Technology has revolutionized our lives and the way we travel, meaning we can now go further quicker for cheaper than we ever could before. Every year new technologies and companies come along to try to disrupt the travel market in an attempt to alter how we do everything from booking a trip to communicating with the locals. We have seen this kind of market disruption most recently with the massive growth of AirBnB and Uber which have transformed the way we find accommodation and get around respectively. We can easily grow accustom to these new technological developments, but if you take a moment to look back, it is inspiring just to see how far we’ve come.
Electronic Payments
When travelling we now need to be much less concerned with changing currency and carrying large sums of cash. The increasing developments in electronic technology have not only made payments abroad much easier, but also much safer. Whether in countries with comparatively high crime rates or not, walking around with a few hundred dollars or more in cash can leave you feeling a little paranoid for your safety. Using electronic payments – such as credit cards, Apple Pay or Google Wallet – not only makes paying for things incredibly simple, but also saves you having to carry any cash at all. The good news is that as this kind of technology advances, more and more places around the world accept it. This form of payment is also often very secure and if your personal data is ever stolen, you will most likely be covered by the payment provider – just ensure to check this before you travel.
Breaking Down Language Barriers
If you have your smartphone to hand when exploring any new foreign location, you won’t need to be as concerned about trying to learn new words and phrases to get past language barriers. There are so many apps out there now which can not only help you learn a language, such as Duolingo, but can carry out on the spot translations of signs and menus. Even more incredible are apps like iTranslate which – if you have an internet connection – will translate your spoken English into your chosen language. This kind of technology is only going to improve in the coming years, bringing people from around the world much closer together.
Cloud Computing
The adoption of cloud computing in the travel industry has not only changed the way we book our trips abroad, but also the way we travel. Cloud computing, to put it simply, allows devices to remotely access software and storage via the internet; this technology means that devices which use the cloud can be smaller and cheaper due to the fact they rely on less internal storage space. Cloud-based apps mean you can listen to music or read books, for example, on the go without needing to store them on any of your devices. This kind of remote storage provides greater security for the traveler due to the fact that if your technology is broken or stolen along the way, the data on it will be backed up on the cloud. Storage of travel documents and personal information on the cloud – avoiding the risks involved when carrying the physical documents themselves – is also said to be incredibly secure due to the fact cloud-computing companies keep their systems up-to-date and protected against the latest cyberattacks.. Andre Pienaar of C5 Capital, a company which heavily invests in cloud computing technology, said in a recent panel interview that “when we started investing in cloud based companies at C5 many people saw the cloud as a blocker for cyber security. Now we say that The Cloud is part of the solution.”
Smart Apps
The development of smartphone apps has changed the way we get about and stay in touch when travelling. Apps like Google Maps make getting lost almost impossible and have made the days of wandering around and asking for directions to the hotel a thing of the past. Apps like Blink – a Tinder approach to finding local attractions to visit – mean you’ll never be short of things to do, with your itinerary filling up quickly. The likes of WhatsApp and FaceTime now mean you’re only a message or a call away from catching up with your friends and family. The huge benefit of using these apps to call home on wi-fi, due to the fact they operate online, is that you avoid any international calling charges.
