A lot of the time we are happy to take our well-earned holiday without paying any attention to the technology which is behind it. After all, if the sun is shining and the water is inviting who cares about the gadgets and systems which helped get us there and enjoy ourselves?
However, it is worth spending a few minutes considering some of the advances which now allow us to take part in more enjoyable and relaxing breaks.
Near Field Communication
A GPS Tour Guide
Do you remember when you had to book yourself on an actual tour with and actual physical guide? This meant that we all went to the same places in large groups and lost the magic of seeing some of the world’s best sites in a quiet setting. Now we can use our smartphones to get a one on one tour and really enjoy it. Getting rail information in France just got easier.
Lost No More
Another of the benefits of GPS is that we no longer get lost no matter where we are. We can also look up the internet for a map any time we need one.
Ticketless Flights
This is now quite a well established technology but it has made a lot of difference to travellers. If you can remember flying before e-tickets then you know that it is now a lot easier.
Biometric Passport
A passport which includes smart technology such as face and fingerprint recognition is certainly going to make it a fair bit easier to travel safely and without any hassles.
Mobile Reservations
Now that we can book or buy just about anything from anywhere it is easy to think that booking a holiday from your bed or from the train is the only way to do it. No so long ago this wasn’t the case though, and now we can take our time exploring our options in comfort.
The Internet
It is easy to forget that before the internet the world was a different place for holidaymakers. Now we can find out everything we need to know before we leave home, and enjoy a better time because of it.
Language Translators
Coping with different languages is one of the biggest reasons why many of us have traditionally avoided more exotic, adventurous trips. However, the incredible ease with which we can translate any language into English while on the move means that this is no longer a no-go.
Work from the Beach
Even workaholics who previously stayed at home all year round can now take their business away with them thanks to advances such as Skype and cloud based file sharing.
Wi-Fi
A few of the previous points are dependent upon the availability of Wi-Fi services, and as these get more common around the world we can enjoy more of the benefits.