Improving Customer Experience Through Technology
Experience has been at the heart of the visitor cycle for a while now. Despite the pandemic, this cycle remains unchanged, yet in the future greater attention will be given to hygiene and contactless.
Experience has been at the heart of the visitor cycle for a while now. Despite the pandemic, this cycle remains unchanged, yet in the future greater attention will be given to hygiene and contactless.
According to a study conducted at the end of September 2020 for Amadeus with 6000 passengers in France, Germany, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States, about 84% declared that technology would restore their confidence in travel by responding to their concerns (fear of catching the virus, quarantine imposed by the government, fear of being stranded abroad). The survey also reveals the three main advantages of technology sought after by international tourists: reduce waiting times and the influx of people in public places (38%), limit contact (31%), protecting financial data and personal information (31%). For more details, take a look at the following infographic from Amadeus.
Communication is essential to inform visitors about sanitary measures that have been put in place and about any modifications or cancellations to bookings. Some tools act as communication facilitators and allow companies to manage customer requests better. This is the case for LoungeUp, in the accommodation sector, who have improved their tool to centralise and personalise all conversations and customer requests. It had the effect of increasing the responsiveness of hotel staff and, therefore, impacted the satisfaction and loyalty of guests.
Tools like Hoppin' or TravelworldVR allow visitors to project themselves into the destination before going there, thanks to virtual reality. Others, such as the Connect & Go bracelet or the Filotomatix virtual queuing system at Parc Astérix, in France, contribute to better trip planning. In addition, several organisations have set up a time slot reservation system to prevent the build-up of crowds. This is a breakthrough that meets sanitary requirements, while providing an improved experience for guests, without the waiting or crowds.
A connected bracelet centralises monetary transactions and orders when, in the meantime, a workflow management platform promotes a better journey flow. Queues go virtually and visitors can make the most of their time while avoiding crowds.
According to a Léger survey conducted at the beginning of the summer with visitors of the Theatre District, 54% of respondents were willing to participate in a festival once self-isolation rules would be lifted. This figure was even up to 71% when looking at visitors under 34 years old. At the same time, three quarters, having watched online performances, had no intention to hold on to that way of experiencing events, if a return to live performances was possible.
That said, virtual and hybrid experiences respond to other interesting issues in the context of recovery:
The pandemic has had the effect of regaining interest in tools that had been left out, such as QR codes, or raise awareness of contactless digital technologies, which were already in use. According to a study conducted in July 2020 by Blackbox Research with more than 10,000 people from 17 countries, 76% of the respondents surveyed said they would prefer to travel to a destination that offers a contactless experience.
In the hotel industry, for example, customers can pre-register on their mobile phone or using a QR code when they arrive at the hotel and open their room door with a virtual key. Once settled, they benefit from services such as virtual Concierge which uses artificial intelligence, and get their meal delivered by a robot. If they go out to a restaurant, they can choose their dishes from a holographic menu. When travelling by plane, visitors have the possibility to use a new contactless biometric identification platform to validate their identity safely.
The pandemic has seen new devices appear to encourage compliance with regulations. Some tools transform health constraints into fun, interactive and safe features. For example, a social distancing collar in the Cathedral of Florence lights up and vibrates when two people are too close, an interactive social distancing software allows the projection of a light beam to illustrate the distance between individuals in a queue, apps monitor the capacity of pubs in Sweden or calculate the distance between visitors in amusement parks.
The integration of technology can take place at any time in the visitor cycle. In an uncertain environment for travel, it can act as a promotional tool and respond to accessibility needs in a sustainable way. In addition, it has the effect of increasing the confidence and loyalty of visitors. If it can be a key resource at different levels for a tourism business, it is essential to keep in mind that humans are social animals and, therefore, it is important to keep in contact… contactless.
This article comes from the "White Paper Tourism 2021: between challenges and business opportunities". To find the original article (available in French), click here.
This article is published in partnership with Transat Chair in tourism at the Université du Québec à Montréal, School of Management (ESG-UQAM). This article was originally written in French by Lorea Goudour, 23 February 2021, we have provided an English translation.
According to a study conducted at the end of September 2020 for Amadeus with 6000 passengers in France, Germany, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States, about 84% declared that technology would restore their confidence in travel by responding to their concerns (fear of catching the virus, quarantine imposed by the government, fear of being stranded abroad). The survey also reveals the three main advantages of technology sought after by international tourists: reduce waiting times and the influx of people in public places (38%), limit contact (31%), protecting financial data and personal information (31%). For more details, take a look at the following infographic from Amadeus.
Communication is essential to inform visitors about sanitary measures that have been put in place and about any modifications or cancellations to bookings. Some tools act as communication facilitators and allow companies to manage customer requests better. This is the case for LoungeUp, in the accommodation sector, who have improved their tool to centralise and personalise all conversations and customer requests. It had the effect of increasing the responsiveness of hotel staff and, therefore, impacted the satisfaction and loyalty of guests.
Tools like Hoppin' or TravelworldVR allow visitors to project themselves into the destination before going there, thanks to virtual reality. Others, such as the Connect & Go bracelet or the Filotomatix virtual queuing system at Parc Astérix, in France, contribute to better trip planning. In addition, several organisations have set up a time slot reservation system to prevent the build-up of crowds. This is a breakthrough that meets sanitary requirements, while providing an improved experience for guests, without the waiting or crowds.
A connected bracelet centralises monetary transactions and orders when, in the meantime, a workflow management platform promotes a better journey flow. Queues go virtually and visitors can make the most of their time while avoiding crowds.
According to a Léger survey conducted at the beginning of the summer with visitors of the Theatre District, 54% of respondents were willing to participate in a festival once self-isolation rules would be lifted. This figure was even up to 71% when looking at visitors under 34 years old. At the same time, three quarters, having watched online performances, had no intention to hold on to that way of experiencing events, if a return to live performances was possible.
That said, virtual and hybrid experiences respond to other interesting issues in the context of recovery:
The pandemic has had the effect of regaining interest in tools that had been left out, such as QR codes, or raise awareness of contactless digital technologies, which were already in use. According to a study conducted in July 2020 by Blackbox Research with more than 10,000 people from 17 countries, 76% of the respondents surveyed said they would prefer to travel to a destination that offers a contactless experience.
In the hotel industry, for example, customers can pre-register on their mobile phone or using a QR code when they arrive at the hotel and open their room door with a virtual key. Once settled, they benefit from services such as virtual Concierge which uses artificial intelligence, and get their meal delivered by a robot. If they go out to a restaurant, they can choose their dishes from a holographic menu. When travelling by plane, visitors have the possibility to use a new contactless biometric identification platform to validate their identity safely.
The pandemic has seen new devices appear to encourage compliance with regulations. Some tools transform health constraints into fun, interactive and safe features. For example, a social distancing collar in the Cathedral of Florence lights up and vibrates when two people are too close, an interactive social distancing software allows the projection of a light beam to illustrate the distance between individuals in a queue, apps monitor the capacity of pubs in Sweden or calculate the distance between visitors in amusement parks.
The integration of technology can take place at any time in the visitor cycle. In an uncertain environment for travel, it can act as a promotional tool and respond to accessibility needs in a sustainable way. In addition, it has the effect of increasing the confidence and loyalty of visitors. If it can be a key resource at different levels for a tourism business, it is essential to keep in mind that humans are social animals and, therefore, it is important to keep in contact… contactless.
This article comes from the "White Paper Tourism 2021: between challenges and business opportunities". To find the original article (available in French), click here.
This article is published in partnership with Transat Chair in tourism at the Université du Québec à Montréal, School of Management (ESG-UQAM). This article was originally written in French by Lorea Goudour, 23 February 2021, we have provided an English translation.
According to a study conducted at the end of September 2020 for Amadeus with 6000 passengers in France, Germany, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States, about 84% declared that technology would restore their confidence in travel by responding to their concerns (fear of catching the virus, quarantine imposed by the government, fear of being stranded abroad).
According to a study conducted at the end of September 2020 for Amadeus with 6000 passengers in France, Germany, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States, about 84% declared that technology would restore their confidence in travel by responding to their concerns (fear of catching the virus, quarantine imposed by the government, fear of being stranded abroad).
.webp)