Like every industry that is leveraging the benefits of AR, the travel and tourism industry has also witnessed tremendous growth with this emerging technology. AR is playing a crucial role in transforming the tourism landscape and boosting travel experiences for tourists.

In today’s fast-paced world, travelers love the ease of searching and booking tours on the go. So, if you want to catch a travelers attention in a sea of widely varying travel applications, AR-based travel apps can come in handy by offering a unique competitive advantage.

Instead of replacing the real world elements like Virtual Reality does, AR overlays digital components over real ones to render a rich and visually appealing experience of the existing places.

The role of AR in travel apps has infinite possibilities. It has immense potential to assist and bring innovative changes to the travel and tourism industry. 

Role of AR in Travel apps

Basically what AR really does is, it alters and enhances people’s perceptions of their physical surroundings when seen through a particular device. 

Pokemon Go became the first widely popular augmented reality game. But instead of just another game, this AR application brought players out into the street and made them move and travel a lot.

Thanks to the commercial success of Pokemon Go, it became evident that the market is ready for innovation and implementation with regards to augmented reality.

AR is highly beneficial for travel app development and it is emerging as a useful tool for businesses and marketers. It allows them to transform the way customers observe their surroundings. AR-based travel apps quickly engage customers with its interactivity and render an immersive user experience.

According to a latest report, by 2021, there will be an estimated 1.96 billion mobile AR users worldwide. And by 2023, the number is estimated to grow to 2.4 billion mobile AR users worldwide. 

It is safe to say that AR can offer excellent selling experiences and can be leveraged in diverse ways in the tourism industry. AR can be experienced through a smartphone, tablet or device and is far less expensive than Virtual Reality-enabled devices.

Types of AR Travel Applications

If you have been wondering how to integrate AR in travel apps, you can do it in one of the following ways: 

• Location-based 

AR apps that track locations are termed as location-or position-based applications. Location-based apps rely mostly on GPS, accelerometer or digital compass data.

Pokemon Go uses GPS data to determine the user’s location and decides whether or not to show him a Pokemon.

The location-based approach to augmented reality is perfect for developing AR based city tours or navigation applications. 

• Marker-based 

Marker-based AR technology has diverse applications. Marker-based AR or recognition based AR provides us detailed information about the object, after performing object recognition. It senses the object in front of the camera and offers on-screen information. 

Markers may be codes, physical objects or printed images. Marker-based AR technology is most commonly used in various types of AR travel applications.

Thomas Cook travel company, for example, offers digital content with a marker-based AR app, in addition to printed materials. 

• SLAM

Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) software easily identifies objects around the user. SLAM technology makes use of complex algorithms to identify colors, patterns and other characteristics of physical objects.

 SLAM technology is the most modern one and involves smooth-running high-end hardware. 

Scope of Augmented Reality in Travel and Tourism Industry

Travel and tourism is an extensive sector, entailing aspects such as transportation, hospitality, accommodation, tourist destinations, local transit and many more. While AR technology is relatively new in the mobile app development domain, the role of augmented reality apps in tourism and travel apps is ever growing. 

The future of augmented reality in tourism looks bright and it has immense potential to transform each one of these aspects. The innovative use cases of augmented reality travel and tourism are emerging every now and then and here are certain examples of how augmented reality can be used in travel app development. 

Hotels and Accommodations

Augmented Reality services offer Hotels and accommodations boundless potential to engage interactively with guests and travelers. It empowers businesses to provide information to potential customers in an immersive manner, with 360-degree visual tours and display of 3D views. 

Providing information in an interactive manner can increase demand for bookings as customers feel more confident about the property. 

Furthermore, businesses can also improve their in-house services by enabling the guests to use AR-powered apps to navigate the property and make use of the amenities available to them. 

Travelers these days already have access to their smartphones wherever they go. By enhancing the physical environments using interactive hotel elements you can encourage customers to visit local sights. 

For instance, some hotels have an interactive wall map in rooms through which guests can explore pertinent information regarding local travel destinations with much ease.  

Augmented Tourist Destinations

Another implication of augmented reality in tourism is interactive tours of tourist  destinations and landmarks. AR-based apps can facilitate augmented tours of ancient locations, buildings, landmarks and enable users to know more about them. Just pointing the app towards a building or landmark can present a visual of the entire history and events that happened there, thereby offering an amazing experience to the travelers and helping them learn and explore more, in real-time.

This feature of travel apps can be extended beyond just augmented reality travel destinations. For instance, a user may point their phone at a restaurant and instantly be provided with menus and reviews. Augmented destinations can allow tourists to collect information on the go about relevant points of interest and take experiences to the next level. 

Immersive Navigation 

Augmented Reality travel apps ensure that travelers never get lost in a foreign city or in a remote location regardless of the language barriers. Instead of asking for directions, visitors can use AR-based navigation apps to easily reach their destinations. The features of travel apps features such as arrows and pointers  make it easy to follow instructions. Additionally, such apps combine the device camera with Google Maps to provide immersive navigation and make the experiences even better. 

Google Maps is an absolute pioneer in offering real-time directions. Google Maps announced their new development in April 2018 using Augmented Reality to facilitate spatial orientation.This Augmented Reality app combines real-time street view with navigation tips and additional information that travelers might need.

Local Transit 

AR is significantly improving local transit. Even in foreign locations things become so much more easy and secure with AR based travel apps, that provide interactive map views of roads, traffic, destinations and best places to travel in the city. Besides using such apps when traveling by cabs, tourists can also use them when traveling by public transportation.

In addition, AR apps may eliminate the need for tourist guides in the future as every pertinent information that a traveler needs will be available on their smartphone. Infact, with AR a metro map can be transformed into an engaging augmented reality travel guide, that too, in a multitude of languages.

Beacon Technology and Push Notifications

Another fascinating use of augmented reality involves the application of beacons, which operates through Bluetooth. In the travel and tourism sector, this particular technology is extremely useful since it allows businesses and marketers to send push notifications or activate certain functions when people enter a specific location.

One of the best examples for the use of this technology is Starwood Hotels.They use beacons to allow customers to unlock their hotel rooms when they are within close proximity to the door. It can also be used to send users maps, reviews, menus, special deals or discount vouchers when needed. 

Augmented Reality Gamification

Augmented reality has often been used in the gaming world but now even the travel industry is beginning to take advantage of this and rightfully so. A hotel or a hospitality company may enhance their customer experience by incorporating an element of fun into their physical environment with the use of an augmented reality tourism app.

For instance, Best Western uses AR to allow children to see Disney characters in their premises. For adults AR apps can enable users to redecorate rooms and customise it as per their liking. 

Augmented Reality eliminating Language Differences

It is enticing to travel to a foreign destination but quite difficult without having a translator to guide you. Reading signs, menus and other information becomes a difficult task in a foreign land. However, with AR technology, smartphones can be utilized to translate a number of foreign languages. Such apps translate objects and text using augmented reality and render an immersive, engaging experience to travelers around the world.

AR for City Tours

A major benefit of augmented reality is the capacity to enhance or alter the view of the world around. Tourists can learn more with AR apps and view the current architectural artifacts in detail. 

Augmented reality applications can show how the area around the landmark looked in the past and restore historical events. It can also transfer the traveler to the future, demonstrating buildings that are only planned today.

One of the best examples of augmented reality in travel and tourism is the Paris, Then and Now app, which takes a traveler back in time to the Paris of the 20th century providing unforgettable insights and a unique experience altogether. 

AR for Museums

All thanks to augmented reality opening up newer avenues, museums are no longer a boring place. Through AR travelers can easily learn how different technical devices worked, how prehistoric animals looked and explore more about how masterpieces were created in an engaging manner. 

For instance, there is an application named Story of the Forest created by the National Museum of Singapore which is quite similar to Pokemon Go. With the help of this AR app, visitors can search for different plants and animals. Users not only get entertained but also learn about where different plants grow and where certain animals live.

Importance of Augmented Reality in the Travel Industry

Now that we have discussed in detail the role of AR in travel and tourism apps, let’s dive in to see how augmented reality is beneficial for travel app development . 

Today, apps have become a travelers’ best companion and besides solving several pain points, AR-based travel apps help businesses by enhancing their services and offering personalized experiences to their customers. The possibilities that AR opens up are endless.

Easy access to information

Tourism is a thriving industry. It allows people to open up to new experiences,explore new destinations and appreciate cultures other than their own. By leveraging the power of augmented reality, you can choose your destinations and experiences in a much more enriching manner. 

AR can be accessed through mobile devices which makes access to information portable and simple. For example, you can find information and reviews of nearby locations, locate Wi-Fi hotspots and even check a weather forecast in real time.

Better Marketing and Advertising

AR-based advertising and marketing has the potential to drive travelers ‘ decisions since they are able to visualize properties and services much more interactively. AR technology empowers travel companies to provide unique and imaginative narratives, with virtual tours that render the app users almost lifelike experiences. Besides influencing booking decisions, marketing strategies focused on AR boost trust and can convert first-time guests into loyal customers.

Infact, Expedia has reported that the interactive content from travel brands influences over 78 percent of traveler’s decisions.

Enhanced convenience and comfort

Timely availability of on- the-go information can make all the difference to the experiences of travelers and that is something that mobile apps make happen. AR-based tourist apps help travelers find the way through arrows and other navigation-related signs into an unfamiliar city. An AR app acts as a 24*7 guide and helps eliminate language barriers for international users.

It enhances users’ convenience and comfort right from booking tickets and hotels to finding the best destinations for eating, drinks, shopping, and exploring popular tourist destinations.

Makes tourist places more attractive

AR technology allows travel app developers to incorporate 3D models of places and landmarks of historical significance. Users can have an immersive experience and enjoy  journeying through time. AR technology is doing wonders in making theme parks and zoos more appealing to visitors. Combining art and science with culture and architecture, the groundbreaking AR technology can make any tourist spot more attractive than ever. 

Augmented reality has the power to strengthen the four pillars of the tourism industry: 

Transportation– Guide visitors to various routes available in an unknown city. Accommodation– Provide information about reviews and other important aspects of hotels. 

Catering– Inform travelers about the types of food available at different restaurants.

Tourist spots– Ensure that tourist destinations are more attractive with an enhanced 3D experience. 

Conclusion

The importance of augmented reality in the travel industry can’t be stressed enough. The potential of AR is enormous to the point that it can help you unravel completely new business opportunities. Travel industry is usually selling experiences and AR not only solves an array of pain points but also provides an enhanced travel experience. AR is capable of expanding the customer base of hotels, booking services, local restaurants, and all other stakeholders in the industry. We hope that this article has helped you understand why is Augmented Reality the future of travel industry and how is augmented reality used in tourism app development.

As a leading travel and tourism app development company, we suggest integrating AR in your travel app solutions. It can take your business to the next level. Besides knowing the AR technology inside out, we have a rich domain expertise in the travel industry and can build custom mobile app solutions for your business.

The post How are Augmented Reality Apps Reshaping Travel and Tourism appeared first on Appinventiv.

Travel mobile apps are affecting the booking as well as the planning process of the tourism industry. Nowadays, a large number of travelers are using travel mobile apps for research as well as for booking their holidays. With the availability of a well-developed travel app, people no longer have to rely on maps, guidebooks and compasses for traveling.

This is because, with a good app, you can research new places, book your tickets, find good eateries and all other travel related assistance.

What Makes A Travel App Successful?

When companies get their apps developed through a travel app development company, there are certain features that must be demanded. These are the features that make travel booking through mobile apps convenient:

Smart booking

Travel app development is done for the ease of travelers and the apps should include enough features to satisfy users. The travelers should have the ease of booking with features like filter, price comparison, discount offers, bookmarking, push notifications, etc.

SEO Optimized

When travelers search for a particular place they should be directed to the most relevant results. When the app is SEO optimized by any travel app developers, it becomes easy for users to get proper search results on the app.

This also lets the company understand what the travelers look for and how they move through the app. This information can be used to make the next big move in the business.

Allow cab bookings

Many tourism apps have flights, buses or train bookings and a very smart feature to add with these booking would be an option to book a cab or taxi. This facility would give the users the comfort of booking a cab from the airport, bus stand or railway station.

This is a great strategy but it also involves more addition of data to the app’s database. The travel app development should be done in such a way that the app can load the information without any glitches.

Include Geolocation

When people are in a new place they are always afraid of getting lost but if the tourism app has the geolocation feature the travelers will move around freely. This feature is highly demanded by businesses when they go to for their tourism app development.

The feature allows the travelers to find nearby places such as bars, restaurants, medical shops, etc.

Weather forecasting

The real-time weather forecast will be a great feature for traveling people. This feature will help them in making flight bookings, taking up adventure activities and also packing clothes accordingly.

Option to review

When a person wants to travel to a new place he always looks for feedback from travelers who have already been there. The option to review a place is another smart feature an app must have.

Reviews not only give a beforehand idea about what to expect but also an option to choose whether the place is worth the visit or not.

Easy transaction

A transaction through app allows better and accurate storage of customer data. Apps are the new way to replace the traditional method of keeping receipts and documents.

But the travel application development process must pay attention to a load of information. That way the storing and accessing of data becomes smooth.

To create travel apps, these were the features that must be included for maximum user satisfaction.

Why are Apps your Best Travel Companion?

There is no exaggeration in saying that this increasing demand of travel mobile applications has effectively strengthened the kinship between the travel and tourism sector and the mobile app industry. There are still many travelers who are not sure of having a well-developed app, thus listed below are some ways apps can help during a travel:

Useful Safety Information

A travel app keeps you informed about the current security situation of your chosen travel destination such as important notices on strikes or weather-related disturbances. Its 24-hour emergency service can help you at any time and this way you can have a safe vacation with your friends and family.

Instant Hotel and ticket Booking

There are many apps that offer you the list of the hotels with the accommodations prices. On the other hand, if you book your accommodation or hotel with the help of an app of that particular hotel, then you are at a higher chance to avail special discount which is generally available for few lucky travellers. Hotels have used travel app development agency to develop apps for their chain of hotels. Such apps give you complete description about the rooms with spectacular views. This way you can find the best room at the best price.

Apart from travel apps will let you know about the lowest airfare of a particular airline so you can book. In addition, you can find the best seats in the plane and it gives you the chance to make the booking of your taxis to and from the airport in a hassle-free manner. Apart from taxis, finding other public transport can also be easily done.

24/7 Accessibility

When you have an app, then you can use it anytime to acquire any kind of information and from anywhere. In other words, you can use it at your convenience and there is no need to worry about the issues of time zone. The apps developed by travel app development companies have special features that are added from a travelers point of view.

Best Way For Networking And Sharing

With apps, you can stay connected with your chosen communities and you can easily share photos, videos and even exchange notes with your friends and relatives. Hence, there is no exaggeration in saying that this improves the experience of your travel.

How does App Help Travelers?

There is no doubt that mobile applications have changed the life of users. The tourism industry is a big scope for tech companies and hence we see many companies specialising in travel application development. Tourism apps help the travelers in numerous way. Let us look at the most important ones:

IoT based decisions

Many travel app developers use IoT based solutions for tourism apps such as geolocation. This feature helps users know and understand a new place without any confusion.

[Read: Hire the Right Mobile App Development Company & Get a Geolocation-based App!]

Travel cashless

One of the most important motive of tourism app development was to make traveling a cashless affair. With the use of one app travelers can book hotels, flights, cabs, buses, trains and even tickets to museums and plays. All this has become possible only because of the app technology.

Special services

The benefit of using mobile application for business is massive for business as well as for users. The travel app development procedure must have storage of data as priority. This is because apps store the record of users and hence allows businesses to determine which users are eligible for special offers and discounts.

Customised apps

With the increase in use of tourism apps, travel mobile app development companies have started getting demands for custom made apps to beat the competition and stand out.

When users give feedback, the companies use it as a guide to improve their applications which lets the business retain its customers and improve user experience.

Traveling as a community

When travelers want to know about a certain place they look for feedback from other travelers who have been there already. This creates a social community for travelers who help each other by sharing important information such as things to not miss, precautions (if any) and any extra detail not mentioned to the travelers beforehand.

These are some of the benefits of travel apps and by witnessing all these advantages, it can be said that apps in travel industries are very advantageous because such apps have minimized the hassle of travellers with great instant service. Apart from helping tourists, it plays a pivotal role in generating a lot of revenue in the travel sector. Travel mobile app development companies are seeing success like never before and the reason is the vastness of mobile application and travel industry as a whole. So, to create travel app, has become a must-have for both commuters and travel companies.

[Do check: 7 Ways Mobile Apps are Revolutionizing the Entertainment Industry]

However, all apps cannot be the same and thus, you should do a little research before downloading the app for enhancing your travel experience. You have plenty of options in app stores, but when it comes to choosing the best one, there is a need to check the rating of the app and also reviews about that particular app. So, do some thorough research and find the best app that suits your requirements.

Originally published Feb 01, 2017, updated September 27, 2018

The post How Does Travel App Development Revolutionize Tourism Industry? appeared first on Appinventiv.