It is undoubted that technology has played a significant role in the tourism industry. However, there are some disadvantages of technology in the tourism industry that should be noted.
First, the use of technology can lead to a decline in face-to-face interaction. This can reduce the overall quality of customer service. Additionally, technology can also lead to increased expenses for businesses, as they must invest in new hardware and software.
How Does Technology Impact The Tourism Industry
Cloud computing, which is used to access, manage, and store data online, is one of the technology developments influencing travel and tourism.
Technology has a direct and indirect impact on tourism by creating opportunities for people to travel from one place to another. This will make the tourist industry a multi-billion dollar industry around the world in the next few years.
The introduction of new technologies has allowed tourists to take different activities during their stay at destinations such as visiting landmarks and participating in outdoor sports. For example, tourists can guide themselves with GPS systems or maps which allow them to roam around destinations without any worries or concerns.
Similarly, smartphones can be used to make hotel reservations online, share photos on social media as well as communicate with other people through apps such as WhatsApp while they are traveling.
Disadvantages Of Technology In the Tourism Industry
The tourism industry is a sector of the economy that is composed of businesses and organizations that provide services to tourists. The hospitality and tourism industry is a very important part of the global economy, and it is responsible for a large number of jobs.
The Tourism World Council is an organization that represents the interests of the tourism industry. The hospitality and tourism sector is a very important part of the economy, and it is responsible for a large number of jobs.
According to a 2021 survey, more than half of European travel firms and tour operators purchased cloud computing services through the internet that year, compared to only 29 percent in 2016.
The tourism sector is vast and complex, encompassing everything from small, family-run businesses to large, international corporations and cultural tourism portals. The tourist industry is constantly evolving, with new trends and technologies emerging all the time. The tourist and hospitality industry is a major contributor to the global economy, with medium tourist enterprises accounting for a significant portion of GDP.
1. It Feels Like A First World Problem
The advent of technology has brought much convenience to everyone in developed countries, such as the United States and Europe. For tourists visiting these areas, these advancements make the experience more comfortable. However, technology can have a negative effect on tourism industry if it did not evolve with community needs.
For example, if Americans use their iPhones to access pornography sites or international mobile phones are used by Americans to make calls overseas, it creates distrust from America overseas in regards to issues like security and privacy.
This negative affect is also very common for developing countries that keep planning for developments within their communities without considering how it will affect other communities in different parts of the world.
2. Technology Can Make Customers Forget About The Past And Lose Their Connection With The Culture
When people go abroad to enjoy new experiences, they often like to learn about local people’s lives. Loyal tourists often like to visit the same place over and over again, which is not only helpful for service providers, but it also helps the locals build some extra income for themselves.
But there is a problem that technology develops rapidly and many new innovative technologies appear in a short time. So some of these innovations are not suitable for their community or economy at all.
For example, if an application that functions as an offline guide is developed by a company in another country, it will increase tourism volume without any consideration of brand image or environmental pollution at all.
3. It Can Be Time-Consuming And Tedious
At first, technology can make things more convenient for customers, but it also makes everything more complicated for service providers. Because of these technological advances, many businesses have to update their systems and software frequently to stay competitive.
This is not only an additional burden on business owners, but it also creates a negative impression from foreign customers who want the same level of quality services as their home country.
In addition, the use of technology in tourism industry can make the relationship between small businesses and corporate business partners more complicated in many cases due to lack of communication and understanding between them.
4. Technology Can Disrupt Traditional Community Culture In Many Cases
With advances in technology, people are often attracted to use the new innovations. However, when these innovations are incompatible with their traditional culture and economy, they can have a negative impact on their community.
For example, the introduction of drone taxis was introduced by a technology company in Dubai. This type of taxi is not only very convenient for passengers but also has been known to disrupt normal transportation systems that work within the city’s rules and regulations.
Traditionally, people used public bus networks in Dubai for transportation whereas drone taxis are considered to be very disruptive due to high noise levels and illegal occupation of footpaths in various parts of the city.
5. It Can Attract People From Other Countries To Participate
Technology is everywhere and it often improves the quality of life. If foreign tourists are attracted by the use of technology for their tourism experience, those using these technologies in the countries where they came from will also be attracted.
For example, many people from European countries travel to America to receive advanced medical treatment due to US healthcare system and better access to education, but America can become less attractive for Europeans, if they are concentrating on technological development instead of making more opportunities for traditional medical science, education and culture.
6. It Can Be Distracting To Tourism Entrepreneurs And Tourism Guests
It often happens that visitors are unfamiliar with the technology used in the destination they are visiting and they may feel disappointed when they find out the use of technology in hospitality industry.
Therefore, they can have a negative impact on their overall experience as well as their community. For example, if a tourist who has been to America once finds out that mobile phone is replaced by an iPhone in US, he or she may become less interested to travel again to America or even leave everything behind and go back home at all costs.
7. It Can Cause Discrimination From Tourists From Certain Countries Traveling To Other Destinations
This is a common problem that occurs in the tourism industry. For example, if a tourist from England went to Spain as he or she heard something was interesting there and while they were there, they found out that many of their Spanish friends were using Android phones instead of iPhones, they can be very disappointed in their experience.
If a person is traveling to a country that uses different technologies than his or her own country, this can create negative comments about that destination. This could potentially cause them to visit other destinations with different standards for technologies in the future.
A January 2022 assessment of the most popular technologies deployed by hoteliers globally revealed that a quarter of facilities installed a self-service check-in offer during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
8. It Can Create Unnecessary Hostility Between Cultures And Communities
The use of technology has caused more harm than good in many cases. For example, when developing countries and developed countries are connected with each other, it is easy for hackers from different countries to misguide other people, who do not understand the language used on the Internet.
This is because people from developing countries often keep using the same software for their development that was used during the ancient times. Consequently, this can cause a negative impact on tourism industries and community standards from tourists from different places.
9. It Can Cause Unnecessary Competition Between Community Traditions Or Local Businesses And Outside Business Partners
When people from the same community use different types of technologies, some may believe that their community is superior to other communities in the same destination. For example, people from China who are working in a tourism company in Australia tend to think that the technology used in their office is much better than any other office nearby.
Therefore, they believe that Australia should completely stop using computers and they should go back to paper-based systems. However, no one can consider computer-aided business operations as a problem at all because it helps them to save time and energy as well as make a better business plan.
10. It Can Cause Less Interest And Participation From Tourists From Certain Countries
Globalization has become a trend in the tourism industry nowadays, but people are not willing to change their lifestyles and relationships due to technological advances.
For example, the introduction of technology in hospitality trade has discouraged locals from participating in hospitality trade in some destinations such as New Zealand. If local people do not accept the use of technology in business, it will hurt other businesses who are using foreign technologies in their business operations.
Advantages Of Technology In Tourism Industry
The travel and tourism industry has been quick to adopt new information technologies in order to stay competitive. Technology can provide a number of tourism industry advantages to the tourism industry, including increased efficiency, improved customer service, and new marketing opportunities.
The tourism industry is also following some major tourism technology trends, such as the rise of mobile booking and the use of big data. By staying up-to-date with the latest technology trends, the tourism industry can continue to thrive.
Meanwhile, in terms of the travel and tourism firms most likely to accept cryptocurrency payments, it was anticipated that roughly 1000 lodging places globally provided bitcoin solutions as of March 2021, but just 114 tour operators and travel agencies did.
The tourism industry contributes to the economy, and in recent years it has begun to tourism incorporate information technology at an ever-increasing rate. The rapid growth of the tourism industry has led to a boom in tourist destinations, but the virtual world presents challenges that must be overcome.
1. It Can Help To Create More Jobs For Youth In The Tourism Industry
The introduction of new technology in the tourism industry often increases local employment opportunities due to its effect on creating new technologies and providing a variety of opportunities for people to work.
For example, if a mobile application is introduced in business operations that allows people to make hotel reservations quickly, it means that new staff will be needed. Similarly, the use of artificial intelligence can allow automated helpers who are able to save tourists from potential bad things and give them information about their destinations.
2. It Can Improve Relationships Among Different People From Around The World
The development of technology has helped communication between different communities through the Internet. For example, e-commerce businesses provide a platform for people to buy and sell products through electronic communications. Therefore, when this technology is applied in hospitality trade, it helps people to communicate with each other without any worries.
3. It Can Help To Diversify The Tourism Industry
The development of new technologies helps tourism businesses to become better in different ways that may lead to the formation of more jobs and provide more employment opportunities for local people as well as tourists from other countries.
For example, when an artificial intelligence program is applied in hospitality trade, it creates more opportunities for businesses by saving time and energy from staff who were traditionally involved in serving guests or making reservations for tourists at hotels.
4. It Can Help To Reduce Cost And Save Time And Energy In Businesses
The use of new technologies often creates opportunities for businesses to be more productive. For example, the use of automatic, artificial intelligence programs in hotel reservation systems means that the staff do not have to spend time handling customers who are making a reservation on their own computers or phones. This will reduce costs due to the reduction of staff and save more time on training new staff each year.
5. It Can Increase Customer Satisfaction By Providing Better Service Quality
When technology is used in hospitality trade, it makes it easy for customers to find out about places around where they are staying and find things that they like using the Internet.
For example, when GPS systems are introduced in the tourism industry, they can make it easier for people to find interesting places nearby their location. This increases customer satisfaction and creates opportunities for more repeat customers in the future.
6. It Can Increase Revenue By Increasing Business In Different Ways
The use of technology can help businesses increase revenue through various ways including increasing sales, as well as improving customer experience and providing better guest service, which will lead to an increase in bookings from customers and a full house during weekends or holidays. For example, when people can easily book hotel rooms online with a mobile application, it creates a sense of security for people who want to plan their vacation destinations at any time.
7. It Can Help To Improve Efficiency In Business Operations
The use of new technologies often helps to make business operations more efficient by allowing staff to do their jobs in multiple ways at the same time, without wasting time and energy on repeating tasks that are performed in paper-based systems.
For example, an artificial intelligence program can provide recommendations for customers using tablets or smartphones as well as instruct staff members that are making hotel reservations during the summer vacation directly to them.
The use of new IT services has increased the influence of technology on travel during the previous several decades, leading to the growth of the online travel market and the rising digitization of the travel sector.
8. It Can Provide A Safer, Comfortable And Enjoyable Travel Experience For Tourists Around The World
The use of new technologies in business operations can help tourists to have a safer, more comfortable as well as more enjoyable travel experience by allowing them to book their accommodation, transportation or activities on their own without any worries or concerns.
For example, they can use mobile applications provided by travel agencies which offer a variety of services and products including booking airline tickets and providing information about destinations.
Final Note
The global distribution system sector was predicted to be worth roughly six billion US dollars in 2021. The tourism industry has a number of advantages when technology is applied in its business operations.
First of all, it provides more opportunities for people to go to different places for traveling and make new friends from other countries around the world.
Secondly, it helps tourists to have an enjoyable and unforgettable travel experience as well as create a comfortable travel environment. Thirdly, it can help the tourism industry benefit from new customers as well as become more profitable through an increase in job opportunities for people in different communities.
Last Updated on September 26, 2023 by himani
