These are the priorities of travel technology buyers
Buyers will prioritize spending on new travel technologies that enhance the customer experience in 2018, even as they worry about the new data protection law coming into force in Europe. So says a new survey from Travel Technology Europe focused on the challenges facing the back-office, travel and hotels.
Content marketing, payments and guest experiences are some of the areas of focus for technology solutions this year.
Specifically, according to the Travel Technology Europe study, they will be, in this order:
1 Content marketing
2 Payments
3 Guest experiences
4 Omnichannel
5 Security systems
6 Artificial intelligence
7 Blockchain
8 Virtual reality
GDPR, THE BIGGEST CHALLENGEÍO TECNOLÓGICO
Research suggests that compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which comes into force this year in Europe, will be the biggest technical challenge of 2018, followed by managing the NDC, the new distribution protocol for airlines driven by IATA, as well as strategies for maintaining competitiveness.
These are the main technological challenges facing travel companies:
1 GDPR compliance
2 NDC integration
3 Staying competitive
4 Online booking and website upgrades
5 Finding the right tools and systems
6 Cost management
3;Cost management
With the deadline for GDPR compliance fast approaching, three in ten travel technology buyers (29%) are still unsure if they have the right technology and strategy in place. However, seven in ten (71%) are confident they can eventually comply with the new regulations.
The biggest obstacles buyers face in achieving their ideal technology roadmap are budget and resources. Existing infrastructure and slow adoption levels of new technologies are also common issues that need to be overcome.
CRYPTOMONIDES
Another hot spot is cryptocurrencies. While 5% of buyers have already invested in bitcoins, another 24% say they areá considering investing in technologies to back the cryptocurrency in the next five years. 10% believe they may invest in the next ten years, while 61% say they have no plans to invest at all.
According to David Chapple, director of events at Travel Technology Europe, "while travel suppliers face some pretty big regulatory challenges in 2018, it is positive to see that they still plan to invest in the customer experience and have not lost sight of longer-term goals”.
The survey is based on interviews conducted with 135 travel buyers in December 2017. Sixty-six percent of participants work in the U.K., 20% in continental Europe and 14% are from outside Europe.