From Smartphones to AI: Revisiting Travel's Digital Revolution
Perspectives & Research · January 9, 2026
From Smartphones to AI: Revisiting the Mobile Revolution
By Brett Harvey
"Talk to the smartphone cause the face ain't listening!"
Back in 2016, during my Masters in Tourism Management at UTS, I wrote a thesis with what seemed like a provocative title. The core question was simple but profound: How will the social mobile networking society impact the future of the tourism industry?
Ten years later, as founder of Altura Travel Group, I am revisiting those predictions, and the reality has exceeded even my most optimistic forecasts. But there is a new player that is changing everything: Artificial Intelligence.
1. The Smartphone as the Most Indispensable Companion
In 2016, I quoted Expedia research calling smartphones the most indispensable travel companion. Today? That is an understatement. The smartphone isn't just a companion, it has become the entire travel agency, concierge, tour guide, and travel diary rolled into one device.
Travellers use smartphones for GPS, reservations, currency conversion, boarding passes, and social sharing. The smartphone is becoming the most indispensable travel companion.
AI powered travel apps anticipate needs before you think of them. Real time translations, AR navigation overlays, and predictive recommendations based on behaviour patterns. The smartphone has become the entire travel ecosystem.
2. The Rise of Dark Social and Messaging Apps
I predicted the shift from public social media to private messaging platforms. WhatsApp had just hit 1 billion users, and I wrote about KLM's innovative use of messenger for customer service.
Dark social is the next big thing. People are moving from public Facebook posts to private messaging apps like WhatsApp and Messenger. Over 70 percent of social sharing happens through dark social.
WhatsApp Business, WeChat, and messaging platforms are now primary customer engagement channels. AI chatbots now handle 80 percent of these conversations instantly, in multiple languages, 24/7.
3. The Sharing Economy's Disruption
Airbnb and Uber were already shaking things up in 2016. I explored how traditional tourism businesses needed to incorporate what the sharing economy did well: authentic local experiences and easy mobile booking.
Traditional businesses must adapt by incorporating local experiences, reducing fees, training staff to be as knowledgeable as locals, and making mobile booking seamless.
Traditional companies adapted through hybrid models like Marriott's Homes and Villas and hotel loyalty programmes with local experience integrations. The lines have blurred completely.
4. Big Data and One to One Marketing
In 2016, I wrote about Big Data and how expensive it was to process, limiting it to major OTAs and airlines. I predicted one to one marketing would eventually be possible.
Big Data is currently expensive and limited to major players. But the future potential is enormous for tailored advertising directly to individual customers based on preferences.
AI made this standard. Travellers expect itineraries that adapt in real time based on weather, crowds, and context. One to one personalisation is now the baseline expectation.
What I Didn't See Coming: The AI Revolution
I questioned whether professional roles within traditional travel companies would become obsolete as consumers gained the confidence to search, plan, and book travel entirely on their smartphones. The answer is nuanced.
AI hasn't replaced travel advisers, it has created a hybrid model. The best travel professionals now use AI as a power tool, handling complex, emotional decisions while AI manages logistics and routine tasks. In 2016, I wrote about bot technology as clunky pre programmed responses. Today's AI understands context, emotion, and complex requests. You can say "somewhere warm but not too touristy in February" and get meaningful recommendations instantly.
What Hasn't Changed: The Human Element
Technology enhances travel, but it doesn't replace the human desire for authentic connection. The thesis concluded that smartphones had become essential, but also noted the desire for private, authentic connections over public broadcasting. This trend has only intensified.
Travellers still need trust and reassurance, emotional intelligence for milestone trips, creative problem solving during disruptions, and the wisdom that comes from experienced curation rather than just infinite options.
The Future: AI + Human Expertise
| What AI Handles | What Altura Provides |
|---|---|
| Real time monitoring of pricing and availability | DMC Quote Transformation: Turning raw data into your branded, client ready proposals. |
| Logistical optimisation of complex itineraries | Destination Desk Support: Local wisdom and vetting to ensure logistics are feasible and safe. |
| Data analysis to spot trends and opportunities | The Altura Trade Hub: Verified partner dossiers, safety logs, and comprehensive due diligence. |
View the original research
The full 2016 thesis "Talk to the smartphone cause the face ain't listening!" is available to view in the Featured section of my LinkedIn profile.
View Profile on LinkedInThe future of travel isn't technology versus human expertise, it's technology amplifying human expertise. Automation manages the logistics so we can focus on the magic.
Ready to experience the best of both worlds?
Start the ConversationAbout the Author: Brett Harvey is the founder of Altura Travel Group and holds a Masters in Tourism Management from UTS. He combines academic research with real world travel expertise to act as a high touch destination desk for Australian and New Zealand travel professionals.
Altura Travel Group
Altura Travel Group is your trusted partner in the Australian travel market, specialising in connecting exceptional global travel brands with local tour operators, wholesalers, and key industry stakeholders.