The future of travel is bright, and 2024 is going to be an exciting year for travel tech. People are going to want apps that make travel planning and experiences seamless, social, and sustainable. Forget about generic review and booking apps — those are so 2020. The travel apps of the future need to be powered by AI, leverage AR and VR, focus on unique experiences, and bring travelers together around shared interests.
A traveler using his smartphone. Image credit: Clem Onojeghuo via Unsplash, free license
Innovative Features Travelers Want in 2024
In 2024, travel application development needs to provide innovative features to meet the needs of travelers in a post-pandemic world. Some features we can expect to see include:
Personalized Itineraries
Incorporating user learning features into travel apps is becoming a key aspect of app development. These apps look at things the user likes, such as places they have searched for, spots they have saved, and reviews they have written. Using this information, the apps understand what kind of trips the user prefers. Then, they suggest travel plans made just for that person. These could be short plans or longer trips with many stops. The main aim of these customized plans is to make planning trips easy and to help make the user’s vacation special and memorable.
Touchless Check-In
Travel apps are starting to introduce contact-free check-ins as an emerging trend. Travelers are increasingly able to check into hotels, rental cars, flights, and events using their phones, avoiding any physical contact. By utilizing QR codes, Bluetooth, and location services, these apps verify the traveler’s identity and allow access to rooms or cars. This trend is making check-ins not only easier but also cleaner and safer, bringing added comfort to the travel experience.
Health and Safety Alerts
Travel apps are now designed to keep users informed with the latest health and safety news that could impact their trips. They can send alerts about major issues such as natural disasters, disease outbreaks, travel warnings, public transport issues, or nearby crimes. This helps users stay prepared and safe. These updates focus on reducing risks and providing important information about the user’s destination, aiming to make travel smoother and free from worries.
Multilingual Support
It’s becoming the norm for travel apps to provide options in multiple languages, including Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Hindi, and Arabic. This means that people can use the app in the language they are most comfortable with. The goal of this feature is to make travel apps accessible to more people worldwide, ensuring that everyone can use them easily, regardless of their language. With these new features, travel apps are preparing to assist a diverse range of travelers on their journeys.
Key Design and Functionality Considerations for Travel Apps
For a travel app development to keep up with the times in 2024, certain key design and functionality considerations will be crucial. Let’s take a look at the main ones:
Personalization
Many travelers want their trips to fit what they like and are interested in. This means they should be able to choose the kind of places they want to visit, the activities they enjoy, the food they want to try, and even the weather they prefer. After making these choices, the service changes its recommendations and search results to match. Using AI and machine learning can make the service even better at giving useful suggestions as time goes on.
Integrated Planning Tools
Being able to plan an entire trip with just one travel app can be really helpful for travelers. This could include ways to book flights, rent cars, plan tours and activities, make restaurant reservations, and find places to stay like hotels or rentals. Also, having a place in the app where users can keep all their trip details, like itineraries, travel documents, tickets, and other important info, would be very useful.
AR and VR Features
Augmented and virtual reality are changing the way we use travel apps. Imagine taking virtual tours of places, hotels, and interesting spots before you even get there. Augmented reality can show travelers details about different places, buildings, or natural spots while they’re exploring. These features are making travel apps really important for planning trips and enjoying them while on the go.
Real-Time Information
Travelers can get a lot out of up-to-date information. The app can help by giving tips based on things like traffic, how busy places are, the weather, and events happening around. It can also let travelers know if there are any changes to their plans, like flight delays, and suggest other options. This includes updates on their flight, gate changes, and where to pick up their bags.
Social Integration
The app can also help travelers connect with each other. They can share their reviews, favorite places, photos, trip plans, and stories. This way, people with similar interests or who have visited the same places can meet. Having this social part in the app creates a community feel, making people want to come back and chat with other travelers.
Conclusion
The future of travel is looking to make journeys smoother and more effortless for everyone. With the use of augmented reality, intelligent suggestions from AI, and easy booking and payment processes, traveling is set to become a more personalized experience. The leading travel apps will use these advanced technologies to plan a customized trip from beginning to end, tailored to each individual’s interests and budget.