Product and Platform
TCS ERP on Cloud
TCS ERP on Cloud for SAP Landscape Migration and Modernization
Highlights
- Augmented reality (AR) allows travelers to engage with their destination in an interactive and immersive way, taking their experiences to the next level.
- Travelers can access a wealth of real-time data and experiences using digital devices with AR and specialized applications.
- Enterprise resource planning (ERP) tools empower the travel company's marketing and sales team to gather real-time customer data, spot trends, craft personalized campaigns, and make better decisions.
On this page
AR and VR tourism
As AR and virtual reality (VR) facilitate hassle-free trips, users have increased. According to a report by Technavio, New York, the metaverse market (AR/VR) size in the hospitality and tourism sector is projected to reach USD 188.24 billion by 2026, with a CAGR of 26.01%.
For the tourism industry, some essential facets that need prioritization include contactless services post-COVID, omnichannel customer interactions, supreme customer service, customer safety, real-time customer information, immersive experiences, etc. Effectively addressing these industry-specific facets and sustaining business growth remains a priority for leading travel and tourism companies, and only some players like SAP come to the rescue. While SAP is primarily known for ERP solutions, its ability to integrate with other technologies offers significant potential for the tourism industry. When combined with AR, SAP can provide a robust platform for managing and enhancing tourist experiences.
AR transforming tourism experience
AR has changed the way visitors interact with places and experiences. This transformation has many facets and includes the following:
Immersive exploration:
AR enables travelers to experience their destination interactively and immersively. Using devices with AR and specialized applications, travelers can access a wealth of data and experiences in real-time.
Virtual guides:
In addition to conventional tour guides, AR technology provides virtual tour guides around the clock. These virtual tour guides can provide comprehensive information on the attractions, historical information, and even local folklore.
Historical events re-imagined:
AR allows visitors to immerse themselves in the past as it unfolds before their eyes. Travelers gain a deeper understanding of history through historical stations or visual recreations of past events in a real setting.
Boosting engagement
One of the most remarkable advantages of augmented reality in the tourism industry is its capacity to significantly increase traveler engagement:
Intelligent personalization:
Gen AI-powered virtual assistants are transforming the travel experience by offering natural language conversations, personalized itinerary creation, and seamless booking capabilities. These intelligent assistants can help passengers with everything from ticket reservations and connecting transportation to navigating complex stations and airports. By considering factors like weather, location, and nearby events, travel operators can create highly customized itineraries that cater to individual preferences.
Interactivity:
Augmented reality encourages tourists to actively engage with the environment, instead of just passively observing.
Gamification:
Augmented Reality (AR) games and challenges are one of the most popular ways to engage travelers. Through AR apps, travelers can join scavenger hunts, quiz games, and photo challenges.
A dynamic duo: ERP and AR
While SAP is primarily known for ERP solutions, its ability to integrate with other technologies offers significant potential for the tourism industry. When combined with AR, SAP can provide a robust platform for managing and enhancing tourist experiences.
How it works
- ERP as the backbone: ERP systems can manage various aspects of tourism operations, including booking, inventory, pricing, customer relationship management (CRM), and financial accounting.
- AR as the interface: AR provides an interactive and immersive layer, enhancing customer experiences and providing real-time information.
- Integration: ERP data can be integrated into AR applications to offer relevant and up-to-date information. For instance, an AR guide could display the real-time availability of hotel rooms or attractions based on ERP data.
Potential use cases
- Interactive guided tours: AR can provide real-time information about historical sites, landmarks, and local culture, while ERP manages tour bookings and payments.
- Personalized recommendations: By analyzing customer data in enterprise software, AR applications can offer tailored recommendations for attractions, restaurants, and shopping.
- Inventory management: For tour operators, ERP can manage inventory (e.g., tour slots, equipment) while AR can visualize availability and booking status.
- AR marketing: AR can create interactive marketing campaigns, with ERP tracking campaign performance and customer engagement.
- Maintenance and repairs: For tourism businesses with physical assets (e.g., hotels and resorts), AR can be used for maintenance and repair tasks, with ERP managing work orders and spare parts inventory.
Challenges and considerations
- Data privacy: Ensuring the secure handling of customer data is crucial, especially when integrating ERP and AR systems.
- Technical complexity: Integrating ERP with AR platforms can be complex and requires skilled developers.
- Hardware compatibility: The availability and compatibility of AR devices can impact the implementation of AR solutions.
- User experience: Creating intuitive and engaging AR experiences requires careful design and testing.
Next wave of travel
The convergence of SAP, AR/VR, and tourism presents a compelling opportunity to redefine the travel experience. By leveraging ERP’s robust data management capabilities and AR's immersive potential, the tourism industry can create hyper-personalized, efficient, and engaging visitor experiences. Integrating these technologies offers a promising future for the sector, from interactive guided tours and personalized recommendations to streamlined operations and enhanced customer service.
However, realizing the full potential of this combination requires careful planning, addressing data privacy concerns, overcoming technical challenges, and ensuring seamless user experiences. As technology continues to evolve, we can anticipate even more innovative applications (next-generation IoT, big data and analytics, blockchain, and GenAI) that will shape the future of tourism.
By embracing the synergy between ERP, AR, and tourism, businesses can gain a competitive edge, foster customer loyalty, and contribute to the industry's growth.
