Big Brother Travel Technology That Knows and Fulfils Your Desires Mark Evans - Independent.ie
go to original April 10, 2017

Greg Oates addresses the audience at Mexico’s Tianguis Touristico in the coastal city of Acapulco (Skift)

Addressing an audience at Tianguis Touristico, Mexico's week-long showcase of its tourism offerings, he said that "in-destination connectivity is going to grow and grow" - particularly with the advent of lightning-speed 5G phone technology. But it will be human-focused, with your likes and dislikes being catalogued, so you'll be offered services and products tailored to your preferences.

It's a trend that will be most pronounced in the leisure sector, but also for the business traveler, whose wants and needs will be already known before he or she arrives at a business destination.

It will arrive as early as this year, with Oates pointing to the new connectivity model being adopted by luxury line Princess Cruises.

Oates showed the audience in Acapulco how the Big Brother technology - a piece of wearable technology which tracks your movements around the ship, and pushes you information and products - works.

"The man is wearing a medallion on his wrist, the lady on her neck, and 4,000 screens on ships using NFC and Bluetooth tech instantly recognize you from your itinerary," he said.

"They've collected amazing amounts of customer-specific data to learn more about you and sell more to you. The entire ship is a point of sale, and you're geo-located, so if you're at the pool, you'll be offered a margarita, no salt, based on past purchases."

All well and good in leisure - but what's the business angle? Oates revealed that the same wearable tech technology, offering you services, food and drink, will soon be "in every Marriott and every all-inclusive hotel eventually", so watch this space.

Read the rest at Independent.ie

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