Technology is transforming travel and here's what's next

Thirty years ago, the world of travel was a far simpler place. There were no online travel agents; there was no seat-back inflight entertainment or in-car GPS. Mobile phones were brick-like, and could do little more than make calls — using them for navigation was, at that point, unthinkable.

In the decades since, innovations in technology have completely transformed travel. Most recently, in September 2025, Apple introduced its latest AirPods, ushering in live translation capabilities to the earphones for the first time. Here’s how it works: an iPhone is needed to ‘listen’ to the conversation and translate it into your chosen language, and then the AirPods read the translated text back to you near-instantly. It also works offline, enabling users a personal interpreter wherever they are.

Live translation devices have been around, in one form or another, for years. Companies such as Vasco and Timekettle already offer in-ear devices that work offline. Meanwhile, the Google Translate app has long allowed users to have real-time conversations using their phone, although it does require internet access. What’s changed is the speed and accuracy at which translations can be done. Thanks to advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), translations now take seconds. And when used with wearable tech, they make language barriers feel like a thing of the past. But what else has changed in the world of travel tech? And what does the future look like?

Maximum efficiency

AI has had a profound impact on travel, particularly in recent years. As many as 48% of European travellers have already used AI-powered tools to plan a trip, according to market research firm MMGY Travel Intelligence, while behind the scenes it’s used by airlines to manage customer service and hotels to determine room prices. But this is just one aspect of technology with the potential for changing travel.

Few travellers will have spent much time thinking about the technology that helps to smooth out trip logistics, like the 3D scanners now installed in many UK airports. These remove the need to take out liquids and laptops from hand luggage for further inspection, speeding up the security process. The chips embedded in your passport are another example: they enable travellers to go through e-gates at airports, often bypassing lengthy queues for manual checks. Some airports in Asia, such as Singapore Changi, have taken this even further, with facial recognition technology being used to skip passport checks altogether — meaning passengers can get through security in just 10 seconds.

There are other forms of technology influencing where we go and how we book. Virtual reality (VR) allows travellers to ‘try before they buy’, using headsets that enable them to see and interact with a digitalised version of the real experience. In fact, travel tech company Amadeus Hospitality found 70% of travellers would use virtual reality or a virtual tour to explore a destination ahead of their visit.

“For travellers who care about design and atmosphere just as much as service, VR has been a game-changer,” says Lauren Ringel, an adviser for travel agency Fora X. She uses the technology to show clients luxury hotels such as Soneva Jani in the Maldives or the Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris before they book. “They get to see the view from the terrace, notice the design details and imagine themselves there,” she adds. “It takes away a lot of uncertainty.”

On screen

Perhaps more than anything else, though, it’s the smartphone that’s changed how we travel. Instead of packing maps, cameras or even your wallet, this one device slips all of these into your pocket. While on the road, you might use your phone to scan QR codes to order food instead of waiting for table service, read foreign text using apps like Google Translate and hold your rail passes and credit cards in a digital wallet.

Smartphones are having such an impact when it comes to how we explore the world, they’re even reshaping it physically. You can see this in public spaces that offer charging ports, or attractions with frames and hashtags that invite you to post on social media. And a major trend to emerge from the smartphone’s omnipresence is that of augmented reality (AR).

This technology allows digitised information to be superimposed onto the real-world view, captured by your phone’s camera and displayed on the screen. In museums, it’s used to add extra layers of interactivity to exhibits. At the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, for example, AR is allowing visitors to digitally interact with several items in its permanent collection, turning the item around on their phone and focusing in on additional information. Meanwhile, several of Disney’s theme parks further immerse their visitors into the experience by surrounding them with projections. Even cities are using it. In 2022, Stirling in Scotland launched an AR map with 3D directions to help visitors explore the city and bring its history and heritage to life. According to the Business Research Company, AR has become so popular that it estimates its market share in travel will grow from $29bn (£22bn) in 2025 to $108bn (£81bn) by 2034.

The travel industry has embraced AR because it can enhance the experience without feeling too gimmicky, and because it can be easily integrated, says Anna Belova, founder and CEO of consumer AR firm DEVAR. “AR transforms maps, tickets, tables and souvenirs into touchpoints that inform and entertain — all using devices travellers already own,” she explains. It helps that recent advancements in the technology have made adopting AR even easier — there’s no longer a need for users to download separate apps to use it, they can simply follow a QR code or link to find it, and the content itself can now be generated with the help of AI.

The flipside

Technology has overwhelmingly changed travel for the better, but it’s important to note that there’s a negative side to the equation, too — particularly when it comes to social media. As well as driving travel, it’s also being linked to overtourism. There are no concrete statistics, but anecdotally there have been numerous instances of remote spots being flooded by visitors after going viral on social media, like Trolltunga in Norway or Roy’s Peak in New Zealand. There’s also research to suggest that because people are more focused on capturing their travel experiences for social media, they’re less engaged with what might be considered the authentic experience of travelling — talking to locals, for example, or learning more about where they’re visiting.

In the same vein, technology has decreased the amount of human contact while travelling. Online booking platforms, automated check-ins at airports and hotels, and AI-powered chatbots mean speaking to another person can feel like a rarity. For some people, that’s preferable. For others, it can feel alienating.

Even apps, which have vastly expanded what our phones are capable of, can lead to tech fatigue. For a single holiday, you might need separate apps to check in for your flight, use public transport, book tickets to attractions and so on. It can become overwhelming. It’s hardly surprising then that in 2024, app downloads started falling, declining by 2.3% compared to previous years.

But people aren’t rejecting technology altogether, says Jenny Southan, founder of trend forecasting company Globetrender — they’re just “growing more selective about how it’s used”. She says: “The key is purposeful tech — tools that enhance experience, not distract. Increasingly, travellers want to disable the noise, not disconnect completely.”

The future

Technology has improved by leaps and bounds in the last few decades, that much is sure — but what’s next? “In the next year, we’ll see smarter personalisation — algorithms that anticipate your trip needs before you do,” says Southan. “In five years, travel tech and AI will merge into virtual assistants: journeys will feel seamless, continuous, invisible.”

Elements of this already exist. Google Glass — the tech giant’s camera- and wi-fi-enabled glasses — might have failed to take off, but Meta has entered the wearables space with its voice-activated smart glasses that allow users to record videos of their travels, translate text and even message friends. Wearers can also look at a work of art, for example, and ask Meta AI for more details on what they’re seeing.

Travel is also becoming more inclusive thanks to technology. One example comes from Sound Transit, the public transport agency in Seattle. Ahead of the city co-hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2026, the agency has introduced wayfinding apps that provide 3D maps of major public spaces like stations. Supported by audio cues, they help “travellers with visual or hearing impairments, neurodivergence, limited mobility or simply those who may feel uneasy navigating an unfamiliar environment,” says Ganesh Karthik Sankar, a founding designer on the agency’s Passenger Experiences team.

There are other examples of innovative wearable tech making travel more accessible, like Hypershell’s exoskeletons. These strap-on, battery-powered robotic limb supports can make hiking and skiing easier for people of different ages and abilities by boosting leg strength by 40% and reducing physical exertion by 30%. There’s also WeWALK, a voice-activated smart cane for the visually impaired that uses sensors to detect obstacles above waist height. It can be paired with a smartphone for GPS navigation and real-time public transport updates. All of this sounds futuristic, but for Southan, technology like this signals “the beginning of a new era of inclusivity in travel”. And that’s surely a very good thing.

Three more trends to watch

Super apps: The answer to app fatigue might be super apps, which allow users to complete several tasks in one space. Current examples include Grab, which started out as a ride-hailing app but has expanded to include bill payment, trip planning and shopping, and Uber, which now offers the option to book rail journeys and more.

Biometric data: Although privacy continues to be a concern, biometric data will increasingly be used to identify people. Take the EU, which is rolling out the Entry/Exit System (EES) at border control. From the end of 2025, allowing the system to capture your fingerprints and photographs will become an entry requirement.

Self-driving taxis: Building on self-driving technology in cars, robotaxis are now on the road in several countries. In the US, Waymo — formerly the Google self-driving car project — has already served over 10 million rides, while WeRide has services operating in China and the UAE. Although these are predicted to be cheaper than taxis with human drivers in future, right now they can cost more.