Technology, just like travelers, is always on the move. 30 years ago, people started to book trips on the internet, as a few companies across the United States and Europe set the foundation of the
as we know it today. Then less than 20 years ago,
revolutionized the industry again, with smartphones gradually becoming an integral part of the overall travel experience. Now, the first implementations of
What are the main technology trends in travel and tourism?
While
generative AI is perhaps the most talked-about topic, it is just one of the many technological innovations that are transforming how businesses and customers think about and experience travel. In fact, when looking at the
technologies expected to have the biggest impact on online travel agencies worldwide in 2024, data analytics ranked ahead of machine learning and artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, New Distribution Capability (NDC) was the top priority for companies dealing directly with the public, being the
main technology solution planned to be implemented by global leisure travel agencies in 2024. The NDC program, launched by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), is a data interface that intends to improve communication between airlines and travel booking services, giving the opportunity to share more transparent and personalized content.
From NDC to GDS: the importance of travel distribution
The need for better data exchange has been a crucial issue for the travel market since the 1960s, fueling the rise of the so-called global distribution systems (GDSs). GDSs are online networks that connect suppliers like airlines, hotels, or cruise operators to travel booking companies. Having access to the suppliers’ inventory, like the number of seats or hotel rooms available, GDSs provide such information to travel agents and online travel agencies, allowing customers to book multiple travel services at once. In 2023, the
global distribution system market generated an estimated 13 billion U.S. dollars, with Amadeus, Sabre, and Travelport being the leading industry players. That year,
Amadeus’ revenue worldwide alone accounted for nearly half of the global GDS market, nearly catching up with pre-pandemic levels.
Travelers are yet to fully embrace the latest technologies
Overall, despite the different technologies adopted by travel and tourism businesses, all these solutions, from NDC and GDS to mobile apps and artificial intelligence, have a common goal: addressing people’s need to travel faster, safer, and more efficiently. The main challenge, meanwhile, is convincing the travelers, not just the companies, that those tools will improve their lives. A survey on the
preferred digital tools for trip planning in Europe, for instance, showed that less than five percent of travelers reported using generative AI in 2024. After all, unlike technology, people do not change that quickly and might need some time to adjust to new solutions.
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