The new Apple watch just went out on 25th april and it seems
that tourism actors rely on this new product. Even if it is not an innovation
as the same kind of product already exists on the market since more than 2
years, the brand fame can bring a positive change for the development of smart
watches. Thomas Husson, vice-president of the Forrester Institute, estimates
that about 10 million Apple watches will be sold in 2015.
An article of the French online newspaper “L’echo touristique” by Souen
Léger, shows that the different sectors of the tourism industry want to benefit
from this product in different ways and some big players already launched their
application compatible with the Apple watch.
You can now use the Apple Watch with different transport applications:
voyage-sncf, airline companies such as American Airline or Air France but also
Uber and Taxis G7. Hotel chains are also innovating. As an example Starwood
makes it possible for the guest to open his door with the Apple watch. Accor
also bets on the Apple watch to improve services and make all the information
easily accessible to the customers. Even GDS are now on the trend as Sabre made
its application Tripcase compatible with it. Finally users of the Apple Watch
will be able to use geolocation in cities to orientate themselves, take
transports but also use something as useful as Tripadvisor.
What if smart watches were the next revolution in the IT world? Until
now it was nothing but a revolution. However Apple has shown its brand power
through the years and its new product follows the same path than the previous
launches in terms of design and elegance. As an Apple watch cannot be used
without an iphone, some experts already question its real utility. However the
target is the same than people having an iphone, in other terms people that can
afford having an iphone could afford having an Apple watch. Having an Apple
watch can become a fashion trend. If it gets the same success than the iphone,
it will be sold in mass and tourism actors will be more and more willing to adapt
their offer to this small feature. The possibilities brought by the product
will increase and it will become more and more convenient to have one. We are
not yet at this point and smart watches have to prove themselves.
Do big companies of the tourism industries really choose to invest on
this new product only because its functionalities enable to improve the
customer comfort? It is quite questionable. I-watches are the perfect device to
get even closer to the customer in a time when the big challenge for companies
is DATA. If we take for example a guest hotel, smart watches could enable hotel
chains to know their customers habits and behaviours much better. These data
would enable to market better the offer to the customer and personalize it to
finally make higher sales and increase the profit. What about privacy?
Technologies evolve; our world change and we are getting more and more
manipulated without knowing it. It would be useful to think critically before
buying this kind of device. Will it be useful? Will it really make the
difference?
Laetitia BURET
Alexis BLOTTIERE
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