| | 8 TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY TECH OUTLOOKMAY 2023IN MYOPINIONVIRGIN VOYAGES: EMBARKING ON A VOYAGE TO FIND THE PERFECT CRUISE LINEBy Anders Karlsson, Vice President Hotel Operations, Virgin VoyagesAnders Karlsson, Vice President, Virgin Voyages, and the team have been providing excellent service with the help of technology. It started with studying various clients' journeys for 3-4 years. Based on the results, they have been focusing on providing technological solutions to support the trip. Since working with Disney Cruise Line in 1998, Anders Karlsson has worked in various positions, from restaurant manager to senior manager of hotel operations. With his ingrained business insight, Ross then affiliated with Virgin Voyages since its inception. In an interview with the Travel and Hospitality Tech CIO Outlook magazine, Karlsson discusses enhancing travel management standards using upgraded technology and how businesses could improve customer service with its aid. From your perspective, what major trends can play a crucial role in enhancing travel management standards?Tech innovations would be a trend that can enhance travel management standards. The modern traveler, or in our case, cruiser, is very tech-savvy. Hence, I think there is already a high expectation for cruises. We have built technology that helps our well-trained staff to elevate the experience of traveling. It is applied in pre-voyage, during the voyage on the ship, and even post-voyage. Another trend coming out of the pandemic is contactless technology, which we have utilized. Virgin Voyages has introduced a smart-wear technology called The Band. Our passengers use it for features like accessing the cabin, paying for purchases onboard and at the casino for guests in our RockStar suites. We also have a feature called `shake for champagne' for our customers. They use their devices to shake the Virgin Voyages app, resulting in a secret champagne button showing up. Passengers tap the button, and a bottle of champagne will be delivered to their current location. We also provide free essential Wi-Fi for passengers to stay connected on social media or even check work-related mail. Our crew members make the most of it by staying connected with their family & friends. What is your opinion on the impact of technology upgrades on travel management?Technology Upgrades are required to stay relevant in the industry. We evaluate factors like language and ways to integrate tech to intensify the experience. With the app and reservation system, we are able to quicken and ease the services for our passengers and crew. The customer can interact with the team for service requests such as ordering food to the room or booking a spa. Another feature called a virtual queue helps our passengers get a reservation in a restaurant instead of lining up by adding themselves to a virtual queue and continuing with their work. The app will then notify them of their turn. Upgrades like this can make the cruise more enjoyable. Anders Karlsson
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