a multi-leg, ultra long-haul trip and it more than held up the entire duration . I was able to finagle it to fit the tray tables on different planes and like others, I find the height just nice when clamped onto a stowed tray table . It also works on my roller carry-on handle during layovers." — Earendil

Get it from Amazon for $13.97+  (available in five colors and in two-packs).

28. A  Trtl neck pillow  since on every flight you wake up and realize your neck is killing you from sleeping in such an awkward position orrrr that you've fallen asleep on your neighbor's shoulder. Simply adjust it for comfort and support and this lovely little pillow will make sure you wake up without a sore neck. It's also machine washable and fast-drying, unlike the U-shaped travel pillows.

Promising review:  "Used it for a 14-hour flight to Japan last week, and it helped tremendously. This was the first time I was able to sleep on the plane so this helped tremendously. Definitely a must-have for travel. It is very light so I was able to easily pack it in my under-the-seat wheeled trolley. I want to emphasize how much the light warmth of the fleece (and I don't like being hot) was just right to help me nod off to sleep. Since this is primarily for sitting upright in the seat or someone in the middle or the aisle seat, this was ideal for me. I just got back yesterday. Again I used it — this time for a 12-hour flight." — Ambience

Get it from Amazon for  $64.99+  (available in five colors).

29. A  waterproof pouch  so you can bring your phone with you snorkeling on your vacation and capture all that magnificence that is ~under the sea~. Oh, and even in this little dry bag you can still use your phone, soooo...underwater selfies! You may even get to snap a pic of the god of the sea — Poseidon, of course. 

It fits any phone up to 100 mm x 170 mm (or about 3.9 inches x 6.7 inches). It's also great at keeping out sand and dirt.

Promising review: "I purchased this case in July for an upcoming canoe trip with a friend, and as luck would have it, we flipped our canoe. Being the rebel that I am, I chose not to wear my phone around my neck, and so it, my ID, and my debit card ended up at the bottom of the river. I assumed it would be discovered a thousand years from now and placed in a museum as an ancient artifact. Fast forward to this week. I was contacted via FB by an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office diver and guess what he found? Yup, my phone case with all of the contents intact and dry as a bone! He had to cut the case open, but there was not one single drop of water in it and he ended up purchasing a case for himself because he was just that impressed !" — Julie McDonald

Get it from Amazon for $6.99+ (available in 14 colors).

30. A TikTok-popular  spacious travel-friendly backpack that'll hold SOOOO much stuff. It'll fit right under the seat in front of you so you can use it as the "personal item" you're allowed to bring along andddd it has a USB port, making it a superior travel bag fit for a god. If you like piña coladas, getting caught in the rain, lots of pockets/compartments, and a separate waterproof wet bag, this is the perfect bag for you. 

It also has a pocket for your shoes and a strap that slides down over your luggage handle for easy transport. Reviewers say it meets  Spirit ,  JetBlue , American Airlines ,  Alaska Airlines ,  Southwest ,  Delta , Frontier , and  United Airlines  personal item rules and fits under airplane seats!

Check it out on TikTok .

Promising review: "One bag handled a week of travel! This bag is like magic! I fit four pairs of shorts, four shirts, underwear, socks and couple of workout outfits with sports bras, two pairs of sandals, four bathing suits, a coverup, sun hat, toiletries, cosmetics, a laptop, notebook, three device chargers (computer, phone and Fitbit) and an electric toothbrush. Even when packed to the max, the weight is comfortably distributed so it doesn’t break your back. It fits under the seat perfectly, too. I bought it when it a was 50% off but I’d pay full price knowing how awesome this bag is for travel." — AlexanderK

Get it from Amazon for  $34.99+  (available in four sizes and 26 colors).

31. A JetKids ride-on carry-on suitcase  because you know your little independent one won't let you carry them and they have Hercules-like strength when they're mid-meltdown. This will give you the peace of mind that your kiddo is right next to you and your little one will think it's a preview of the Disneyland rides they're about to be on when you all land. 

It's recommended for kids ages 3–7 and fits most standard economy seats. It has an adjustable strap so you can carry it over your shoulder, a top handle, and a mattress inside that can be removed and used while in the air. It can be used on your flight as a foot rest for your little one and parents have also used this product  while waiting for their flight  to keep kids comfy and content.

Promising review: " Traveling with a toddler is always a challenge, but comfort is key, and this little magic package makes the airport trip that much smoother. We can store small toys, a pillow, and one throw blanket for our family of three. Great idea and great buy. We will be using this until it breaks." — TifferTheTrend

Get it from Amazon for $225.57+  (available in six colors). 

32. A 16GB waterproof Kindle Paperwhite  with an anti-glare display so it'll feel less like you're reading from a screen and more like you're diving into a novel with actual paper pages. Perfect for some poolside reading and if someone is splashing your way, you won't have to worry about it ruining your new fave little gadget.

Promising review: "I love the Kindle e-readers. Previously, I had the 7th generation that I bought back in 2013. You just can't beat the backlight with the Kindle e-readers; they are the best on the market in my opinion. I bought this mainly for the waterproof feature. It also has more storage space and some of the features (Goodreads, for example) have been updated. Another huge plus is having audiobooks on this kindle (though you do need a Bluetooth headphone set). I listen to a TON of audiobooks, so this is super useful for me. The battery lasts much longer than my old Paperwhite and it is notably lighter than my old one . For me, this was well worth the money because of the type of reader I am. The only minor gripe I would have is that sometimes I accidentally touch the screen and it goes on to the next page before I am done reading (an issue I had with the previous Kindle Paperwhite too), but it's a minor more logistical issue." — Phoebe

Check out our  review of the Kindle Paperwhite  here.

Get it from Amazon for $149.99+ (available with or without three months of free Kindle Unlimited, with or without lock screen ads, and in three colors).

33. An adjustable  universal travel harness seat  so you don't go all ~Loki on a rampage in New York~ when the hostess at dinner says that all the high chairs are already being used. If your babe is 6 months or older, you can turn literally any restaurant chair on your vacay into a baby-safe, secure chair. 

Liuliuby is a New York-based small biz that specializes in stroller and car seat accessories. 

It also would work well at friends' or relatives' houses if they don't have little ones or a high chair!

Promising review: "This thing was amazing! I give it  10 stars — it fit every type of chair we encountered on our Kenyan vacation! Kept our toddler controlled and made feeding on the go so easy. Very lightweight and packable, a vacation must-have!" — Kireme1

Get it from Amazon for $25.99 .

34. A splurge-worthy set of seven aesthetically pleasing  Cadence containers  that'll hold your pills, moisturizers, shampoo, conditioner, and so much more. So, yes, you can bring all seven of your serums for your skincare routine — just throw 'em in these cute itty bitty jars and TSA won't give you any problems. The magnetic design makes them easy to cluster together so you can find all your bathroom necessities in one place. 

Cadence is an AAPI woman-owned small business founded by Steph Hon with the goal of eliminating single-use travel-sized plastics. The containers are made from recycled ocean-bound plastic. 

The containers come with labeled interchangeable tiles — for shampoo, conditioner, body wash, moisturizer, cleanser, pill icon, and one that's blank. Say goodbye to having to always buy travel-size bottles of your bathroom necessities. 

Promising review: "The BEST CONTAINERS for traveling! I have tried so many $5 travel containers and they always end up exploding or breaking. Super happy to finally find these travel containers that stand up and last throughout all of my travels and I know I’ll have them for years to come. They are sturdy and hold a lot product . I love that they are magnetic too so they stick together which makes it super easy for travel . Would purchase again!" — Taylor

Get a set of seven from Amazon for  $130  (available in four colors).

35. A portable blackout curtain  so your kiddo can get a good snooze in despite being in a different location. It's got suction cups and Velcro edges for customization, so you just attach it to the window and *boom*! Totally dark room so your babe can sleep off the fuss they'll put up from being so exhausted. God status = totally achieved. 

It also comes with a matching travel bag!

Promising review: "Travel essential. We bought one of these a few years ago for traveling with our then baby and now we can’t live without it. We just ordered a second one so we never have to be without. Because they suction to any window, it’s so much better than any other blackout curtain. It gets the room pitch black,  it folds up into a bag, and it's lightweight. Super easy to throw in a suitcase when traveling . You need this." — Brett and Marie Johnson

Get it from Amazon for $23.99+ (available in five colors and as a two-pack; certain colors are only available as a two-pack).

You and your digital scale walking up to the airport luggage scale knowing you won't be charged an extra fee:

Reviewers have been edited for length and/or clarity. 

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Remote province in China sees surge in tourism, thanks to hot pot

• Asia & Oceania

Friday, 19 Apr 2024

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The beautiful Hexi Corridor in Gansu is part of the Silk Road. — Pixabay

Winter and spring are traditionally quiet seasons in terms of travel in northwest China’s Gansu, as this province tends to experience cold and dry weather at this time of year.

However, over the past three months, the remote Gansu region has witnessed the presence of significant numbers of domestic tourists at its scenic spots along the Hexi Corridor.

Stretching over a distance of nearly 1,000km in Gansu, the Hexi Corridor is part of the ancient Silk Road. A total of five Unesco World Heritage Sites and 53 grottoes are scattered along the Hexi Corridor.

Li Li, a tourist from Guangdong Province, decided to avoid this year’s peak summer tourism season, opting instead for a more quiet time to travel with her parents and child. However, she was surprised by how tourism has changed in Gansu, encountering more tourists than she had expected at scenic spots like Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring in the city of Dunhuang.

Thanks to preferential policies rolled out by Dunhuang’s government last December, the attractions have gained popularity, said Yang Shaojun, deputy general manager of the Dunhuang Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring Tourism Development.

According to Yang, as of April 6, the scenic spots had received a total of 205,310 tourist visits this year – an increase of 65.05% compared with the same period in 2023.

Data from the provincial department of culture and tourism showed that in the first two months of this year, Gansu had recorded 44.5 million tourist visits and pocketed comprehensive tourism income of some CNY30bil (RM19.68bil), an increase of 33.8% and 56%, respectively, compared with the same period in 2023.

In addition to enjoying Gansu’s natural scenery, tourists are also drawn by the local culture and delicacies.

Tianshui Malatang, an iconic hot pot dish with roots in Tianshui, a low-key city in Gansu, has recently garnered considerable attention online, following significant endorsements from food enthusiasts and social media influencers.

In mid-March, the average daily passenger flow at the city’s railway stations surged by some 40% in a week compared to the same period last year, data from China Railways revealed.

Yang Yujuan, director of the social education department of the Wuwei Municipal Museum, has witnessed a considerable increase in the number of visitors to the museum this spring.

The province’s booming tourism is attributable to local efforts to provide high-quality tourism products, options and services – such as granting free tickets for scenic spots and launching innovative activities.

According to He Xiaozu, head of the provincial department of culture and tourism, Gansu will continue to integrate high-quality cultural tourism resources across the province to boost consumption potential and attract more tourists. – Xinhua

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Tags / Keywords: Gansu , China , Tourism , Tianshui Malatang , Hexi Corridor , Silk Road , Dunhuang , Mingsha Mountain , Crescent Spring

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