Top 5 Trends for Travel Apps In 2017 With real time tracking available and public agencies moving all offline timetable data online, travel will now become seamless

2016 has witnessed a lot of action in the travel space. With cab aggregators enveloping most of the urban population, ride-sharing becoming mainstream and people shifting toward a cashless route for their daily travel, technology is paving the way for innovation across the industry. Here's what 2017 could have in store for us:

1. At ease real time tracking

Currently, most private modes of transport offer real-time tracking. You are well aware of when your cab or auto will arrive and in how many exact minutes. Good news is – in the near future, everything will move to live tracking. With public transport agencies such as BMTC increasingly using IoT technology and GPS devices to give live information about buses, this trend will further expand to all major public agencies across different modes of transport. So no more waiting at stops or missing the train or bus!

2. Seamless planning and booking

With real time tracking available and public agencies moving all offline timetable data online, travel will now become seamless. Weren't you happy the last time you could book your Uber when you checked out Google Maps for traffic? Now, guess what? Soon, you will be able to book your tickets even for that bus or train you take. The idea of a single ticket to zoom your way through the city is not far-fetched. And why stop there? Book your parking spot on a busy road even before you leave home OR find out how crowded the bus or train you wish to board is! The possibilities are endless!

3. Go cashless!

With the demonetization drive, India is accelerating its pace towards a cashless economy. With UPI and new wallet regulations, travel will become one of the sectors with most visible changes. You don't need to take out your wallet next time you travel or negotiate with the conductor over chutta. Just pay online with your smartphone or swipe your phone on the PoS devices.

4. Apps customized for your travel needs:

One size does not fit all and one app does not please all, doesn't it? Travel apps are set to become more customized just for you. So, no more standard UI and UX, the apps will be customized for your travel routes, time, mode of transport and travel budget. To pull this magic trick off, the apps will source data from your travel history and travel patterns, they will then use this big data to give you travel recommendations and even change their form to make you travel better.

5. Sharing, the hip way of travelling:

Traffic jams have become a huge source of frustration for travelers in metro cities, as the infrastructure lags in keeping up with rapid urbanization. Usage of public and private ride-sharing options shall be the way forward, to save both time and money. Applications which are allowing people to share cars, cabs and buses among other mediums are set to profit from such a shift in mentality across cities.

Any other trend you think will take the travel space by storm? Do let us know in the comments section below.