According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO), over 10% of journeys undertaken around the world are for business. In recent years, the world of business travel has seen significant changes, which are mostly due to advances in technology. These new tools make each and every stage of your trip easier, from planning to the moment you get back home.
It would be an oversight to ignore that business trips can be tedious for employees. Planning can take a lot of time, as can booking flights, hotels and restaurants and sorting out everything else you need to do before you set off. Fortunately, new technologies are on hand to help blur the lines between travel for business and leisure. Keep reading to discover some of the innovations that are changing the face of business travel.
Mobile devices
Smartphones make it easy for us to reserve hotels, restaurants, flights and other means of transport. Not only do mobile devices save you a lot of time, they can also help you to save money, as many applications compare prices so you can get the best deal.
Instant messaging
Different instant messaging apps (WhatsApp, Telegram, social media) have made it easier for business service providers to guarantee personalised attention to travellers. Chatbots also enable hotels and airlines to optimise their customer service times while boosting travellers’ productivity as they receive the information they are looking for instantly.
Artificial intelligence
One of the applications of artificial intelligence in the area of business travel are voice commands on hotel or airline customer service phone lines. Another example, which is soon to be a reality, is using facial recognition to let guests unlock their hotel room.
Big data
Big data is a term that refers to the processing and storage of vast quantities of data. In the world of business travel, these data sets can be used to analyse and then predict users’ travel preferences based on their past behaviour. Optimisations can also be made to automate reservations for frequent travellers. There are even technologies that can, based on the time the user wants to travel, predict the day in which their flights etc. will be cheapest. A good example of this is Nautalia, which has made agreements with IT providers to offer companies and business travellers a wide range of technological solutions, including a tool that guarantees the best prices.
Geolocalisation
Geolocalisation can help you manage all sorts of risks related to business travel. Locating where each employee is in real time, this tool can help you to resolve any problems or issues that may come up during the trip.
Virtual reality
In the business travel sector, virtual reality enables you to plan your trip with confidence. If you’re booking a hotel or meeting room, you can take a virtual tour around the facilities without even leaving the office. Virtual reality transports you to anywhere in the world without needing to travel, which is a particularly useful tool for companies working in event management.
The boundary separating travel for business and travel for leisure is becoming more and more blurred and is set to almost disappear. Plan a business trip in the Costa del Sol and enjoy a destination that offers business travellers everything they need to optimise their work time and enjoy their time off.
