Image by declutterthemind from Pixabay
With an estimated 200 million Americans planning at least one trip during the upcoming summer months, having some travel tricks up your sleeve will be a real lifesaver. Make sure to cover your bases: tech safety and protection, pre-planned reservations, a way to converse with locals if traveling internationally, and of course, save money when you can. To accomplish a stress-free trip, consumers should be aware of 5 key travel trends this season and a few great apps to download to make your vacation a breeze this summer:
TripIt
Planning & Covid 19 Regulations
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Top health & regulation trend: the pandemic has made it challenging to keep up with the frequently changing COVID-19 travel restrictions that vary from location to location.
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Solution: TripIt can inform you about what to expect regarding Covid 19 regulations during your travels, including mask guidelines, cancellations, refunds, and travel restrictions. The app also offers information about digital health passports, infection rates, and any other requirements for your travel destination.
Resy
Culinary Ease
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Top Food & travel trend: According to the US Travel Association 6 in 10 Americans are planning to travel this summer, so securing restaurant reservations may be more difficult than in recent years.
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Solution: Reservation and wait-list management platforms such as Resy can help you discover and book restaurants while on the go. When traveling somewhere unfamiliar users can get top trends and suggestions on where to pick their next meal based on their personal interests.
Google Translate
Communication
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Top international travel trend: If you are planning on traveling to an area where you don’t speak the language, you may need a bit of help navigating your way. You certainly aren’t alone – over 1 billion people have sought out assistance from Google’s translation app to help them understand over 108 international languages.
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Solution: Easily communicate like a local if you’re traveling abroad. Google Translate allows you to translate text, documents, and websites from one language into another.
Hopper:
Save on Expenses
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Top tourism trend: Travel has surged in 2022; according to the Mastercard Economics Institute analysis, if flight booking trends continue at the current pace, an estimated 1.5 billion more passengers globally will fly in 2022 compared to last year.
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Solution: The Hopper app can help you get ahead of the crowds and steep travel fares. Hopper predicts airfares up to 1 year in advance, with 95% accuracy, and analyzes billions of flight prices and hotels within the day – telling you whether to book your trip now or wait for just a little longer.
In addition to downloading traditional travel applications, you should take steps to protect your device & digital information while on the go.
Lookout
Cyber Protection
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Top security trend: The FTC is cautioning travelers to be on guard for online travel-related scams. For example, attackers may try to steal a traveler’s credentials through phishing campaigns that pretend to be an airline, credit card company, or TSA.
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Solution: For peace of mind, install Lookout’s advanced security on your phone – Lookout will automatically monitor and identify unsafe Wi-Fi networks as well as scam URLs in email, text messages, and on the web and block you from threats that can do harm.