Technology and travel have coexisted for ages now, and in recent years, there has been a sharp increase in the use of handheld gadgets such as tablets and smartphones, all to augment the customer experience. With the increase in these portable devices, NFC, or Near-Field Communication, is gaining prominence, making touchless data transfer possible. This short-range wireless technology is all set to open up new possibilities for everyone involved in the travel / tourism industry.

Top 7 applications of NFC technology in tourism

Payments

Contactless payments can be made when tourists visit restaurants, retail stores, and other tourism-related spaces that also use NFC-enabled handsets. This eliminates the need to carry bulk currency and cuts down on the time and effort required for a transaction.

Tickets

Tourists may access events, transit services, and local attractions using NFC-enabled tickets. It minimizes time spent on a labyrinthine manual ticketing process and even does away with the need for paper tickets.

Information

Visitors can obtain pertinent information from historical sites and museums by tapping into NFC-based services. Audio guides are also made available where available for tourists to gain more knowledge about their place of visit. This makes their journey more interesting, interactive, and engaging.

On-location Services

Travelers can utilize NFC-based services to get real-time information about attractions, maps, and recommendations to visit particular places of interest. The feature improves overall customer experiences while also assisting travelers to make the most of their trip.

Chips

NFC chips are compact, passive tags designed for executing predefined tasks. They operate without the need for a power source, making them highly convenient for various applications. When strategically placed on a surface, these chips can trigger actions like displaying work-related notifications or activating certain functions on a user's device, such as vibrating or disabling GPS. This technology offers practical solutions for business and enterprise environments.

Providing Access

Attractions, activities, and other transportation services can all be managed with the NFC. This allows convenient and safe access for visitors who are authorized for that activity.

Hospitality

NFC technology eliminates the need for traditional metal keys and cards while digitizing the guest’s security. The solution is easy to manufacture, install, and monitor. NFC tags on a hotel room door help guests access their lodging instantly with a unique code available on their phones.

Importance of NFC in the travel industry

NFC plays a vital role in providing travelers with real-time information and personal recommendations where possible. A game-changer for the tourism industry, it leads to more cost-savings for businesses and enhances tourist experiences, taking travel beyond the customer’s expectations. Not only does it disseminate relevant information, but it also provides customized experiences based on traveler preferences.

It is evident that this technology will have a significant impact as we head towards ‘intelligent’ tourism. It’s the need of the hour for businesses to stay abreast of customer-driven trends in order to remain competitive.