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Travel Technology

Building a data-driven travel company

June 21, 2022 5-MINUTE READ

In brief

  • Data can supercharge the travel industry by enhancing customer experience and unlocking new revenue streams and sustainable cost savings. 
  • But vast data sets, geographically distributed data, and rigid business siloes make it hard for travel companies to unlock its value.  
  • Leading travel companies are overcoming these challenges to create new value from data and, as a result, they are enjoying major benefits.  
  • How can travel companies use data to fuel growth? What quick wins can be achieved? And how can they begin to create long-term value? 

A data mindset can power future growth

As the world begins opening up again following the crisis phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, travel companies have the opportunity to leverage their most powerful asset – data – to not only recover from one of the worst crises of the industry, but also fuel future growth.

 

The need couldn’t be clearer: only 17% of executives1 felt confident they had the necessary information and insights to make informed business decisions during the pandemic. By taking action now, businesses can capitalize on quick wins—and lay the foundations for long-term benefits.

Now is the time to go big on data

This is the era of the data-powered travel company, and the ability to get value from data is a crucial competitive differentiator. Data can help companies capture additional value by:

 

  • Better understanding customers 
  • Creating new revenue streams 
  • Improving operations 
  • Mobilizing new business models 
  • Building ecosystems with partners 

What does a data-powered travel company look like?

Both within your business and in concert with an ecosystem of partners, data can enable you to target customers with offers that are more relevant than ever, create opportunities to increase discretionary spend, and support improved customer service with more streamlined processes. Beyond directly customer-oriented initiatives, industry players also have a lot to gain from more intelligent operations.

Building data-powered foundations

To become data powered, travel companies need three things: action to put data at the heart of the business’s culture, the right technology infrastructure, and the governance and leadership accountability that will drive its use.

Culture

The value of data needs to be recognized and communicated at every level of a company. 

Technology infrastructure

Overhauling outdated technology systems and processes, which create a lack of integration and interoperability between data silos, is vital. 

Leadership

The use of data influences critical business outcomes - the responsibility for data transformation must therefore lie with senior leadership.

How to put it all into action

The ability to get value from data is a crucial competitive differentiator - businesses that aren’t putting data at the forefront of their long-term strategies risk losing out to data-savvy competitors. 

Think big, but start small 

Yesterday’s approaches to data are already struggling to keep pace. Becoming data powered is an effort that needs to start now.

Give data a voice

Create senior responsibility for data at C-suite level—potentially through a CDO post.

Make smart investments

Maximize value by shifting from a “data project” approach, based on one-off initiatives, to a “data product” approach.

Put data at the heart of the culture

Leadership needs to relentlessly champion data with clear and realistic explanations of how it can tangibly improve the business.

Develop partnerships

Use the power of data to build new and deeper collaboration between your business and its ecosystem partners.

Sources

1 The resilient operating model

2 Fast-track to future-ready

Tuba Guclu

Managing Director – Travel

Sergiy Nevstruyev

Managing Director – Enterprise Architecture & Digital Transformation Lead

Contributors

Dan Giles

Airline Technology Architect 

Doug Cochran

Senior Manager – Aviation Strategy and Consulting

Jamie Yates

Consulting Manager  – Technology

Jonas Drewitz

Management Consulting Manager

Rafael Pérez Martín

Managing Director – Data & AI

Mike Tansey

Managing Director – Strategy & Consulting, Travel, Growth Markets

Jonathan Fuentes Gutiérrez

Senior Manager – Travel

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