Internet of Things is one such concept. Simply put, in order to reduce the human-to-human/computer communication, day to day things are being connected to each other through the internet. These things could be anything from a hairbrush to a refrigerator or elevators or even your home for that matter.
Let us have a look at how IoT is transforming the face of the Travel and Hospitality industry. Travel and Hospitality industries are two of the largest industries which continue to grow at a fast pace. However, due to the high competition and demand for better services at cost-effective prices, more and more such businesses are opting for IoT.
The elimination of the cumbersome human- to- human interaction has enabled IoT to reshape these industries by helping these industries collect date from various sources and in turn create personalized experiences for the customers.
A report by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in 2015 says that the travel industry was among the top industries with regard to current IoT spending per company. On an average, these companies are expected to spend $128.9 million each on IoT initiatives in 2015, or 0.60% of revenues. However, in 2018, the spends are likely to drop to $108.9 million approximately. Companies will likely be spending 30% of the IoT spend on customer monitoring and 26.4% on product monitoring instead.
WAYS IN WHICH IoT WILL IMPACT THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY:
1. Usage and maintenance of in-room facilities like heating, room service, elevators, TV, room
temperature, etc will all be personalized and automated. The hotel staff will be able to monitor and get notified automatically in case the guests require anything.
2. With IoT, airlines can send in real-time information regarding flight status, arrival/departure, and gate changes. With IoT enabled sensors customers can now navigate their way through the airport thus reducing long queues. Miami airport is already using 400 IoT sensors so that passengers have an easier time navigating their way with the help of their smartphones.
3. With the help of IoT, airlines can detect a passenger's location during check-in and send them their way without any hassle. Dubai airport is already using smart gates that automatically detect passengers based on their facial and retinal recognition which makes the checking-in process smoother.
4. Passengers will be able to locate their luggage through their smartphones. The passengers will get real-time location of their baggage which will also help reduce incidents where people lose their luggage. If at all such an incident were to occur, sensors attached to bags will help the airlines locate them easily and thus deliver it to the customer quickly.
5. Airlines can bid goodbye to maintenance delays. Smart sensors can keep a check on the aircraft's parameters round the clock and detect faults beforehand. This will reduce the delays caused during operating hours thus increasing the airline's efficiency.
6. IoT will help organizations take customer services to an entirely different level. Companies can record customers' likes and dislikes thus eliminating the scope of complaints. Pleasing customers on a personal level will become easier thus add more value to brand loyalty.
7. With sensors attached all over the city, tourists will have an easy time locating things to their liking. Sensors attached to buildings, trees, gardens, etc will help in monitoring the traveler habits and will be able to enhance the traveling experience for tourists further.
8. By connecting various devices to systems, IoT will also help in streamlining the back-end process of airline companies and various hotel chains.
IoT sure is still in its infant stage but there is no arguing that with greater efficiency and better customer service this technology will change the way we travel.
