Over the past three decades, the travel industry has experienced several digital breakthroughs. Travel companies are aware of the new trend in the market – adopting innovative technology.
They are also mindful of the need to embrace the importance of travel companies’ digitalization and automation of their business processes to compete in the market. Technology is truly and radically transforming the travel industry, providing travel companies with new and improved ways of working.
Yet, despite digital transformation’s evident advantages, some tour operators and DMCs remain hesitant to embrace this transformative trend.
While many discussions center around the benefits of digital transformation, it’s equally essential to highlight the potential pitfalls awaiting those who resist this inevitable shift.
As a digital-first product company, we recognize the imperative need for travel companies to automate their operations. Here, we delve into five main concerns that tour operators and DMCs should worry about if they choose to forgo digitalization.
Revolutionize or Risk Losing Market Share
There have been several past disruptors in the travel industry, with OTAs being the last.
Disruptive innovations in the travel industry come in various forms and magnitudes. On one end of the spectrum, we have groundbreaking advancements like self-driving cars that can revolutionize transportation. On the other, there are smaller-scale innovations, such as chatbot service agents and robotic room service delivery, which may not create huge waves but still significantly improve the travel experience.
Despite these differences in scale, all new ideas in travel technology share a common goal: making travelers’ lives easier and their experiences more enjoyable. By focusing on convenience and satisfaction, these innovations aim to build customer loyalty and, ultimately, encourage increased spending.
The digital transformation market is expected to reach $3,144.9 billion in 2030 from $695.5 billion in 2023, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 24.1%. With these numbers, the stakes for staying relevant have never been higher.
With the shift in the mindset of (future) customers and travelers, travel companies that disregard the importance of digitalization and don’t change the way they do business risk losing market share and possibly face closing.
Welcome Digital Transformation or Risk Losing Relevance in Your Customers’ Eyes
First things first. Without a digital presence and the shift of generations, you’re on the road to becoming irrelevant in the customers’ eyes.
Modern travelers have grown accustomed to the convenience of instant booking, expecting to secure their tours and activities online without any delays. For example, according to a 2023 report by Phocuswright, 83% of U.S. travelers now book their travel online, demonstrating a significant shift toward digital platforms.
Also, 93% of people claim they enjoy bleisure travel, which combines personal vacation time with business travel to promote work-life balance, lower travel expenses, and reduce stress.
With the growing number of similar types of travel, the need to make business processes easier is increasing, and this further underscores the necessity for streamlined digital processes to cater to evolving customer demands.
Personalization is another critical aspect of the digital experience that travelers expect. Travel technology uses advanced algorithms and data analytics to tailor recommendations based on individual customer behavior and preferences. For instance, a frequent traveler who often books eco-friendly tours might receive suggestions for sustainable travel packages.
In summary, the digital transformation in the travel industry is driven by the need to meet the high expectations of modern consumers. Instant booking capabilities, personalized recommendations, and a high degree of transparency are not just preferred but expected by today’s travelers. Tour operators who fail to adapt to these digital demands risk losing their competitive edge and relevance in an increasingly digital marketplace.
Related: Top Travel Trends
Leap Ahead or Lag Behind and Watch Competitors Take the Lead
Tour operators cannot afford to lag behind their digitally inclined competitors in an industry where innovation drives success. The travel industry is witnessing a surge in new players leveraging cutting-edge digital technologies to enhance customer experiences and streamline operations. These digital-first companies are rapidly gaining traction, posing a significant threat to traditional tour operators.
The growth is primarily driven by companies prioritizing digital transformation, offering seamless and integrated booking experiences, personalized travel recommendations, and transparent pricing structures. Such companies are effectively meeting the evolving demands of today’s tech-savvy travelers.
Lemax has received numerous requests for our solution from these digital-first companies. These requests highlight a clear trend: companies already aligned with future customer behavior are set to disrupt the market.
Moreover, these innovative companies are often more agile and can quickly adapt to market changes. In contrast, traditional tour operators, who are slow to adopt digital technologies, struggle to keep up. A report by Deloitte highlights that 73% of travel and hospitality executives believe their organization is behind the curve in terms of digital maturity, which poses a substantial risk in maintaining competitive advantage.
Everyone who sees the importance of digital transformation is on a trajectory to success, while others will stay behind in the race for every customer.
Embrace Digital Transformation or Risk Inadequate Business Performance Monitoring
An effective and successful company requires data insights. Data can originate from various sources, particularly in this industry, where several stakeholders influence the customer journey.
Think of all the numerous touchpoints that travelers experience on their travels. These points of contact influence the entire traveler experience and provide businesses with useful data.
Statistics offer knowledge and information on visitor numbers, habits, trends, and other crucial factors that improve customer satisfaction and marketing and sales strategies while advancing the destination’s sustainable growth.
Now, more than ever, you need to know what works and what doesn’t.
By streamlining processes and eliminating repetitive tasks and manual work, digital technology enables staff to deliver more individualized, customer-centric service. Automating processes improves the final result and guarantees quality.
As one of our clients, Expat Explore, said:
“We no longer rely on people to update numerous spreadsheets. That way, our teams will have more time to focus on what drives the business forward – creating new products – and less on the admin and making sure the spreadsheets are updated. It’s a bit of automation that happens there, and as a result, it’s freeing up time for our staff to do more important things.”
Nico Costerus, Head of Finance at Expat Explore
It’s important to focus on the 20-30% of your top-performing products and stop losing money on the lower-performing ones. If you don’t know how your business performs on a product and staff level, how can you make data-driven decisions and scale your business?
Go Digital or Pay the Price
In an industry characterized by perpetual change, the travel sector faces a pressing challenge: the impending surge in operational costs. One of the primary drivers of this increase is the shortage of travel workers, which has resulted in higher wages to attract and retain staff.
Digitalization offers a robust solution to this challenge by empowering operators to automate repetitive tasks, optimize resource allocation, and deliver personalized customer experiences, enhancing operational efficiency and profitability. For instance, automation can significantly reduce the need for manual data entry and other routine administrative tasks by saving time calculating prices, managing complex price lists, letting suppliers manage their products, quickly adding travel products, etc.
Furthermore, digital tools such as AI-driven chatbots and customer relationship management (CRM) systems can enhance customer service without additional human resources. Chatbots, for example, can handle a wide range of customer inquiries 24/7, providing immediate responses and improving customer satisfaction. Zendesk’s research found that 73% of consumers expect more interactions with artificial intelligence (AI) in their daily lives and believe it will improve customer service quality.
In this way, harnessing the power of technology to automate processes leads to cost reductions rather than increases. By investing in travel technology, tour operators can mitigate the impact of rising labor costs, streamline their operations, and enhance their competitiveness in a rapidly changing market. As a result, they can achieve sustainable growth and profitability even in the face of ongoing industry challenges.
Related: Why Should a CEO of a Tour Operator Care About Digitalization?
By embracing digitalization, tour operators can unlock a myriad of opportunities in this competitive landscape. Digital transformation transcends mere online presence; it entails revamping of business processes to deliver seamless customer experiences from pre- to post-travel engagements.
In conclusion, the decision to resist digitalization in the travel industry is fraught with risks that jeopardize the long-term viability of tour operators. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, embracing technological innovation is not just advantageous but imperative for sustained success and relevance in the ever-evolving travel landscape.
