Editor's Note: Some linked articles may be behind subscription paywalls.

While the idea of a fully automated hotel is likely far away from becoming a reality, The Wall Street Journal reports North American companies are ordering record numbers of robots in response to ongoing labor shortages.

At the same time, a Travel Pulse report citing a GlobalData study notes increased investments in robotics could drastically cut down human-to-human contact within the travel industry.

"With so many travelers concerned for their safety while traveling [GlobalData found that 74% of consumers are still majorly concerned], robotics can help ease travelers’ fears while also reducing the overall costs of labor for companies," the news outlet notes. "It could be said, at least within the travel industry, that the age of robotics was born out of the global pandemic."

With the reopening of U.S. borders expected to spark a return of international travel, Airbnb is launching a new translation tool soon meant to make it easier for those travelers to use their alternative accommodations platform, Reuters reports.

"What you're going to see is as the world moves into a post COVID-19 world, people are going to travel a lot more than they did before, certainly a lot more than they do now," CEO Brian Chesky told the news agency.

National Geographic recently took a look at five tech innovations expected to have significant impacts on the travel journey, which include technologies focused on: virtual reality and augmented reality, crowd control, ultraviolet cleaning, QR codes and contact tracing.

“Consumers will come to expect technologies that make them more confident about travel,” Steve Shur, the president of the Travel Technology Association, told the news outlet. “Some of these changes are here to stay.”

The New York Times reports data is playing an increasingly important role in real estate helping "retailers and entertainment venues be more efficient by counting crowds, tracking foot traffic and following local shopping habits."

The newspaper notes many companies are launching technologies to replicate the experience of tracking consumer data in online shopping at physical stores.

"The added layers of technology in stores and entertainment venues — crowd-tracking cameras, information gleaned from smartphones, tallies of neighborhood foot traffic and sophisticated demographic data — aim to replicate the data measurement and analysis of the online experience," the Times reports.

As U.S. officials travel to the Middle East this week, one of their top goals will be building "partnerships on ransomware and cybersecurity as hackers wreak havoc among some of America's more vital industries."

With U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo in the region, he is expected to focus conversations on how technology can "counter ransomware and other cyber-related threats."

Return to the Hotel News Now home page.