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Start Today - Transforma-tech con Nicolás Bezek
When technology and holidays go hand in hand
19 de July de 2022
Technology has had a positive influence in different areas, boosting them and allowing them to grow, both in market share and in their offer and supply.
Tourism is a clear example of these developments: Currently, 3 out of 4 travellers organise and book their trips online.
It’s crazy to think that 20 years ago, tourists used to walk about with a big map, stopping at every corner, rotating it in order to try to decipher their location. A rare situation nowadays — virtually extinct. While it’s true that we’re still using maps and taking recommendations, the platform through which we do so has changed categorically.
During the past decades, tech innovations have made it easier to organise and carry out any kind of trip. That’s why, today, we’ll go through all the spots in which technology has seen an opportunity to enhance the experience of our trips and we’ll talk about the apps and devices that make it possible.
Where Are We Going?
Regarding mobility and location, the queen of all apps is Google Maps. Not only does it help us with locations, but it’s also the source of recommendations for almost everything — where to sleep, where and what to eat, finding supermarkets and, of course, the best way to get to these places.
There are others who focus on finding the best routes or optimising the trip, like Waze. If you’re looking for alternatives, check the different means of mobility and their costs and schedule in apps like SkyScanner, Kayak, OMIO or Rome2Rio. If you’re looking to save some money, try BlaBlaCar — the carpooling platform is a great way to move around.
Where Are We Sleeping?
We can now choose, in order and with a set priority, different types of accomodations. And we can do this online from any device we own. It’s no longer necessary to visit them one by one; content aggregators now compile all the offers in one place. The most famous ones are Booking, hoteles.com and BestDay.
New alternatives, like Airbnb or CouchSurfing, offer new experiences by letting people rent their homes or even a room.
What Are We Eating?
Whether we’re looking for local food or if we want something closer to home, nowadays we have control over that as well.
No matter what we want to eat, no matter if it’s vegan, vegetarian or any other; all we have to do now is take a look in our smartphone and we’ll get there. Apps like The Fork offer many discounts and others like Too Good To Go allow us to buy unsold food surplus from at a cheaper price — good for our pockets and the environment!
How Do We Organise This?!
When travelling as a group, there are apps that allow you to register everything you spend, who paid for it and when, in order to later tell you who owes how much to whom.
When it comes to payment, besides cash and credit cards, there are other options like PayPal, cryptocurrencies or virtual banks.
Not understanding a language is no longer a limitation. Online or smartphone translators allow us to communicate and find what we’re looking for. In the same line, online chatbots now adapt to your own language in order to help you no matter where you could be.
As for devices, I think this list can be of great help::
- Hard Drive / Pen Drive / External Memory: It will allow you to back-up your pictures, videos and music, as well as work documents.
- e-Book Readers: All the books you want, none of the weight.
- Wireless 4G Router: Perfect for sharing an internet connection between the group.
- Tablet: The perfect device for visualising all sorts of content and attending to any type of urgency.
- GPS Tracking Devices: The best option for luggage and other things being shipped or dispatched.
- Wireless Speakers: They are light, water resistant speakers that sound great and have a bluetooth connection.
- External Battery: Great for when you spend long days away from your accommodation and you need to charge your devices.
- Drone and Sports Cam: Nothing will be the same after you start filming with these devices.
- Home security: Security cameras, motion detectors, presence simulators and sensors in doors and windows.
One particular area that has been growing is the amount of available content for the destinations we may visit. It’s no longer necessary to talk to someone who has already been there, some locals or going to a tourist information office.
You just need to type “What to do in *insert destination* in X days” and you will get the ultimate itinerary according to the length of your visit and your budget. You can also find a lot of information, advice and comments from other travellers in blogs with pictures and videos. This will surely make it all much easier for you!
We now see how much easier technology and connectivity make it for us when we want to go on holidays and how important these two have become. Whether it’s for choosing destinations, accommodation, routes, attractions or food.
Don’t forget that travelling offers you the possibility to discover yourself and other people along the way, while also giving you the chance to visit interesting spots that others may have skipped. It’s a great way to develop your own survival skills and to work on how you adapt to change. Even with all these changes around you, take the time to choose moments that don’t depend on your smartphone, but rather on your instinct, and live the moment.