Travel Technology

There's a smaller and perhaps more rewarding world facing frequent flyers in 2018. To reap the rewards, though, those elite travelers will have to pay up.

Think today’s mobile-powered travel services are impressive? The coming revolution in mobile predicted by many industry experts will make the current experience seem quaint.

Some companies are betting big on blockchain's bandwagon effect. Time will tell whether the new technology materializes into cheaper, better, and faster travel experiences.

WeChat may be key for travel brands and destinations looking to appeal to Chinese outbound travelers. However, brands need to go beyond simply copying and pasting content from western social media to see the kind of payoff they are hoping for.

Rumor has it that Airbnb is gearing up to announce a more personalized experience soon, and Onefinestay may have just beat its strongest competitor to the punch.

Points, a reseller of airline miles and hotel points, has begun to sign up travel companies to its newer ways of squeezing money out of their programs. But it's still too early to tell for sure how successful these efforts will be.

5G mobile technology isn't here yet. But once it does emerge, smart hotels will be wise to provide access to the data network at their properties.

While the larger world is asking questions and turning on Silicon Valley, and the tools and culture it spawned, it is time for everyone — including us in travel — to pause to account for the society we are creating. The tech and social media backlash happening right now is a test for us in travel, as well.

Many tourism boards now have entire teams dedicated to China and WeChat. It's a very complex task for foreigners to get the content right, but it appears as though WeChat parent Tencent is trying to make the platform more accessible for tourism boards.

Tours-and-activities startups will be eager to see if in-destination apps from giants such as Google, Airbnb, and TripAdvisor will succeed in providing cost-effective customer leads.