easyJet has commissioned a new report which gives predictions into how travel and tourism could change in the next 50 years.
The technological and scientific predictions suggest some differences that passengers might see in the year 2070.
Technological advances are expected including predictions such as heartbeat and biometric passports and 3D printed food in hotels.
The easyJet 2070: The Future Travel Report has been commissioned by the airline and was authored by a group of leading academics and futurists, including Professor Birgitte Andersen of Birkbeck, University of London and CEO of Big Innovation Centre; Dr Melissa Sterry, design scientist and complex systems theorist; and renowned futurists Shivvy Jervis and Dr Patrick Dixon.
It was also authored by Director of Transport Systems at Cranfield University, Professor Graham Braithwaite and Nikhil Sachdeva, Principal for aerospace and defence and sustainable aviation at consultancy Roland Berger.
How will travelling be different in 2070?
According to the report, it's predicted the airport journey and air travel experience will be revolutionised by technological advances:
Heartbeat and biometric passports – Current passports will be replaced by these new passports that will use passengers’ heartbeat signatures and biometric details which will be logged on a global system in the same way finger-print scanning technology works today.
Ergonomic and biomimetric sensory plane seats – These are thought to become the norm in 2070 with smart materials moulding to body shape, height, weight, and temperature, providing the ultimate tailored comfort flying experience.
Inflight entertainment via optoelectronic devices - entertainment will be beamed directly in front of passenger’s eyes, replacing the need for onboard screens and to download content before flying.
e-VTOL air taxis – Airport shuttle buses will be no more apparently with the journey to the airport being quicker and more convenient than ever before with 85% of passengers arriving by e-VTOLs from their homes to the terminal.
How will accommodation change?
The report says it's predicted we will see significant advances in the accommodation experience abroad:
3D printed hotel buffet food – Holidaymakers will be able to print whatever food they like throughout the day and reduce food waste while doing so.
Subterranean hotels – These will be built into the fabric of the earth that are super energy efficient and at one with the environment.
All hotel rooms will be smart rooms - Beds will already be pre-made to exactly desired firmness, ambient temperatures and favourite music playing based upon preferences you select in advance of booking the holiday.
A holographic personal holiday concierge will accompany holidaymakers to provide up to date destination information and assistance throughout their stay.
No more suitcases - 3D printed, recyclable holiday clothes on arrival at the hotel will remove the need for suitcases and fast holiday fashion as travellers can print the clothes required in their hotel rooms, tailored to their perfect fit and style, and recycle the materials for the next guest to enjoy.
Human powered hotels – These will harvest energy from its guests’ footsteps in order to generate power.
How will experiences and destinations change?
Innovations in experiences and activities in destination will be on offer to travellers, according to the predictions in the report:
‘Time-travelling’ holiday experiences – tomorrow’s travellers will be able to holiday in past by wearing haptic suits at historical sites that enable them to immerse themselves in live historical surroundings marveling wonders of the ancient world like the Colossus of Rhodes during a stroll in Rhodes Town, or cheering among the crowds of the original Olympic Games in Ancient Greece.
Try before you buy – bionic and Meta holiday previews ahead of going on holiday will allow you to experience locations before booking your holiday.
Underwater ‘sea-faris’ – aquatic adventures onboard submarines for tourists deep beneath the sea discovering marine life in under water marine parks.
Local language in-ear devices – These will be available to take on holiday to translate the local language in real time and enable us to speak the local lingo.
E-foiling, cable skiing and flyboarding will become the norm on offer for rent on the beach front, taking water sports to another level.
Four of the expert predictions have been brought to life in detailed renders, showing how travel could look in 2070.
The visuals show holidaymakers using their unique heartbeats to get through security at the airport and a new way of flying as aircraft are fitted with adaptable, biomimetic seats with entertainment beamed directly into their eyes.
Travellers can also be seen viewing a true-to-life Colossus of Rhodes wearing haptic suits and selecting delicious 3D printed food, personalised to their tastes in the images.
The four images and animations have been presented in a new video, fronted by acclaimed science TV presenter Dallas Campbell, which sees him discussing what these predictions could mean for what air travel could look like for travellers of the future.
Brits were also asked to choose which of the experts’ predictions they would most like to see become a reality, with nine in ten (90%) of British adults saying they were excited or intrigued by what technological advances would make travelling look like in 50 years’ time.
Three quarters (75%) of Brits say that these technological advances would make them more likely to go on holiday in the future.
The advancements in travel that the nation would most like to see happen by 2070 are biometric heartbeat passports and time-travelling holiday experiences, according to the survey of 2,000 British adults.
Speaking about the report, easyJet CEO Johan Lundgren said: “Innovation is in our DNA and we’re always challenging ourselves to think big and look at how we can make travel even easier for people all across Europe, both today and for generations to come. From biometric heartbeat passports to time-travelling holiday experiences, travel in 2070 is likely to be very different and exciting indeed.”
TV presenter Dallas Campbell, who has brought the predictions to life in a new video, said: “Some of the predictions in easyJet’s new report are absolutely astonishing – a personal favourite is the idea of being able to travel back in time through haptic suits, I’d love to be able to experience the sights, sounds and atmosphere of the very first Olympic Games. With everything from the airport, aircraft and destinations set to evolve, travelers are in for some amazing developments as the travel industry continues the evolve and thrive.”
Heading up the report, Professor Birgitte Andersen of Birkbeck College, said: “This next 50 years will bring the largest technological advances we have ever seen in travel and tourism.
“Aspects of how we holiday will be transformed beyond recognition; in the future holidaymakers will be queuing at the hotel buffet to have their breakfast omelettes and fry-ups 3D printed by machines, our heartbeat will become our passport, and in-ear devices will translate the local language in real time and enable us to speak the local lingo. Looking forward, by the year 2070 the destinations we fly to, the type of accommodation we stay in, and the experiences we have, will have changed immeasurably.”
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