A new report from A.T. Kearney, ‘What if? Imagining the future of the travel industry’, has identified trends of personalisation and seamless travel as key drivers of success in the next five to seven years.
According to the report, the travel industry must be better prepared for economic and political disruption if it’s going to make the most of future economic growth.
Whilst the sharing economy, virtual reality and the internet are all improving the traveller experience, international geo-political, social and economic developments are disrupting and polarising the world as we know it, limiting the industry’s potential for future prosperity unless companies act now, the report says.
So what’s this mean in everyday language? (Yes, we struggled).
A.T. Kearney has highlighted two key trends that are changing the travel industry landscape, and agents and the industry at large need to take note:
- Personalised travel experiences versus mass market
Technology enables the collection and making sense of consumer data and the use of Artificial Intelligence to learn about traveller behaviour.
In addition, it may help to meet individual needs, instead of a more traditional one-size-fits-all approach.
- Seamless travel versus fragmentation
Truly seamless traveller experience will require governmental co-operation and data sharing between businesses: from airports and airlines to destination services such as hotels, restaurants, and ground transportation.
Based on these two key trends, Amadeus and A.T. Kearney have identified four future-looking world scenarios that companies need to prepare for today, if they are to maximise future growth and success tomorrow.
They’re a bit abstract – Picasso and Warhol made it into the report somehow – but relevant nonetheless.
