Digital Start-ups and Tourism: The Emergence of Websites and Mobile Applications Enhances Travel Amidst Covid-19

By Milan Jovancic

2021 could be the year in which the tourism industry undergoes a complete transformation. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, travelers all over the world have paused their plans. However, as airports, train stations, and ferry ports begin to reopen, the tourism industry has to employ new strategies to accommodate the new increased safety measures for worldwide travel to thrive once again.

Since 2020, the desire to keep traveling despite a global pandemic has created an excellent opportunity for digital start-ups. Several Covid-19 health and guidance applications have already been released and many more are in development. These apps are created with traveler safety and comfort at their center and aim to facilitate safe travel and exploration.

Here are some of the best Covid-19 safety apps to help travelers stay one step ahead when planning their trips.

Covid-19 Safety Applications

Bespoke

Bespoke is a new mobile application that utilizes ever-improving AI technology to enable easy communication. Bespoke is designed to operate in any country worldwide and makes it easy for tourists to ask questions, make bookings and receive general travel guidance without having to engage in physical human contact.

The app uses an AI chatbot, called the Bebot, which offers real-time assistance and can communicate in any language. It has become an incredibly popular tool within airports, shops, and tourist attractions as a solution to decrease queues at information desks and offer a more personal experience to travelers.

Sitata

Sitata‘s main aim is to provide tourists with a worry-free travel experience. The app is a ‘travel companion’ that provides users with the most up-to-date Covid-19 health and safety information, as well as real-time updates concerning any travel interruptions. With the help of Sitata, tourists won’t have to worry about missing out on important safety news or confusing the guidelines applicable within the area they are visiting.

Sitata can also be used to plan trips; it informs its users of any security issues, real-time flight information, and provides comprehensive information about the recommended vaccination procedures and medications available at different destinations worldwide.

Re-OPEN EU

Re-OPEN EU is designed to include all the information one possibly need while traveling through the European Union during Covid-19, including information about current measures in place in their destination of interest, a color-coded classification of regions, and a user-centric customized travel plan feature.

CommonPass

For travel to remain safe, tourists may be required to document and prove their health status, vaccination record, and any other Covid-19 related health issues. CommonPass is a mobile app that gives individuals access to their vaccination and test records so that they can validate their medical status as they travel. This helps countries keep track of local and imported Covid-19 cases to be able to put restrictions in place for those that are unvaccinated or arriving from a hotspot.

CommonPass can assess whether an individual’s test and vaccination records are valid and whether they meet the requirements of the destination country. This makes it easier to monitor and minimize the spread of Covid-19 and keep the tourism industry safe.

DragonSlayer

DragonSlayer started as a simple travel planning app but has recently adapted its features to accommodate Covid-19 travel guidelines. The app now provides a SAFE-T score for 124 countries around the world, indicating how each is currently affected by the virus to help tourists make safer decisions around travel destinations and plan their routes accordingly.

Travel Applications: An Increase in Demand

As restrictions lift around the world, the prospect of traveling to countries at different stages of recovery becomes very real. It is a certainty that the way we travel has changed, probably forever, and the caution around personal interaction will remain for a long time. This is the gap apps and digital information platforms now fill.

These trends indicate that more people intend to do the research themselves, before or during the trip, rather than rely on needing to source information while there. Times have changed and the pandemic has proven just how important it is for companies and organizations to adapt to social changes.

Tourism was one of the most impacted industries, so it is no surprise that it has been one of the most innovative industries in terms of mitigation. The approach taken by the tourism industry could well become the model for others to follow as the world emerges from Covid-19. Whichever path your business takes post-Covid, one thing is for sure: insight engines provide real-time awareness of your customers and employees so that you can stay one step ahead of their needs.