As we enter a new decade it's natural to reflect on how far we've come in the last ten years. The travel industry, in particular, looks very different to how it did in 2010. Much of this has been made possible through the growth of technology.
The last decade is when we finally started to see the potential of the tech developments of the smartphone era. Now we all have a flight scanner at our fingertips and the ability to book a holiday and trawl through thousands of deals and offers wherever we are. For many of us our smartphone is our boarding pass - and all of our other documents too - while FaceTime means we can see and interact with our relatives wherever we go and social media means postcards are starting to see like a quaint relic.
But, what will the world of travel look like by 2030?
Passport-free travel
A big change this year could be the end of passports. As stated, we've already started to go paperless, with digital boarding passes. However, this decade could see the end of travel paperwork as our passports move to our phones too.
This is part of a new initiative put forward by the World Economic Forum - The Known Traveller Digital Identity. Instead of identity data being encrypted and stored on your passport chip, it would be on phones instead.
Christoph Wolff, Head of Mobility at the World Economic Forum, says: "By 2030, international air arrivals are expected to reach 1.8 billion passengers, up 50% from 2016. Under today's systems, airports cannot keep up with this growth. This project offers a solution. By using an interoperable digital identity and other KTDI technologies we are offering travellers a holistic answer to secure and seamless travel. This will shape the future of aviation and security."
This move would see an increase in biometric technology, using fingerprints and facial recognition at arrivals and departures.
"Frictionless" checks
Further to that The Telegraph has reported SITA's view that might soon have "frictionless" travel too. So, what does this mean? The Telegraph explained: "Going through security will mean walking along a corridor. No more taking off your coat, shoes, and belt, or putting little bottles into little bags. And no more queues. Passengers and their bags will be recognised automatically as they go through automated checkpoints."
Space tourism
It has been nearly 60 years since man first went to space and it looks like the 2020s could be the decade that we all start having the opportunity to travel up there.
Elon Musk's SpaceX has been testing a Starship prototype and has discussed commercial flights in 2021. Likewise, Virgin Galactic has 600 on a waiting list to board a space flight. You won't be paying budget airline prices, though. This is setting each person back £250,000. Not only can you get to space, it looks like there might be accommodation up there too. Orion Span, a start-up in California, is planning - by 2025 - to launch a space station with room for 450 guests.
Flying cars were seen as being futuristic and we are not far off having them, so who knows? Perhaps by 2030 we will be choosing between the Balearic Islands and Space for our summer holiday?
Data and Machine learning (AI)
SITA's aforementioned report also mentions the role AI will play. It states: "Airports will use Digital Twin technology - an advanced computer simulation that takes data from across the entire airport and airline operations to visualise, simulate and predict what will happen next - to bring real-time operations to life, improving efficiency and enhancing the passenger experience."
Likewise, AI will result in booking travel and finding the right deal for you becoming easier than ever as you start to receive more relevant and personalised recommendations.
Theo Priestley, a technology evangelist and futurist, has analysed current and future technology trends. He said: "I see a fair bit of disruption in the travel industry. Up front, as companies work with more and more of our data I can envisage greater levels of personalisation and travel recommendations, even going so far as to suggest an itinerary for your trip in advance and book it. This means that there could be a reducing reliance on travel agents on the high street.
"Virtual Reality may start to creep into the travel experience a bit more as the cost of technology reduces, allowing more people to visit destinations in advance, and Augmented/Mixed Reality can enhance the trip itself with visual overlaid information about the location when you're there."
More sustainable travel
Green issues will also influence travel in the decade to come - with technology key to understanding the impact it makes and how to offset that. Prince Harry recently launched Travalyst, a new global sustainable travel initiative. He said: "Travel has an unparalleled power to open minds to new experiences and cultures, creating a profound appreciation for what our world has to offer. As tourism inevitably grows, it is critical to accelerate the adoption of sustainable practices worldwide; balancing this growth with the needs of the environment and local populations. Bringing companies, consumers and communities together is our chance to protect destinations and ecosystems for the future."
The end of the 2010s started to see more emphasis being put on sustainable travel with many beginning to realise how their summer holiday may be impacting the environment. The 2020s will, therefore, ensure that these positive changes start to be implemented and advancements in technology will make much of this possible.
While discussing the future of travel, Theo said: "Longer term, as companies and travelers become more and more conscious about their impact on the planet we're going to see a huge rise in sustainable travel options and technologies, including operators switching to electric powered vehicles."
We can't know for sure what travel will look like in 2030. But, what we do know is that technology is advancing at a rapid rate, so it will look incredibly different and if you think changes have already made it simpler, this decade will see it become easier than ever before.
