2019 saw its fair share of innovation, but let's broaden the scope and take a look at the top travel trends of the decade.
Smartphones and Apps
Mobile technology is influencing travel decisions more than ever. In recent years innovations in tech have allowed consumers to do pretty much everything on their smartphone from finding inspiration on Instagram to selecting airline seats, checking into hotels or using a GPS. Gone are the days of heading to a travel agent, using a paper map, and struggling with a language barrier. Advances in technology over the last 10 years have made traveling decisions more convenient and less daunting.
Ridehailing and Ridesharing
This decade was defined by a rise in popularity of both Uber and Lyft. Since Uber's founding in 2009 and Lyft's launch in 2012, ridehailing has changed the way we commute and even our need to purchase a car. These platforms have gone from basically startups to market dominators. This year even saw Uber and Lyft take their companies public. While the two companies have continued to grow on the road, they have looked for new opportunities like expanding to micromobility options like scooters and bikes and, even in Uber's case, helicopters and food delivery through Uber Eats. The rise of these new forms of mobility has both pros and cons, although positives like accessibility can be outweighed by cons like a rise in congestion. Whether you're for or against ridesharing, Uber and Lyft have given people more options when it comes to getting around and it seems like the companies will continue their paths towards street dominance for the foreseeable future.
New Way to Stay
In the last 10 years travel accommodations have become more personal and the rise of Airbnb has revolutionized the travel industry. Want to stay in a castle? How about a villa? Now, it seems almost any dream accommodation is possible. Airbnb has made traveling more affordable especially in urban, crowded spaces and often gives travelers more bang for their buck, providing an entire house or apartment rather than a typical hotel room. The company has inspired travel to unique locations with listings in over 220 countries and regions. The site boasts over 150 million users.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
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Tesla, the car company run by Elon Musk, reported Wednesday that it sold more vehicles in the past three months after boycotts hit hard earlier this year, but profits still fell sharply. Third-quarter earnings fell to $1.4 billion, from $2.2 billion a year earlier. Excluding charges, per share profit of 50 cents came in below analysts' estimate. Tesla shares fell 3.5% in after-hours trading. Musk said the company's robotaxi service, which is available in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, will roll out to as many as 10 other metro areas by the end of the year.
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