The travel technology sector is growing. More and more travelers are demanding the ability to book flights, tours, hotel rooms, transfers and more via mobile. Coupled with the use of social media, the travel market is generating huge amounts of big data – data that can be mined for insights to help tour operators, hotels, and airlines learn more about their customers.
As a result, the demand for developers in the travel industry is higher than it’s ever been. Developers are needed to streamline travel experiences; assist in building and implementing booking, payment, and management solutions; use predictive analytics to recommend new products and services; design and build customer-facing mobile apps; and more. Developers are playing a significant role in the digital transformation of travel companies.
The demand for developers in the travel industry
The “mobilization of everything” is here, and the travel industry is not exempt. Google reports that 46% of leisure travelers and 61% of business travelers use a smartphone to check into their flight. Smartphone sales reports suggest that every traveler in the world will have access to a smartphone to manage flights, book tours, and make hotel bookings, among other things.
The mobile-first approach to travel has led to a virtual goldmine of data for industry companies. Experts at The Economist argue that the world’s most valuable resource is no longer oil – it’s data. “Smartphones and the internet have made data abundant, ubiquitous and far more valuable. Whether you are going for a run, watching TV or even just sitting in traffic, virtually every activity creates a digital trace—more raw material for the data distilleries,” says their report.
Other sectors have already begun to capture the benefits of harnessing big data. In the retail sector, embracing big data can improve a company’s operating margin by 60%. In the US healthcare sector, using big data effectively could reduce costs by 8%. The travel industry’s access to big data represents a wealth of intelligence, but only if hotels, airlines, and tour operators have the right developers to help analyze it. Software developers and engineers must know how to organize large volumes of data into smaller, manageable insights a travel company can use.
And, lastly, the collapse of Thomas Cook this year taught travel industry professionals the importance of having the right platforms and tools in place. Hotel Tech Report notes that “This is a wake-up call for hoteliers to strengthen their operations by diversifying their channel mix, as the insolvency highlights vulnerabilities of depending too much on a single demand channel.” Developers can assist the travel industry in building platforms and tools to increase conversions, predict supply and demand more accurately, and build stronger guest relationships.
What to look for when hiring a developer
A developer doesn’t necessarily need industry experience to add value to a travel company. But, they do need a certain skill set to be able to address the trends outlined above.
“In today’s fast-paced world, new programming languages and software development tools are being launched almost every year. If you are still asking —how you will sort a list in Java?, Then it is not the right approach. Instead, you should focus on the algorithms and concepts. Pay attention to how a candidate approaches a problem and how he thinks out of the box to solve a problem,” writes Hackerrank.
Current trends in the travel industry suggest you should seek someone with experience in Android and iOS development, as well as a background in using data analytics programs. “Data analytics can assist with many complex processes, from organising business conferences to sorting out feedback from visitors so that services can be improved,” notes one expert.
A travel company can also benefit from the flexibility of a fully-remote team. A distributed workforce allows travel companies to access programmers from around the world, saving time and money in the process. Many travel companies are meeting the needs of guests and partners all over the world. Remote software developers offer the benefit of coverage over 24 hours; no matter in which time zone an issue arises, there’s likely a developer online to assist.
Smart travel companies are already benefitting from a remote, high-performing software development team from the world’s top engineers.