By Yael Gat, CTO of LogNet Travel

Technology is changing the way customers want to engage with businesses – this is no secret. In the travel industry too, businesses face great challenges in adapting and discovering innovative ways to serve their customers in the best possible manner. In order to provide an outstanding customer experience, travel agencies need to offer robust travel websites that not only allow them to sell more services, but also lets them differentiate their business in the highly competitive market.

Given this, the following are three technology trends that we expect to see more travel agencies adopt in the coming year:

Mobile devices as a new sales and service channel
Up until a couple of years ago, travel agencies only needed to offer a desktop solution to maintain a web presence. At the time, a mobile solution was considered optional. At most, customers would research travel information on mobile devices, while all booking would be done from a desktop.

However, in 2016, a travel website or travel app that works on all mobile device types is simply a must. Travel agencies that are starting to explore the online sales channel must also include capabilities for mobile sites.

The experience that a customer has with a website that is accessed over a mobile device needs to be adapted to be the same across all devices and platforms. Travel agencies should ensure that their mobile website is a lightweight solution that does not require too much interaction with the device, is not slow to load or resource intensive.

In addition to having a site that works well over mobile devices, we expect to see integration of mobile device capabilities into the solution. Travel agencies can add features to the solution to let them identify the mobile number of the customer, push notifications to the device, identify where the customer is located and offer customized recommendations, read barcodes and even be able to use the camera. Integrating such capabilities will allow travel agencies to offer a more personalized experience to the customer and make the solution more user-friendly and adapted for specific use.

Travel agencies offering mobile capabilities must ensure that the content is in sync with the content on their desktop site so that their customers get the same user experience, irrespective of the channel they use to access the website. They can also offer services like online chat support with travel agents over the mobile device. A smartphone with video capabilities can allow travel agencies to stay connected with their customers on the move and can be leveraged to send notifications based on their location or phase of their travel. This feature will allow them to build better relationships with their customers and be a larger part of the customers’ overall travel experience.

Another important aspect of the mobile experience is the inclusion of booking and payment capabilities over mobile devices. We expect to see mobile payment capabilities to be integrated into the e-travel solution to offer a more seamless experience to the customer.

Adoption of ready-to-use, easily configurable cloud-based solutions
Using a cloud-based solution to build its website requires a travel agency to only configure parameters into a management system. Cloud-based web solutions let travel agencies enjoy the experience of having a modern website that is high on functionality and usability. Cloud-based solutions are available as a SaaS service and do not require large investments in budget and time. We expect more travel agencies to adopt such solutions as there is no other way for them to compete with the massive investments that large OTAs can afford for their websites.

In parallel, the way that users interact with online systems will continue to evolve with time. This means that every few years or so, travel agencies too need to overhaul their websites’ overall user interface and user experience to keep up with new technologies and changing customer expectations.

A cloud-based solution offers regular and automatic enhancements in terms of features and back-end functionality. Such solutions contain a centralized system that offers new components frequently. Travel agencies can keep their websites updated by adding these new components as part of an ongoing service and would not have to invest significant time and money to completely redevelop the sites. Adapting to new technology and offering new experiences would no longer require additional investment from the travel agencies that depend on a cloud-based solution for their websites.

Integration of shareconomy services
In 2016, we also expect to see evolution of shareconomy services, including some aggregation and some integration of such types of services into travel agency websites. Currently, there are still some challenges that travel agencies face in doing so – for instance, the APIs of some systems are not so mature, and in some cases, do not exist at all. Travel agencies will need to find creative ways to integrate such services into their systems.

However, in the near future, these shareconomy services will form a major part of the services being offered by travel agencies and could even go on to replace traditional services like hotels and car rentals in some cases. Integrating such services within a travel solution will become more of a standard in the years to come.

Small and medium sized travel agencies especially will benefit from this change. The need to adapt and evolve is higher for such businesses. Of late, there is a trend of business travelers that combine leisure within their travels. These hybrid travel services will occupy a larger share of the market. A cloud-based solution will allow travel agencies to integrate shareconomy services and implement changes to their strategy to offer such hybrid travel services without too much investment.