Emerging Tech in Travel 2020

Report Overview

This report contributes to demystifying some of the terms, and hype about, the most important emerging technologies, especially pertaining to the travel industry. In this report we will focus on four of the main technology “buckets” that have been discussed most in the travel industry.

The report investigates: 1) artificial intelligence, with a deep dive into natural language processing through voice assistants, as well as computer vision used for facial recognition and self-driving cars; 2) hyperconnectivity, with a focus on cloud computing, 5G, and the internet of things; 3) spatial computing, investigating the potential of virtual and augmented reality technologies; and finally 4) distributed ledger technology, discussing the potential of cryptocurrencies and the blockchain.

We provide an insight into the benefits of these technologies, but also look at their shortcomings. We highlight real-life applications that are in place today and are being pushed by startups and incumbent players, and look at the future potential of these emerging technologies.

What You'll Learn From This Report

• Descriptions of four technology buckets, explaining what the fuss is all about, and how they work.

• Current applications by startups and incumbent players of these emerging technologies.

• Timescales highlighting if and when the impact of these technologies will be felt in the travel industry.

• The potential for a transformative impact, focused on and split by travel verticals, and the different customer journey stages.

• Shortcomings of each technology that need to be overcome for wider adoption and to reach their full potential.