How Does Geo-Fencing Improve Travel Experiences?
Traveling is as exciting as strenuous it is. While some adventurers might love being clueless in a new city, others might not want to waste their time finding places.
Technology has made travel so much more convenient. Where people had to spend hours finding places while carrying big maps, now they can navigate using Google Maps. Not to mention how AI-generated travel itineraries save hours of research and planning.
Similarly, location-based technology in tourism and traveling has made travel accessible to so many people. One such ground-breaking technology is geo-fencing.
Let us discuss geo-fencing in detail and how it has transformed travel forever.
JUMP TO:
· Geo-Fencing Allows Contactless Experiences for Travelers
· Travelers Can Get Offers with Geo-Fencing
· Geo-fencing can Facilitate Travelers through Mobile Travel Apps
· Geo-fencing Enables Real-time Location Tracking for Travelers
Understanding Geo-Fencing
Have you ever noticed a notification popping up on your phone from a place you just passed? For example, Starbucks sends you a discount code when you are in the area. Or H&M notifies you about their ongoing promotions just when you enter the mall. That happens because you just entered the geo-fence of these places.
Let’s explore more!
Definition: Geo-fencing is marking a place or an area with a virtual fence, just like physical boundaries around a specific location. Users mark the geo-fence using coordinates for longitudes and latitudes. In the case of a circular geo-fence, it can also be marked using a central point around which the users can specify the radius. The virtual fence usually serves a purpose and triggers a response based on why it was put there in the first place. Geo-fence is usually created using an app or location-based software.
Geo-fencing software allows you to geo-fence custom areas.
Need: Geo-fencing has a variety of purposes. Some might use geo-fencing to monitor and manage their fleet so that it stays inside the specified geo-fence. Others might use it for security purposes to see if a vehicle or any alien object has entered their boundary. However, mostly geo-fencing is associated with monitoring objects, people, and places.
Working: the location-based technology works using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), the Internet or cellular data, and Global Positioning System (GPS). What happens is that every device has an RFID, so when it enters a particular geo-fence, the geo-fencing software triggers a response. This can be a push notification to the device or an alert to the business that someone has entered their boundary. GPS enables the geo-fence to work properly, so if the device has its GPS location turned off, the geo-fence will not trigger any action.
Geo-Fencing in Travel
Geo-fencing as a location-based technology can do wonders for travelers. Not only can they get personalized travel experiences with geo-fencing, but it can also create a lot of ease for them. Geo-fencing can provide smart travel solutions that allow travelers to make the most of their itineraries without wasting time and money.
All they need is their GPS enabled and internet connectivity for geo-fencing to boost their travel experience. What is interesting is that since geo-fencing is not a data-heavy activity, so even if travelers do not have access to high-speed 5G cellular data, they can still benefit from it. For instance, while traveling to remote areas, a satellite internet connection can also allow them to use geo-fencing in their travel apps.
Let us explore all the ways geo-fencing is being used in travel.
· Geo-Fencing Allows Contactless Experiences for Travelers
Contactless experiences while traveling have gained a lot of popularity, especially since Covid-19 altered our lives. Geo-fencing is a key player in allowing travelers to enjoy contactless experiences. Mobile applications for hotels allow guests to automatically and remotely check in to the hotel. This not only saves them the hassle of lining up in check-in queues, but it also allows them to get to their rooms faster.
Moreover, most airlines, like JetBlue, use geo-fencing to send travelers their digital boarding passes as soon as they enter the airport. This way travelers do not have to get into rushy queues to get their boarding pass sorted. Geo-fencing, by enabling these feats, also allows hospitality businesses to meet their consumer demands and gain customer loyalty.
· Travelers Can Get Offers with Geo-Fencing
As discussed above, geo-fencing is used a lot for advertising and marketing purposes. Location-based marketing in the travel industry allows brands to target specific consumers, which are in the area. For instance, airports push offers to passengers as soon as they enter the airport premises. This includes sales on seating upgrades or discount coupons for the duty-free stores inside the airport. Similarly, guests get notified about special offers from hotels through geo-fencing. This awareness about the extra amenities and special discounts they can get allows them to save money and make the most of their travel experience.
From a business perspective, geo-fencing allows businesses (like airports and hotels) to generate revenue through ancillary streams. For instance, an airport can partner with a food or clothing brand and send notifications about ongoing offers in the airport outlets, compelling travelers to check them out. Similarly, hotels can generate extra revenue by guiding guests to avail of extra services at the hotel.
· Geo-fencing Can Facilitate Travelers Through Mobile Travel Apps
Imagine traveling to a new country while being completely clueless about the best tourist attractions. This is especially annoying when Google isn’t really helping either. There is a rising trend in travel apps, that can suggest travelers places in the area based on their interests. Mobile apps, combined with geo-fencing are making rounds in tourism because of the ease they can create.
These use the traveler’s location and integrate them with messaging or push notifications to notify them about nearby places. These have a lot of potential to enhance customer engagement in travel. Local brands can collaborate with location-based travel apps to notify travelers about ongoing discounts and promotions. Furthermore, travelers can also use these apps to search for local food, markets, historical sightseeing, etc., to improve their on-trip experiences. They can also book the best guides and scope out seasonal activities to do in the area.
· Geo-fencing Enables Real-time Location Tracking for Travelers
Travelers can use location-tracking apps that use geo-fencing to ensure their safety. Safety is a major concern for people traveling solo to remote areas. Geo-fencing is a core technology for location-tracking apps that can track the traveler’s location in real-time. This way, travelers are not really alone despite solo traveling.
Their friends and family can easily track which locations they are in. These apps also notify when the traveler leaves a particular location and moves on to the next one. Their families can geo-fence the locations part of the traveler’s itinerary. This way, they can get notified if the traveler goes beyond the geo-fence, so they can send help in case the traveler gets lost.
Geo-fencing, as a technology, can improve their traveling. However, despite having many applications and benefits, it also has some downsides like battery drain and privacy concerns. If businesses tend to these issues, then they can revolutionize the travel industry through geo-fencing and facilitate travel.