--- title: "Travel Trends Leaning Towards Tech" id: "14324" type: "post" slug: "travel-trends-leaning-towards-tech" published_at: "2012-11-07T22:38:43+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T19:21:39+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2012/11/07/travel-trends-leaning-towards-tech/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2012/11/07/travel-trends-leaning-towards-tech.md" excerpt: "Workers on the road love their mobile devices, but that doesn’t mean they’re opposed to less tech, either, according to a roundup of recent travel trends." taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "hotels" - "Meetings" - "Technology" - "Travel Industry" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Travel Trends Leaning Towards Tech Business travelers aren’t messing around. According to a series of recent hotel studies, workers are heavy on the tech when traveling, but they’re still amenable to an occasional break. Here’s a roundup of recent tech-related travel trends: > Many business customers are such heavy smartphone users that more than half of them have their phones ready to go while their plane is still on the tarmac. **Heavy travelers = Heavy mobile users:** So what are hotels’ busiest customers doing? According to a recent study by Four Points by Sheraton, [business customers are road warriors in every sense (opens in a new tab)](http://development.starwoodhotels.com/news/1/456-four_points_by_sheraton_survey_reveals_mobile_device_habits_of_business_travellers_worldwide) — with a majority of customers traveling with three or four devices. And many business customers are such heavy smartphone users that more than half have their phones ready to go while their plane is still on the tarmac. **Are hotels keeping up?** While there are some issues — free WiFi, for example, still isn’t standard — the hotel industry is working on these, [according to BBC Travel’s Sean O’Neill (opens in a new tab)](http://www.bbc.com/travel/blog/20121023-five-tech-savvy-hotel-amenities) . Efforts include improving WiFi signals, which are often spotty in large buildings with many walls; adding TVs that allow users to plug in laptops or video game consoles; offering Kindles on loan; and adding plugs for international travelers. **On the other hand …** What if what your members really want is *less* tech, not more? According to [Euromonitor International’s recent World Travel Market study (opens in a new tab)](http://www.wtmlondon.com/files/6328_wtm_global_trends_2012_v7_lo1.pdf) , hotels are already on top of this trend. “With the growing penetration of smartphones, tablets, and smaller laptops, consumers are addicted to their devices, and, as a result, hotels now offer digital detox holidays,” the study says. Obviously, events thrive on having all of this technology around, but how can you give your members an opportunity to get away from their devices — even if just for a little while? How are you working to meet the needs of tech-heavy event-goers — even one of the things they need is a break? Let us know in the comments. [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#hotels](https://associationsnow.com/tag/hotels/) [#Meetings](https://associationsnow.com/tag/meetings/) [#Technology](https://associationsnow.com/tag/technology/) [#Travel Industry](https://associationsnow.com/tag/travel-industry/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Contract: Building Stronger Destination PartnershipsSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-contract-building-stronger-destination-partnerships/) - [VideoMelvin Tennant, CAE, President & CEO of Meet Minneapolis, Welcomes You to Great Ideas 2026September 2, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/02/melvin-tennant-cae-president-ceo-of-meet-minneapolis-welcomes-you-to-great-ideas-2026/) - [VideoASAE TV Daily Recap: Final Day at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/24/asae-tv-daily-recap-final-day-at-the-2026-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2012%2F11%2F07%2Ftravel-trends-leaning-towards-tech%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !