30 years of travel innovation

For us Gen Xers, travel inspiration came from travel agencies, mass media or family and friends' recommendations. Our vacations did not seem very different from those of our neighbors. We researched using travel guides and we were highly influenced by word of mouth. After a relative or friend travelled, we gathered around a projector to look at slides and relive their travels. There was no Internet to buy plane tickets, and our boarding passes were only available in one format: paper.

For my daughter, inspiration is on her smartphone and the world is her oyster. She boards using it, and now even with her iWatch. Born in a world overrun with technology, Gen Zers are mostly influenced by visual storytelling and social media. What I considered amazing inventions, my daughter takes as given. She expects magic and wants to be thrilled. She dreams big, wants to live unique experiences and share them online to impress her friends.

Travelers today are more empowered than ever before. They want a full service experience, and they want it customized and tailored to their particular needs. For travel providers, the key to success is to know these travelers, talk to them, delight them and care for them.

At Amadeus we know this, and that is why we have evolved from being just a Global Distribution System (GDS) to an open platform for travel that combines content from many different sources, connecting the industry and unlocking new innovations. We are uniquely positioned to help travel providers and travel consultants master the recipe for success.

Our products and services leverage big data technologies and the power of analytics to provide our partners with a better understanding of their clients. We are always innovating to offer them solutions that improve customer support such as chatbot initiatives. Our platform also includes destination content to enrich the travel experience.

As this interactive timeline shows, we have come a long way since 1987 always shaping the future of travel. We are ready to create a live travel space to make travel more rewarding for 30 years to come.