Tech tools to travel: With the world finally reopening to travel and tourism, many of us are planning long awaited trips overseas to far flung destinations. Traveltech is once again thrust into the spotlight with hundreds of new apps and software programs entering the techsphere for getting consumers from A-Z in a safe, timely fashion. According to the Association of British Travel Agents, 2022 has been ear-marked as the year of the ‘travel catchup consumer’ with 61% of people saying they plan to go abroad by the end of this year. In addition to this, figures from Hospitalitytech.com show that 87% of travelers had travel apps on their smartphone pre-COVID.
Between a global pandemic and political conflicts, today, navigating trips overseas has become a lot more complicated than any of us could have ever imagined. Thankfully advances in technology look set to help guide us on our way – no matter what the destination.
Whether it’s sunny skies, blue seas or bright city lights that you are after, we found five savvy traveltech apps that are aimed at making your journey both safer and easier.
Available on Android and iOS, App in the air describes itself as a personal travel assistant. Free to download, it is used by over six million travellers globally to help them search and book flights and accommodation, navigate the airport, connect with other travellers and even fly more sustainably. More interestingly, a Digital Health Passport has recently been added, meaning travellers can upload and scan PCR tests and vaccination certs prior to travel. Users can also avail of travel alerts to notify them if they need to upload a test for their destination and avail of help in finding and booking testing appointments. Speaking about App In The Air, Bayram Annakov, Founder and CEO said “the travel space is changing constantly and the biggest challenge to travel and tech brands in the post-COVID world is to remain relevant, to predict trends and respond to them in a meaningful way, and to react nimbly and swiftly to shifts in the landscape. When COVID-19 turned aviation on its head and our users needed expert guidance to unpick the complexities of flying during a pandemic, we were able to develop a series of tools to keep our community informed and help them travel safely and seamlessly.” App In The Air syncs with Google calendar and boasts techie features such as AR to scan bags to see if they comply with flight restrictions and a 3D globe among other things.
A free to use app for researching your next destination, World Live App uses 15,000 cameras in over 120 countries worldwide to help budding travellers get a glimpse into where they are jetting off to before leaving the comfort of their own homes. It’s available on iOS and Android and it’s free to use. Through use of WebRTC it enables users to get destination information, see hundreds of exciting locations through camera views in HD quality, watch live broadcasts, view photos and reviews. What’s not to like?
If you’re hoping to hit the road while travelling, for car rentals, look no further than Coastr. The all-in-one AI powered vehicle rental software works with over 60 companies worldwide to help make the process of renting a car easier while travelling. Although currently ‘app-less’, it is set to launch a mobility offering later this year. This will enable users to avail of contactless rental service which uses key-free technology. It will also provide travellers with a wider range of car rental choices and, most importantly help them find the right car at the best price. For environmentally conscious travellers, the software is completely paperless, meaning all rental agreements between rental companies and travellers are done digitally. Speaking about Coastr, CEO and passionate traveller, Biswajit Kundu Roy said “Our AI-enabled vehicle rental software leverages IoT technology to digitize end-to-end operations, reduce operational costs and provide innovative technologies such as keyless entry to enable digital and contactless rental services. The pandemic has brought an urgent need for digitisation and contactless rental experiences. There is a lack of innovative car rental management platforms that intelligently use IoT and data to drive automation and paperless processes.”
My personal favourite bargaining tool currency converter takes the complication out of figuring out how spending levels day to day, whether it’s on holidays or on a business trip. Available on iOS and Android and free-to-use, it not only helps you convert currency on the spot, but it also helps you determine credit card and foreign exchange changes and even keep track of your expenses. Another unique feature is its ability to keep users up to date with currency news and help them learn about every single means of payment in the world. You can also transfer money in over 60 currencies. XE Currency has a number of partners, one of which helped them create an Instant Answer API which powers their currency search results.
If, like most, learning the local language isn’t possible before heading overseas, look no further than language and translator app, TripLingo. Available for free with a premium subscription available, it enables travellers to not only learn the most essential phrases while travelling abroad but, perhaps, more usefully, it provides a voice translator in 19 different languages and an offline dictionary. It also provides a culture crash course so you can at least live like a local and avoid those travel faux pas. Although remaining tight-lipped about the technology used, one of its more impressive features is its connectability to wi-fi which enables you to avoid those pesky roaming charges. On a non-tech related note, TripLingo also offers a 200-year 100% money-back guarantee in case your trip extends your lifespan!
