The Digital Traveller: How Technology Shapes Customer Experience in Tourism
Chapter
1: Introduction
The Evolution of the Digital Traveller
The modern world is evolving very quickly, and methods
that were relevant in the recent past are now becoming obsolete. These advancements
have not bypassed the tourism sector, with modern travel planning methods being
fundamentally different from previous ones. This raises the question of how
these changes affect modern tourism and whether they are positive or, on the
contrary, harmful to tourism. This portfolio will compare two giants of the
tourism business, Ryanair and Jet2 Holiday. This portfolio examines these two companies
based on criteria such as mobile ecosystem and app functionality, which will
show how the app itself can influence the person performing action in it. It is
equally important to examine companies use data and personalisation.
This will help to investigate how a company uses customer data to increase
sales. It is also worth paying attention to how modern technologies affect
employee productivity.
1.2 Profiles of Selected Organisations
Ryanair and Jet2 Holiday
Ryanair is an extremely technologically advanced
company, which is one of the largest airlines in the world. Their IT centres
are in multiple European cities, where hundreds of developers are improving the
company’s technological capabilities. The company can be proud of its mobile
app, the main advantage of which is that it can independently resolve most
customer issues. The company can serve more than 183 million passengers
annually, which is an incredible figure. (Ryanair, 2024)
Jet2 Holiday is the UK leader in package tours, which
requires more complex digital coordination than simply selling tickets. The
company has an advanced application. An important detail is that it manages
customer requests while they are on holiday. The company allocated significant
investments to configure and improve technological capabilities. The company
prioritises customers needs, they are not trying to sell anything, in most
cases they are trying to find the best quality and suitable option for the
client’s requirements.
1.3
Portfolio Analysis
The main objective of this analysis reports is to
analyse how digital technologies are changing the customer experience in the
aviation and tourism sectors, based on the experience of Ryanair and Jet2
Holiday.
· Evaluate
mobile ecosystems: Investigate and analyse how mobile applications simplify the
booking process for customers of the company.
· Stakeholder
analysis: understand how digital platforms affect all market participants,
including both employees and customers of the company.
· Market
challenges: Analyse all possible digital challenges that could have a negative
impact, including cybersecurity, the client’s ability to use technology, and
other factors that cause problems.
· Operational
Sustainability: Assess how the macro-level impact of technology can affect the quality-of-service
delivery, ethics, and sustainability of operations. This issue is especially
important because it helps to understand how technology can potentially harm
the customer and whether there are solutions to improve digital services.
· Result
Presentation: Summarise and visualise the results of the report, compare and
give a comprehensive conclusion on the effectiveness of companies work or,
their weaknesses.
(Jet2.com, 2026)
Chapter 2: Key Digital
Innovations
2.1 Ryanair Key Digital Innovations and
Market Leadership
To understand the scale of Ryanair’s digital
innovations, one must consider the operational capacity of this company. Ryanair
Holding plc, is Europe’s largest airline, comprising such well-known brands as Buzz,
Lauda, Malta Air and Ryanair UK.
Based on statistics, it is easy to understand the
company’s actual results. Here are the most important indicators:
· Scale:
The company serves approximately 208 million passengers per year and operates
3.800 flights daily.
· Global
presence: The network covers more than 220 airports in thirty-six
countries, based on a fleet of 640 aircraft.
· Growth
strategy: With an order for three hundred new aircraft, they
plan to increase passenger numbers to three hundred million by 2034.
· Efficiency
and environmental friendliness: Ryanair is one of the
most efficient airlines in Europe in terms of reducing harmful emissions into
the atmosphere and plans to reduce this amount by 27 % by the end of 2031. (Ryanair,
2026)
Such impressive figures demonstrate that the company
actively uses digital innovations, which has a positive impact on its
development and makes it one of the best in Europe.
2.2 Jet2holiday Key Digital Innovations
and Market Leadership
To make balanced comparison between the two companies,
it is necessary to examine Jet2 plc, which is the parent company of Jet2holiday
and Jet2.com. While Ryanair led in terms of net passenger traffic, Jet2holiday
strengthened its position as the UK’s leading tour operator offering ATOL-protected
package holidays. The company’s long-term strategy is to remain a leader in the
travel industry and improve the quality of its services. Market size: By summer
2026, the company plans to operate a fleet of 140 aircraft, which will help
them significantly increase the number of flights.
Customer base: Atol certificate protects more than
seven million customers for Jet2, which highlights their significant impact on
the tourism industry. (Jet2Holidays,
2026)
Record growth: After active bookings at the end of
December, Jet2holiday reported a 150 % increase in bookings compared to the period
before Christmas. The following destinations had a significant impact: The
Canary Islands, Spain, and Turkey.
Sustainable development and future strategy: In line
with modern macro management, Jet2holiday has set ambitious goals for the end
of 2035, some of which are: transitioning to a fleet of 155 A321neo aircraft,
which are significantly more economical than the current ones, helping them to
significantly reduce harmful emissions into the atmosphere. Using fully renewable
energy in its offices by the end of 2035, which is a big step and a good
example for other companies in the direction they need to move. (Jet2plc, 2026)
2.3
Comparative Analysis of Mobile Ecosystem.
Ryanair’s key tool is its mobile ecosystem, which aims
to streamline the customer’s travel experience and make it as comfortable and
seamless as possible. This ecosystem function as the Day-of-Travel Assistant,
and it is not just an app for buying tickets; it is a comprehensive system that
supports passengers right from the start of their journey. A key decision was to
switch to digital boarding passes, which significantly reduced the need for
staff and cut down on paper usage. The only issue is that not everyone is fully
comfortable using digital technology, particularly the older generation. It is
therefore still possible to do this the traditional way, but the number of
people who still use this method is decreasing year on year.
Live Gate Notifications: A key feature of this development
is the ability to send real-time notifications regarding the gates designated
for passengers boarding. This makes the app extremely useful, as it is very
convenient for both customers and the company itself since it does not require multiple
staff to conduct this task.
Ryanair Labs: This is the name of their main IT
division, with offices in Dublin, Wroclaw, and Madrid. It is there that they
develop all these useful innovations, which significantly simplify applications
to enhance user experience and support business growth.
Travel Extras: This is a vital tool for personalising
data, as it enables the collection of all customer data relating to anyone who
has ever used the company’s services. As a result, the company can present
customers with offers tailored to the data collected, thereby increasing the
likelihood of selling the product. (Ryanair, 2025)
2.4 Jet2holiday Features: The
app ecosystem for selling package holidays differs significantly from the one
we discussed in the previous paragraph. The main difference is that the app’s
features provide you with sufficient online support whilst you are on holiday.
This makes the customer experience much safer and of a higher quality.
The way Jet2holidays holidays has evolved digitally
reflects exactly what Halloway and Humphries were getting at when they talked
about broader shifts across the tourism sector. In their view, modern travel
companies can no longer afford to function simply as service providers, instead,
they need to position themselves as integrated digital facilitators. Jet2’s
move to introduce a digital concierge alongside round-the-clock chatbot support
seems to be a direct response to how much consumers now expect constant
connectivity and instant access to information. Halloway and Humphries make the
point that with competition as fierce as it is these days, a tour operator’s
ability to stand out really comes down to how well it can add value through personalisation
and smooth, uninterrupted communication. (Halloway and Humphries, 2022)
Chatbot Integration: Customers
feel secure when they can contact customer support at any time, and Jet2 can
guarantee this with its innovative 24/7 chatbot. According to information
provided on their official website, the company has invested a significant
amount of money in developing their innovative AI-based bot, which has proved
to be a breakthrough solution (Jet2invest, 2025). The decision resolved various
issues at once. Firstly, it reduced the budget allocated to customer service
staff, which is beneficial for the company; on the other hand, it has had a
negative impact on the labour market, which is not particularly favourable from
a government policy perspective. The app manages a wide range of customer enquiries
and acts as a “digital concierge.” It provides instant answers to questions
(such as “Where is my transfer?” or “How do I get my boarding passes?”) but
there is always the option to speak to a live agent.
The Jet2 ecosystem features user-friendly booking app,
that processes booking in real time, ensuring an easy and quick transaction. It
is important to note that the app responds instantly to demand, making it
possible to adjust prices quickly depending on the number of people on the
site. Data personalisation also influences price changes; a smart app effectively
collects customer data to
generate and deliver personalised offers based on gathered insights (Jet2plc, 2026)
Overall, the companies demonstrate an exceptional
understanding of how to leverage innovation to drive business growth and
improve service delivery. Both companies are investing in technological
improvements and strengthening their digital capabilities.
Chapter 3: Stakeholders and
Digitalisation
3.1
Customers and Digital Transformation
Although Goeldner and Ritchie identified four
key stakeholders, digital transformation has fundamentally changed the way
these groups, particularly tourists and businesses, interact within the modern
travel ecosystem (Goeldner and Ritchie, 2005). It is important to analyse, from
the stakeholder’s perspective, how the chatbots of both companies affect them. Customers
feel safe and secure when booking or whilst on holiday. They know they can
contact the digital chat at any time for answers to their questions. This also
helps take the pressure off the live online support team, as the chatbot manages
around 60% of enquiries. This offers significant benefits for business, as it
reduces the portion of the budget allocated to customers service and, more
importantly, helps to attract more new customers through the quality of service
provided.
One of
Ryanair’s brilliant innovations has been live gate notifications. This has
reduced the number of missed flights and made it easier for customers to navigate
the airport. Older travellers have started travelling more, as the system is
user-friendly and does not take long to get to grips with. In most cases,
travellers feel safe when making a booking or whilst inside the airport. Online
notifications ensure they do not miss any important steps throughout their
journey.
Customers very
often receive offers based on the data collected about them. Human psychology
is such that we tend to perceive exactly the information we want to hear. And
very often people accept such an offer immediately, thinking there will not be
a better opportunity. This is a form of manipulation that benefits the company
and very often provides a good opportunity for clients to take that dream
holiday.
3.2
Employees and Digital Transformation
As new digital
technologies evolve, staff are keeping pace with them. A vast number of
training courses are held each year to enhance staff skills, which is a
wonderful benefit of digital technologies.
Automated
chatbots relieve staff of basic enquiries significantly reducing workplace
stress and preventing mental fatigue. Technology improves communication within
a team; for example, with Jet2 and Ryanair staff working across Europe,
technology has become the only reliable means of communication. An airport
employee in Spain can immediately see that a flight from the UK is delayed and
can notify the shuttle bus driver.
To maintain
their market leadership, both Ryanair and Jet2 must align their digital
operations with international quality frameworks. As illustrated in the ISO
Standards model, these benchmarks support tourism management by enhancing
customer satisfaction and ensuring global recognition and competitiveness
through rigorous auditing and continuous improvement (Global Banking School, 2026).
One of the
negative consequences is that staff numbers are decreasing. Automated
applications are taking on an exceptionally large amount of work. This is
causing huge problems in the labour market, with multiple specialists finding
there are not enough jobs to go round. The government often introduces measures
to ban staff cuts, but development considerations frequently take precedence,
making it increasingly difficult to regulate this.
Digital
Divide and Ethical Exclusion
Another challenge
is the digital divide. Whilst new technological applications bring a significant
benefit to users who are tech-savvy or simply know how to use a smartphone,
others who face significant challenges as a result. This affects the older
generation, who are traditionally rely on paper boarding passes. Consequently,
they risk significantly reducing their customer base if they do not respond
appropriately. Companies must maintain a balance between high-tech coordination
and accessible human support. It is important to understand that the shift
towards data-driven personalisation poses serious cybersecurity risks. Ryanair
and Jet2 hold the confidential financial and personal data of millions of
passengers. Any breach could lead to catastrophic consequences, such as a loss
of stakeholder trust and huge fines. As innovation develops, it is essential to
recognize that cybersecurity infrastructure must be just as robust as user applications.
(Office for National Statistic, 2021)
Chapter 5: Conclusion and
Recommendations
To conclude our
analysis of the development of digital technologies, using Ryanair and Jet2 as
examples, we can confidently say that digital transformation is not merely an
added advantage, but a fully-fledged tool that underpin these companies. The
study showed that, despite sharing the common goal of meeting customer needs
and growing their businesses, the two giants have chosen entirely different approaches
to implementing their digital ecosystems. Ryanair sets the standard for
operational efficiency. Their strategy, implemented through the Ryanair Labs
division, prioritises the full automation of every step of the passenger
journey. The Day-of-Travel Assistant system and the switch to hundred percent
digital boarding passes are not merely a convenience, but a tool for radically
reducing costs. This enables to serve over two hundred million people annually
with minimal human involvement during check-in and boarding. However, as has
been found, this model places a certain amount of pressure on stakeholders:
customers are forced to adapt to strict digital rules, whilst staff face a
shift in their role from providing service to monitoring algorithms. In contrast, Jet2 takes a different approach to
utilising digital capabilities. On the other hand, these are integrated in such
a way as not to replace staff entirely, but rather to ensure that these
technologies simplify people’s tasks as efficiently as possible. It is like having a personal assistant in your
pocket. The app guides you every step of the way, from start to finish, telling
you which bus to take, where to find a hotel, and what to do if any problems
arise. he main aim of this app is to give customers complete peace of mind
about the safety of their journey. If a problem arises, the system facilitates an
immediate solution.
An essential
element of the study is how technology affects the workforce. Frequently,
digital tools free workers from routine operations, allowing them to perform
more complex tasks. However, there are unique challenges such as job losses due
to the impact of these innovations. This requires intervention at the macro
level and an ethical approach from management. Cybersecurity poses a major challenge for companies, as the hold
millions of pieces of customer data. This is a huge responsibility, as they must
protect this data effectively and prevent any leaks. Any technical error could
undo years of building customer trust.
The answer to
the question of whether the latest technologies have a positive impact on
business is yes, but with certain caveats. On the one hand, they may benefit
customers but harm employees, or vice versa. The ability to use innovation
correctly will provide a significant advantage. A single small mistake,
however, can lead to disastrous consequences. It is important to strike the right balance between technological excellence
and maintaining public trust. Technology should remain a tool that assists people,
rather than completely replacing them. Only by adhering to such standards will technology
in the tourism industry develop safely and benefit all stakeholders.
References
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Accessed 12 March 2026)
Jet2plc (2026) Our company. Available at: https://www.jet2plc.com/en/
(Accessed 13 March 2026)
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(Accessed 13 March 2026)
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Goeldner, C.R. and Ritchie, J.R.B. (2005) Tourism:
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