Tourism is a sector for which the use of Big Data is particularly useful with a view to offering increasingly personalized offers to travelers.

The Internet and Big Data have transformed our lives. This shift is tangible in all areas, even when planning our vacation. Nowadays, we rarely consult travel agencies to go to such or such destination. The reason is that with the internet, you can get the information anytime without leaving your home. That is to say, from a computer, a smartphone or a tablet, anyone can access various search engines, comparison tools, photos and reviews of other travelers. On average, an ordinary person will search 5 or 6 websites from their computer or smartphone when planning a trip. This number is likely to increase depending on the quantity of trips made. This research generates huge volumes of data that can be used for marketing travel agencies. This is why, in order to remain relevant on the market, many are those from the tourism market who use Big Data analysis.

Big Data analysis in tourism

According to a recent study by Google, the volume of tourist bookings jumped 9% in 2018.

This impressive performance was partially made possible by a better understanding of the preferences of customers who now carry out a large part of their purchasing journey on the internet. Thus, enabling firms to have relevant information which directs them to the implementation of their offers. Big Data is therefore more than ever at the service of tourism growth! Big Data can therefore inform the behavior of internet users regarding their activity and behavior within the framework of a market study in tourism. In addition, by analyzing Big Data, it is possible to observe the destination and the times chosen. But also the different stages before, during and after the trip (reservation, cancellation, notice, etc.).

In addition, according to a study carried out recently by EyeForTravel (specialist in current events and conferences in the world of tourism), three-quarters of the 450 professionals surveyed declare that they can increase the budget of their companies by activating Big Data’s lever. We also learn that 65% of the companies questioned mobilize a dedicated data processing team, and that 16% hope that the information collected will contribute to the overall improvement of the customer experience. It should also be noted that 10.5% of the companies surveyed use Big Data to improve customer loyalty and redirect their customers to offers with high added value.

Most of the information is obtained externally, on social networks like Twitter or Facebook in particular. Of course, analyzing these data is not an easy task given their quantity.

In addition, Big Data analysis helps to optimize profit opportunities. As well as providing better experiences for travelers. More importantly, observing Big Data helps improve the connectivity of transportation service networks based on market demand. Or to customize the services according to demand.

How to integrate Big Data analysis in a tourism business?

To analyze customer pieces of information , web scraping can be a solution. This involves extracting content from websites or social media and converting information via a script. Particularly in raw data format like 'csv.' .

Another way to gather information is through social media analytics. In addition, this allows you to find out in general terms what customers think of a particular brand. But also to get an idea of current market trends.

Otherwise the TripAdvisor site has a large set of customer data, as well as predictive analytics and machine learning that can help companies improve their perception of the market. Also to create recommendation engines for various services and products.

Big Data security

However, it should be noted that the entry into force of the GDPR drastically limits the collection, processing and storage of data, at the risk of being inflicted very heavy penalties.

More and more companies rely on blockchain technology to keep their data secure and accurate. This technology encrypts information and stores it in a decentralized and transparent manner. They are therefore inviolable and incorruptible during their handling.