With 2018 around the corner, Phocuswright and PhocusWire are presenting snapshots of the 12 trends we think will be significant next year across six installments.
The penultimate analysis looks at In-Destination Experiences and the End-to-End Travel Journey. (You can read parts one through four here.)
This series forms the backbone of the PhocusWire Forecast 2018.
These 12 trends will be summarized in greater detail in a future Phocuswright Innovation report.
In addition, Phocuswright's analysts will take a deep dive on each of the trends we are showcasing over these next six days in analyses to be published throughout 2018.
Enhancing the value of the in-destination experience
Travel is not about airline seats or hotel rooms. People travel for leisure to experience the destination. Business travelers are on a mission to complete specific goals. How they get there and where they stay is secondary.
Given that the in-destination experience is the critical measure of success for travel, emerging technology will evolve to support the in-destination experience.
Things to consider: Are in-destination technology services a major revenue opportunity, and who in the travel value chain is best positioned to take advantage?
Will augmented reality provide a mixed experience to make the trip memorable?
The next year will also start to show if location-based communication platforms such as beacons provide appropriate messaging and offers to match a traveler’s location and context, as well as if in-destination tours and activities are sufficiently automated to book online and on mobile.
The next frontier: upending the market by servicing the traveler’s entire journey
Comprehensive trip planning will get easier as new platforms and real-time analytics enable delivery of every right service at the right time and the right location.
Realizing the journey from end-to-end will, over the next five years, enable new experiential suppliers to thrive and further commoditize the big three (air, car, hotel).
This is a great opportunity for consumer-oriented companies (Expedia, Priceline) and data-savvy new entrants (Amazon, Uber).