What every 80s child imagined the future would be like...or not
When I pictured the future as a child, I thought of the flying cars in the Jetsons - or Michael J Fox's amazing hoverboard in Back to the Future. In other words, when I thought of technology’s impact on travel, it was always in a physical way, visualizing bigger and faster ways to move across the world. But the future is here, and it looks nothing like that (although I do wish I owned a DELOREAN DMC-12). We have hoverboards, but they still have wheels, and although flying cars are currently in development, I won't be commuting to work in one any time soon.
Each year, Amadeus’ unrivalled team of travel analysts examine the landscape in our industry and offer a series of predictions about the next 12 months and beyond.
As we look to the future, we are faced with many unknowns. How will the metaverse impact our industry? How will we continue to tackle the challenges posed by climate change and the increasing demand for a sustainable travel sector? How will hotels adapt to the travellers of today and what impact will rapidly developing biometrics have on the airports of tomorrow and many more.
Amadeus’ unique insight into the travel industry allows us to offer some of the answers.
Once again, technology is at the forefront of this change, but after two years of social distancing, we are all craving the return of authentic human connection and interaction. The digital tools that proved so helpful throughout the last two years are no longer enough. Human relationships are what we crave, and the most successful technology will enhance and facilitate our human experiences, building irreplaceable connections.
The smartest innovators today are investing in solutions that help people reduce their impact on the planet, while putting human relationships and wider society first. It’s not only about fun gadgets, in travel it is about useful tools that help us get to where we need to be, so we can meet up with the people we care about the most. The exciting new reality is that technology is enabling us to reach these goals.
So, what are these travel trends you ask? You’ll have to check out the below infographic to find out.
Daniel Batchelor is the Vice President, Global Corporate Communications & Social Responsibility for Amadeus. Connect with Danny on LinkedIn.