Experts believed that blockchain was only suitable for the financial industry for a long time. On the one hand, this technology was really developed for cryptocurrencies, and on the other hand, today, we find hundreds of examples that can be useful in other areas.
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a unique database in which all data is stored unchanged. Information in the system can be entered by the user or recorded automatically. It has one of the most reliable protection systems.
A smart contract is an unusual type of agreement where the system independently monitors compliance with the rules. Thus, the payment of money under the contract is performed automatically after the system rechecks the readiness of the work performed.
The world fell in love with these 2 technologies because they allow you to conduct business securely, reliably, and openly.
How can this affect the development of tourism?
Many theories have now been developed about how blockchain can affect various industries, including tourism.
Blockchain can be widely used for booking flights, hotel rooms, various tours, and more. So, suppose a flight is canceled or rescheduled. In that case, the system can return the money on its own, send out a message with additional information, and even offer other services to customers.
It has several advantages:
- Automation of many processes;
- High level of service;
- Saving money;
- Ability to accept cryptocurrencies;
- Reducing errors due to the human factor;
- Simplification of many processes and much more.
Let’s say you’re in the travel business. You have decided to cancel one of your flights due to bad weather. Under normal circumstances, you need to have a whole call center that will call people, bring your changes, offer alternative solutions and discuss the terms of a refund.
Usually, this takes a lot of time and brings a lot of inconveniences. In addition, the accounting department has an additional task to return money for tickets as soon as possible, which also takes a lot of time. The longer people wait for their payouts, the angrier they become, and the likelihood that they will cooperate with you again begins to approach zero.
But, if you connect a smart contract to buying tickets, the system automatically returns money to customers within a few minutes after the flight is canceled. Additionally, it can send out e-mail messages with apologies and alternative suggestions.
Many people do not like to agree on something over the phone or do not have much time to discuss all the possible options for solving the problem. Having received information electronically, a person can quickly view it, analyze it, and make a new decision.
If customers have questions, they can contact your call center. But, in this case, the number of specialists required for the everyday existence of the system is significantly reduced.
Another important aspect is security. As we know, terrorism still takes place in the modern world. Sometimes hackers bypass the airline’s security protections and find out exactly who will be onboard the aircraft.
At the moment, the blockchain is one of the most secure databases in the world. All data that enters the system is automatically encrypted, so hacking does not give any results.
Examples of using
At the moment, history does not know any clear examples of implementing the above concept into reality. However, we can already track how individual ideas can work.
S7 Airlines is now testing a blockchain-based system, and it is expected that this will show itself in action shortly.
In 2018, UEFA was selling tickets for one of the most important matches of the season through one of the blockchain platforms. It was a real breakthrough in the world of sports. It is worth noting that global football clubs actively use crypto technologies, create NFTs and participate in various promotions.