Learning points

• In order to understand the future of technological advancement, reality can be viewed best through the paradigm of science fiction.

• This chapter explains the key drivers of technological change, the interface with tourists and tourism consumption.

• Real and personal information will still be the number one influence on holiday purchases in 2050 even in a technological world.

Introduction: The Role of Technology

Graham Whitehead, the renowned BT futurologist said, ‘consumers will see more technology change in the next ten years than was witnessed in the previous hundred years’ (Whitehead, 2005a, 2005b). Exponential change in technology has altered how consumers use information and how this impacts on tourism. The internet has changed distribution patterns and mobile technologies are about to change how tourists ‘see and book’. As Google’s Claire Hatton (2009: 638) said ‘30% of hotel bookings in the cities of Tokyo and Seoul are on the day of arrival through the mobile phone and this trend can only grow’. Today’s typical tourist is pointing their mobile phone at a hotel, using augmented reality (AR) platforms to view information and then making reservations via websites such as Expedia. The provision of information on tourism products is available through a variety of channels and technological platforms, bringing with it a range of benefits such as convenience with user-friendly interfaces, up-to-date information and affordability to the end user. These developments increasingly drive the integration of technology within our everyday lives with mobile internet, navigation systems and smartphones, which attempt to constantly keep us connected to the digital world. This chapter explains how future tourists will interface with technology through a scenario of the life of Maria who is enjoying the Edinburgh Festival in 2050. The core of the chapter identifies 10 technological driving forces which will shape the future.