Traveltech in 2023: Metaverse, Robots, and Biometrics

The travel industry, post-Covid, actually looks a lot brighter. Sure, it’s different. But it’s definitely brimming with promise all thanks to the travel tech that erupted out of the woodwork when everyone was trapped at home, unable to travel anywhere. Travel tech now encompasses not just the platforms that can help travelers get somewhere, be it planning an itinerary or having improved hospitality features that are safe, secure, and most importantly, low contact. In the midst of fending off Covid-19, we developed a taste for personal space and minimal contact. People are now opting for contactless parcel deliveries or food deliveries, and the same can be said for travel because now we have augmented reality, which will bring travel to a whole new level of social interaction without being physically present.

Never Worry About Being Lost in Translation Again

When Google rolled out its Google Translate service that gave people the option to scan signage or menus and (in real-time) to English, it was a game changer. Suddenly, language didn’t seem like that much of a barrier anymore and it will immerse travelers much more richly into the culture of the country they are visiting, which will help them experience travel like never before. This innovative creation has given rise to many different platforms that basically do the same thing. You have Microsoft Translator and Papago, each with a better handle on a different language. Take Papago for instance, it is better with Korean and other Asian languages than say Google Translate, which is much better at handling Hindi, Tagalog, and Indonesian, amongst other Euro-centric languages. It is similar to Onsego, in that it provides education for a specific purpose.

Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, or Metaverse

One day, logistics will become a distant dream - or nightmare, depending on how you look at it - and you won’t have to worry about your airport transfer or whether you’ll have a boat to take you to an island you’re trying to visit in the middle of monsoon season. In fact, you won’t have to worry about the weather at all because while your mind is traveling, your body is staying put right where you wore your VR headset. When Mark Zuckerberg announced Metaverse, it was intended to bring the world closer together like never before. Anyone with a VR headset will be able to jump into a world of their choosing and interact with someone halfway across the world if they wanted to. But of course, there’ll still be people who like to be present, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t take virtual tours to try out different tours to see which one they prefer or when it comes to choosing a hotel. 

Will Robots Be Our Next Hosts?

In the same vein of low contact or no contact at all during our travels, we might be served entirely by robots in the future. There will be no waitstaff for you to yell at because everyone will be ordering their own food digitally through their phones after scanning a QR code, and a robot will bring your food to you. Cook times will be nailed down to a second because robots will be manning the kitchen, with no room for human error. The same may happen in accommodation, with the implementation of baggage robots, housekeeping robots, and maybe even a concierge robot. There is even news of immigration robots that will scan passengers for weapons or other concealed and illegal items. The world would be much more mechanical and a lot safer with robots to create a more seamless and user-friendly experience in the real world. 

Facial Recognition Technology May Render the World Visa-Free

Just think about why we need visas. According to Passport Index, “Countries have visa restrictions in order to check and control the flow of visitors in and out of the country and to prevent illegal immigration and other criminal activities.”When all your personal records and information is tied to your face, there will be no need for any kind of third-party validation that tourists are simply in the country for pleasure, or that the working permit that someone is holding is fraudulent. Everything will be linked and uploaded, which will also bring about a higher level of security. Biometric Exit in America is already in order to curb illegal immigration. At the same time, biometrics and facial recognition technology may even make payments even more painless than it already is today, with all the e-wallet options available on the market. Just think, you may not even need to convert your currency into local pesos or yens anymore, your expenses will just be deducted automatically from your virtual accounts whenever you check out of a hotel or leave a restaurant.