travel tech insights

In the previous entry in our series on the evolution of the travel industry since 2000, we focussed on the major players in the travel and tourism industry and how these companies and organizations have shaped the industry of today. We also discussed how their impact has influenced the way customers experience travel on a global level.

In today’s third and final installment, we’ll examine the most influential technologies within the travel industry and how their evolutions have impacted both travel companies and consumers. Our goal is to focus on the most important moments in the progression of travel technology to highlight just how much the travel and tourism industry has changed in a relatively short amount of time.

Technologies develop quickly. What was state-of-the-art or revolutionary one day is out-of-date the next, and the technologies that have had the greatest impact on the travel and tourism industry are certainly no exception. Since just the year 2000, the technological platforms available to both companies and customers has significantly transformed the way travelers travel and companies operate.

In the first entry of our series on the evolution of the travel industry since 2002, we looked at the traveler and how their needs, desires, tools, and buying behaviors have shifted during the last 14 years. We examined how advances in personal and industry technology have made it easier than ever for travelers to become an integral part of the travel industry rather than just observers watching from the sidelines.

Today’s entry, the second in our three-part series, will focus on the major industry players, their history, evolution, and impact on the global travel industry. The companies and organizations we’ve chosen to highlight have in one way or another made significant contributions to the growth and development of the industry and have left an important mark on how the travel industry operates today.

The beginning of the 21st Century was without a doubt an influential moment in the travel industry. With the rise in popularity of the internet, global, electronic delivery of services, products, and operational functions were becoming more and more the norm. GDS companies, OTAs, and other online-based suppliers and retailers began launching more customer-oriented services such as price comparison interfaces, digital trip planning tool, and electronic tickets and documentation to streamline processes and create more efficient, agile value chains.

Today on the blog we begin a three-part series examining the evolution of the travel industry during the last 14 plus  years. Since 2002, a number of seismic shifts have taken place within the travel industry that have had a massive impact on how companies operate and travelers experience the world. The goal of this series is to discuss the major milestones in the travel industry’s evolution from the perspective of the traveler/consumer, the industry’s major players, and the technological advancements that have transformed the industry into a powerhouse of global commerce.

In this first entry, we’ll look at the traveler and discuss the changes in available tools and the mentality buying behavior throughout the last decade and a half.

It’s an understatement to say the world has changed drastically since 2002. At seemingly the same time, people become both more and less connected through advancements in technology and 24/7 access to information, goods, and services. The world is simultaneously much larger and much smaller than it was just 14 years ago, and the way industries function in today’s world bears little resemblance to global business climate of the year 2002.