Rushes, problems with luggage space and last-minute unforeseen problems. Failure to plan your trips in advance can doom your holidays to failure. To prevent this from happening, you need to make use of the new travel technology systems that make the entire booking process more comfortable and are becoming more and more popular by the day. In fact, 7 out of 10 hotel reservations are now made online.
But it doesn’t stop there. New tourism technologies also make it easier to buy tickets and help you deal with unforeseen events that may arise during your trip. The Valley, a knowledge hub specialising in new digital trends, tells us about the main features offered by new technological systems to plan your trip digitally and make sure everything runs smoothly.
- Virtually visit your destination & find out what not to take with you
Packing “just in case” things is always a bad idea when travelling only with hand luggage. Bringing unsuitable clothing and footwear, along with other unnecessary items for sites you’re planning to visit, take up space that you might just miss when closing your suitcase. It’s always a good idea to take a virtual tour of the places you’re going to visit to avoid bringing things you don’t really need. Knowing what the pavement is like, how far you’re going to walk, and if the places you want to visit are indoors or outdoors will help you decide what you’re genuinely going to use during your trip.
- Take your reservation documents on your mobile
Although they aren’t going to push you over the luggage weight restrictions, all the papers for booking accommodation, tickets and other travel services take up unnecessary space, and there’s always a risk of losing them. Considering that many tourist establishments and airlines already accept these documents in digital format, downloading them to your mobile phone is the best way to save paper and space in your suitcase and have them at hand at all times.
- Check tourist information with geolocation apps
With GPS systems and apps that offer up-to-date tourist information, the classic folding maps and printed tourist guides are now a thing of the past. You can find the location of many restaurants, hotels and other tourist information in a matter of seconds on your phone, as well as information about opening hours and services at the main monuments and tourist attractions of the place you’re visiting. Apps that also include navigation systems for walking, car and public transport are ideal “compasses” to help you find your way around.
- House sitting services to avoid having to travel with your pet
Flying with a pet is an additional cost, and having to take a carrier and pack everything you’ll need to take care of your pet while on holidays is an added source of annoyance. Some companies don’t accept pets in the cabin or in the hold, and others have strict weight restrictions (normally, if the animal weighs more than 8kg, it has to travel in the hold). Digital house sitting platforms are an ideal option for you to leave your pet in good hands during the trip and avoid problems with luggage space or weight. The modus operandi is very simple: you leave your home to a visitor who will stay there and take care of your pet while you’re away.
- Use the camera on your smartphone and store your photos securely in the cloud
Forget about reflex cameras, bags to carry them and hard drives to store the photos you take during your trip. The best way to save space without sacrificing quality photos is to bring a mobile phone with a good camera. And, if you register on a cloud storage platform, you can upload your photos each day with worrying about losing them because your SD card or hard drive got damaged, lost or stolen during the trip.
