Trends that are changing travel and tourism

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to identify trends changing travel and tourism to help managers and researchers better understand these trends. This understanding will help organizations remain competitive in today’s dynamic environment. The rapid advance of technology is changing how consumers evaluate, use and discuss hospitality and tourism products. The common theme among the four trends in this paper is technology. The authors identified four trends related to technology and discuss the impact of these trends on hospitality and tourism. The paper provides implications for mangers and researchers.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviewed both academic and trade literature to provide an overview of trends that are changing travel and tourism.

Findings

The author identified four trends: technology with a focus on robotics and artificial intelligence, big data analytics, social media and online communities and the sharing economy. The findings provide valuable insights for practitioners and researchers.

Originality/value

This paper provides a current view of how the advances in technology have evolved into four separate trends that are effecting both management and consumers. The current implications of these four trends are discussed as well as implications for the future.

Citation

Bowen, J. and Whalen, E. (2017), "Trends that are changing travel and tourism", Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Vol. 9 No. 6, pp. 592-602. https://doi.org/10.1108/WHATT-09-2017-0045