Dan Martin
Content writer
People nowadays love streamlining everything to make their lives easier and smoother. From household chores to business processes, it’s deemed more productive if certain tasks can be completed in a matter of minutes. The same goes for traveling, people prefer it to be efficient, smooth, and convenient.
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With such demand for travel, technology has filled the gaps in the traveling sector. Traveling from country to country has become quicker because of booking applications. Payment is more convenient than ever through the internet. Hotels have also made it more convenient for guests to book online.
The world has altered dramatically as a result of technological advancements.
8 ways technology has reshaped traveling. Source: pexels.com
Here are a few ways technology has revolutionized the way we travel:
1. Traveling is cheaper now, thanks to technology
People now have access to almost everything they need at their fingertips. It’s now possible to search for and compare flights without going in-person to a travel agency. You can find fares that are really cheap and within your budget online.
Websites and applications also make it easier to compare flights and find the best deal. One can even compare the rates across different dates to make a well-informed decision. In addition, applications like Uber provide quick access to local transportation requirements. This prevents you from dealing with high-priced taxi cabs in different countries.
2. Technology helps tourists travel faster and safer
Traveling has become substantially faster than it was a few years ago. People had to travel for days to go from one side of the world to the other. In today’s world, a person can board a flight in New York and land in Singapore within 19 hours.
Not only this but technology has helped people to travel safely. More specifically, apps like Companion assist people to keep track of their loved ones while they travel. It works by getting one of your contacts as your buddy. They can track your movements and receive notifications if you get stuck anywhere and require assistance.
The app also has other features that let you explore a new place, including international travel.
3. Travel documents became easily accessible
Technology also allows you to save all of your paperwork in one convenient device like your phone or tablet. Because of this, you no longer need to print out different travel documents. And, with the use of an app, you can even arrange them anytime and anywhere. This ultimately gives you peace of mind.
4. Highly flexible electronic payment options
With a smartphone in hand, you no longer have to go onsite and buy a ticket. You can do it online and pay for it later. Traveling has become easier because of services such as e-payments. Online payments are also secure and provide you with more control over your transactions.
You can use your debit and credit cards to pay for travel booking and restaurants in any country. Recently, cryptocurrencies have been accepted as an online payment option by major airlines and even hotels. This means that if you have bitcoins, you can use it to book your airfare or reserve hotel rooms.
If you don’t have any of these, you can use other opts for other options like Alipay, Apple Pay, and Paypal.
Tourists and service providers can also communicate directly thanks to technology. People are no longer reliant on third parties such as travel agents. They now have complete control over their itinerary and costs. And, if you don’t want to use a card to pay, you can simply transfer the funds to your service provider’s account.
5. Planning has never been easier
Travel planning has become as simple as buying a ticket, train, or hotel room. Now, there are travel blogs that provide valuable suggestions to help you with building an itinerary.
These blogs not only provide information about a country but also make things much easier. If you are planning a vacation, you can visit travel websites. They will help you find everything from the right locations to stay in, opening times or museums and even show you economical and secure airport parking near major international airports in the United States.
You can also read feedback from previous customers thanks to technology. This makes the travelling experience smooth, fun and memorable.
Aside from these, you can reserve hotel rooms faster and more conveniently. Websites such as Airbnb and Booking.com made it possible to look for the most fitting accommodation for you. Once you find one, you can book a room right away from the same website within minutes.
6. Tourists can find destinations and things to do easily
Tourists arriving in a new place need assistance in exploring the site on foot. Smartphones serve as navigational aids for tourists like you. You can easily find your way to Times Square using map applications and AI speech services.
When you have GPS on your phone, you don’t have to worry about getting lost or even rely on asking for directions. Additionally, you can find popular activities within an area through your smartphone. This way, you won’t need to plan out every detail of your adventure ahead of time. You can spontaneously spend a day in one area depending on the activities available.
7. Language isn’t a barrier anymore
One of the problems you will encounter with traveling is to speak with a local who doesn’t understand you. Back in the day, you had to bring or buy phrasebooks when you went to a different country. And it’s difficult to use because it’s a word-for-word translation guide. If you don’t have the basic knowledge about a language, locals will misunderstand you and you will struggle.
Nowadays, you don’t need to worry about that. With just the use of a smartphone, you’ll be able to avoid all types of language difficulties. If you’re traveling to Japan and want to interact with a local, for example, you can use a voice translator. With such an app, you won’t have to get a translator to do the talking for you.
Alternatively, you can use Google Translate to convert your message to another language.
8. Technology opened up to new ways of connecting with people
A few decades ago, when you met someone, you had to exchange email addresses on a piece of paper. And with this kind of exchange, you’d have to worry about not losing the paper. Nowadays, you can just pull out your phone and instantaneously connect with people.
Social media has provided people with a way to do just that. And with a few clicks, you’re already friends on Facebook. You can also meet other tourists and residents with the same interest as you by using services like Meetup.
Another option for finding local experiences is to schedule one with local residents through Airbnb. The app not only helps you get accommodation but also contains an “experiences” category. In this feature, locals will help you tour the city and share their knowledge with you.
Programs like Viber or WhatsApp have also opened up opportunities to connect with your loved ones. These programs provide free online calls, which are convenient if you’re halfway across the globe.
Parents don’t need to worry about their children while travelling in an unknown country. And you don’t need to wait until you’re home to show them the places you’ve been. You can capture these moments with a phone and share them instantly with your loved ones through social media. This is one of the best ways tech has reshaped travelling.
Final thoughts
Some people believe that technology is ruining how people live. However, technology has paved the way for an easier and more convenient way of traveling. Not only that but it also helps people feel more safe while travelling. With the advancement of technology, airlines has made traveling safe, fast and convenient.
Aside from this article, there are other ways that technology has changed the way people travel. Some may think it’s for the worse. However, others find technology to be the solution to the problems in traveling before. But it has truly made our life better in so many more ways than we even realise!
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