The travel & tourism industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by a greater desire from consumers for personalized offerings that heighten the traveler experience, as well as an increased focus on value among an increasingly constrained traveler base, and the growing importance of technologies such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, Internet of Things, and cloud. In the last three years alone, there have been over 14,000 patents filed and granted in the travel & tourism industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Innovation in travel & tourism: remote check-in management. Buy the report here.

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According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 11,000 patents to analyze innovation intensity for the travel & tourism industry, there are 10+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.

Remote check-in management is a key innovation area in travel & tourism

Remote check-in management refers to the process of remotely checking in for a stay, trip or activity using technology and digital solutions. It involves accessing and managing information related to the stay, trip or activity, purchasing tickets or receiving electronic tickets, boarding passes, or digital keys, and gaining access through identity verification from a remote location.

GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 30+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established travel & tourism companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of remote check-in management.

Key players in remote check-in management – a disruptive innovation in the travel & tourism industry

‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.   

‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.  

Patent volumes related to remote check-in management

Company Total patents (2010 - 2022) Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies
Didi Global 26 Unlock Company Profile
Airbnb 26 Unlock Company Profile
Amadeus IT Group 19 Unlock Company Profile
Microsoft 14 Unlock Company Profile
Alphabet 17 Unlock Company Profile
Xerox 8 Unlock Company Profile
Amazon.com 3 Unlock Company Profile
Daon 7 Unlock Company Profile
Samsung Group 8 Unlock Company Profile
Yanolja 1 Unlock Company Profile
Alibaba Group 3 Unlock Company Profile
Kia 7 Unlock Company Profile
Hyundai Motor 7 Unlock Company Profile
eBay 1 Unlock Company Profile
Yikes 1 Unlock Company Profile
Shenzhen Ouruibo Electronic 1 Unlock Company Profile
Booking 4 Unlock Company Profile
Lumen Technologies 2 Unlock Company Profile
SecureAuth 2 Unlock Company Profile
Altaba 1 Unlock Company Profile
Automattic 1 Unlock Company Profile
Honeywell International 2 Unlock Company Profile
Meituan 1 Unlock Company Profile
Rakuten Group 2 Unlock Company Profile
Wayport 3 Unlock Company Profile
SAP SE 3 Unlock Company Profile
Shenzhen Naisi Network Technology 1 Unlock Company Profile
IBM 4 Unlock Company Profile
TravelPass Group 2 Unlock Company Profile
Uber Technologies 3 Unlock Company Profile
JetSmarter 2 Unlock Company Profile
SoftBank Group 4 Unlock Company Profile

Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics

Traveler demands are constantly evolving and as travelers become increasingly digitally native and dynamic, the need for managing and accessing reservation information on the go increases. Guest experience is a key determinant of a company’s success in this industry and hence offering solutions that permit this has become a necessity. Consequently, companies offering travel services, such as Airbnb, Booking and Didi, are actively developing such solutions and filing for intellectual property. Travel technology specialist Amadeus IT Group is also present, having lodged 19 applications since 2018. Global technology giants Alphabet and Microsoft have also seen great potential in this area, having lodged 17 and 14 patent applications since 2018, respectively.

In terms of application diversity, Airbnb leads the pack, while Didi Global and Alphabet are in the second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Didi Global held the top position, followed by Airbnb and Amadeus IT Group.

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the travel & tourism industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Travel & Tourism.

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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.

GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.