The travel industry has always been quick to adopt the latest innovations in an effort to reduce costs and increase business. Operational technologies in the back end create efficiencies that travel providers need to optimize resources and control overhead. User facing technologies aim to elevate traveler experiences and ultimately, maximize opportunities to positively impact the bottom line. The mass adoption of mobile devices has had impacts on the travel business as well as smartphones have become the must have – go to travel accessory in this century. Smartphones have had such an impact that a recent survey from BankMyCell indicated that 95% of travelers take their mobile device on leisure trips. Along with sunscreen and sunglasses, smartphones are packed alongside as staple travel items and used frequently throughout the journey. The next technology frontier is AI and the travel industry has embraced the concept in the back and front ends of the business. TTS is developing a pair of mobile travel apps that deliver real conveniences and benefits to travelers and travel businesses.
medTOUR+assist
Medical and wellness tourism is a travel category that is showing impressive growth and equally impressive outlooks as inflation in Western economies continue to push healthcare costs higher. medTOUR+assist is a mobile app from TTS that offers conveniences and benefits to medical travelers that can be used before, during and after the medical trip. Planning and organizing medical and wellness travel can be a daunting experience as users navigate foreign healthcare systems. medTOUR+assist provides a user-friendly interface that helps simplify complex medical and wellness travel planning. From itinerary organization, reminder checklists, localized navigation and domestic healthcare resources, medTOUR+assist keeps the medical traveler informed and connected, potentially reducing the stresses associated with healthcare travel abroad. Currently valued at over $100 billion (USD), the medical and tourism market is expected to explode to $270 billion (USD) by 2032 and combined with a 95% smartphone usage rate during travel, medTOUR+assist is perfectly positioned to cater to the technology demands of medical and wellness tourists. medTOUR+assist is in its 2nd generation design phase and a limited function demo is available through the Evaluation Portal.
PokkeTTREK
A recent BankMyCell survey suggested that travelers who take their smartphones on leisure trips check their screens between 1-5 times per hour, suggesting that mobile devices are a key travel accessory in the digital era. Catering to the increasing demands from travelers and their devices, PokkeTTREK is a premium trip tracking app that delivers benefits to both travelers and travel businesses. Maximizing smartphone functionality, users can track their trips with full statistical detail as well as capture media and share ‘journeys’ across social media platforms. For travel businesses, PokkeTTREK generates valuable marketing insights in real time and by individual user, providing key data that providers and app owners can use to optimize marketing efforts and product lineups. Reporting and analysis is automated and can be configured through a unique management console. Travel is a preference and trends based business and real time data gives travel businesses an advantage in a crowded marketplace. The user-facing PokkeTTREK app is in the 2nd version design stage and an online demo is available through the Evaluation Portal.
WALT Technology for More Conveniences
AI has taken the travel industry by storm and has proven valuable in many facets of the business. Originating from hospit-AI-lity, the travel training platform from TTS, WALT technology now makes its way to the medTOUR+assist and PokkeTTREK mobile apps. Utilizing a RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) framework, WALT can offer recommendations, answer questions and provide insight specific to the user in real time and on the go. Within the medTOUR+assist ecosystem, WALT can analyze and retrieve trip specific details and be at the ready for user inquiries. WALT can connect to local healthcare resources and handle appointments and medical reminders during and after the trip. WALT’s functionality inside PokkeTTREK takes a leisurely tone as trip details, current statistics and localized recommendations are all available through his interface. For travel business and marketers, the static nature of WALT’s resources creates opportunities for partner recommendations and other connected marketing initiatives.
Understanding the Captive Audience
One of the more lucrative facets of travel marketing is the captive audience. By definition, the captive audience is a group that voluntarily subscribes and reads emails and marketing correspondence from a brand or business. Mobile apps such as medTOUR+assist and PokkeTTREK work well within a captive audience framework and can generate significant marketing and revenue opportunities for the technology owner. Modular designs of the apps enable easy ‘white labeling’ and branding of the apps, further extending the marketing reach of the brand. PokkeTTREK’s marketing insight generation features can give businesses an edge with real time preferences and behaviors from travelers. Both medTOUR+assist and PokkeTTREK use WALT technology to assist users and which can provide another vehicle for marketing and service suggestions / recommendations. The current landscape in travel suggests personalization is a dominant trend and medTOUR+assist and PokkeTTREK are viable technologies that help travel brands and other businesses capitalize on trends and preferences while providing ways to market directly to travel users.
