Travel Tech Gets The Spotlight In Iata’s Latest Global Passenger Survey

By Author: D Edward Levy
Total Articles: 39
Comment this article

The International Air Travel Association (IATA) just released their annual Global Passenger Survey and while the findings are not shocking, it does re-confirm the marriage and appreciation between travel and technology. The survey, released in early November, surveys over 10,000 passengers from 200 countries to get preference and demand feedback on the current travel landscape and delivers ‘boots on the ground’ thinking from actual passengers during or just after their travel experiences. The GPS report indicated that mobile devices are indeed a preferred travel accessory and are used throughout the many stages of travel. The push towards ‘document free’ or ‘paper free’ travel among key transport hubs is also highly appreciated by both business and leisure travelers as bio-metrics decrease passenger processing times and ultimately, elevate the passenger experience. The use of Artificial Intelligence has also exploded in the travel category as more users turn to the technology for trip planning and on the go resources.

The Must Have Travel Accessory

Mobile device adoption continues to surge ahead with ...
... almost 7.5 billion devices in use globally. Functional and technology evolution has been rapid and smartphones are now the number one travel accessory. A recent survey from BankMyCell indicated that 92.5% of respondents take their smartphone on leisure vacations. Key functionality demands from travel consumers are advanced still photography, professional video capture and connectivity to the internet. Today’s lineup of smartphones do not disappoint with lenses that rival 35 mm and video and audio quality that delivers cinematic experiences. Access to information even when abroad is a major priority and most smartphones can connect to networks globally and many carriers are beta testing satellite networks for real anywhere connectivity. AI has seen fast adoption in the travel industry and has become a preferred method in travel planning and researching. More travel providers are optimizing their web presence for mobile use and are putting resources into better and more engaging mobile applications.

Improving Passenger Processing and Experiences

The IATA survey noted that a half of the passenger respondents encountered some form of bio-metric technology during their journey, up from 46% in 2024. 85% of that group were satisfied with the experience using this technology. Three quarters of the group had no issues sharing bio-metric reference information in an effort to speed up travel check in times. Travel consumers are embracing ‘document free travel’ and transport facilities are pushing forward with bio-metric technology in an effort to reduce processing times, increase capacity and yield positive impacts on costs and profitability. Key hubs such as Singapore’s Changi Airport, Atlanta’s Hartsfield International Airport and LAX have facial recognition terminals for security checkpoints and some airline check in kiosks. Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi has fully deployed bio-metric systems at security and airline check ins and is considered to be ‘paper free’ for travel. AI technology has seen implementation in many security platforms to provide redundant security scans and global checks.

In House Projects for Changing Traveler Preferences

The travel industry has always been fast to embrace new technologies and the rapid evolution of smartphone technologies is driving demand from travel consumers to maximize use of their devices while traveling. One area of note in the GPS is the decline of debit and credit card transactions while traveling. Respondents are shifting preferences to mobile wallets and digital payment platforms. This creates new opportunities for small and midsize travel businesses with TripReMIT, an in-house payment technology that enables cryptocurrency acceptance for travel purchases. Extended usage of smartphones during leisure and business trips positions trip tracking apps such as PokkeTTREK, a valuable marketing resource for travel businesses. Travel is a fast paced market and staying on top of preferences and trends is key to having a competitive advantage. PokkeTTREK brings convenience and engagement to users, while providing marketing insights to travel businesses. Visit the TTS Homepage for more information on TripReMIT or PokkeTTREK technologies.

Traveling in the Digital Era

The travel industry has always been quick to adopt new technologies and the first digital revolution was the mass adoption of internet usage which turned the industry upside down and changed fundamentally how travel businesses are run. The current mass adoption of mobile devices is having seismic effects on the industry as more users take a mobile device along with them on journeys, both business and leisure. The improving evolution of bio-metric technology is also changing how transportation hubs handle passengers as those facilities look for efficiencies. The next ‘big thing’ for travel is AI and the benefits it brings to both the travel consumer and travel operators as the technology can work in both the front and back ends. Technologies like PokkeTTREK and TripReMIT offer conveniences to travelers and travel businesses in the digital era as many users embrace mobile functionality and prefer to travel ‘cashless’. The IATA GPS report is not ‘breaking news’ but does reiterate the fact that mobile and digital technology is here to stay and will continue to be used and appreciated within the travel industry.