Travel tech is the set of tools used at four stages of a trip: crossing borders, planning, staying and the visit itself. 2026 is a turning point for travel tech, more than for any other field. Europe now runs full biometric border checks. It is also getting ready to make millions of non-EU visitors apply for a travel permit before they leave.
Contents
- What travel tech is
- Biometric borders: how EES works
- ETIAS: what it is and when it becomes mandatory
- AI as a travel agent
- Dynamic pricing: why prices keep changing
- Automated hotels and hospitality robots
- Smart luggage and IoT tracking
- Overtourism: technology to manage it
- Italy: airports and digital tourism
- FAQ and travel in 2035
What travel tech is (definition)
Travel tech means using digital tools in four areas of travel: border control, trip planning, hotels and dining, and the visit itself (from luggage to managing crowds). In 2026 the first two areas are changing fastest, driven by new rules. The EU has finished building its biometric border system. Its next step is the ETIAS travel permit.
Biometric borders: how EES works
EES (the Entry/Exit System) is the EU system that digitally logs each time a non-EU citizen on a short stay enters or leaves. It replaces the passport stamp with biometric data: a face photo and fingerprints, taken at the first border crossing. The rollout began in stages on 12 October 2025. The system has been fully live in all 29 member countries since 10 April 2026.
Here is how it works for a non-EU traveller. On the first entry, border staff take a face photo and fingerprints, plus passport data. On later trips, a quick check of the face or fingerprints is enough. This is often done at self-service kiosks, which are optional and not always there. Data is kept for up to three years.
In the first months of full use, over 51.5 million entries and exits were logged. Over 27,000 people were refused entry, and several hundred cases were flagged as security risks. Airport and airline groups asked for some flexibility during the busy summer. They reported longer queues, mostly at the first fingerprint stage.
ETIAS: what it is and when it becomes mandatory
ETIAS (the European Travel Information and Authorisation System) is an online travel permit, not a visa. Citizens of over 60 non-EU countries that do not need a visa will have to get it before they leave. These include the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and Japan. It covers short stays (up to 90 days in any 180 days) in 30 European countries.
Status as of August 2026: the launch is expected in the last quarter of 2026. Then there will be a transition period and a grace period, each lasting at least six months. During this time, the permit will be advised but not yet required. So full use is likely in 2027. The official cost today is €7.
But the European Commission has proposed raising it to €20, in line with similar systems such as the US ESTA. The Council and the European Parliament still have to approve it. Travellers under 18 and over 70 do not pay. You will apply fully online and, in most cases, get an answer within minutes.
Travellers from Italy face the same thing in reverse. Since 2 April 2025, Italian citizens also need their own online permit, the UK ETA, to enter the UK, even just to change planes. Since 8 April 2026, the UK ETA costs £20 (about €23). It is valid for two years.
AI as a travel agent
More and more people use AI chat assistants to plan trips, compare flights and find places to stay, just by asking in plain words. Some platforms are testing agents that can book on their own. But tests show one clear limit: details. Flight times, live prices and real availability are areas where AI can still give answers that sound right but are wrong. These are called hallucinations. So it is still vital to check on an official site before you buy.
Dynamic pricing: why prices keep changing
Dynamic pricing tools for flights and hotels change fares based on demand, seats or rooms left, your search habits and how close you are to the travel date. Three tips can help you save. First, clear cookies or use private browsing when you search many times, in case tracking affects the prices you see. Second, book early on routes with few seats. Third, compare fares at different times of day, since some systems update prices several times a day based on demand.
Automated hotels and hospitality robots
Many global hotel chains now let you check in by kiosk or app, with no front desk. More striking are the service robots already at work in Japan and China. They deliver to rooms, clean and even greet guests in showcase hotels, partly as a novelty. In Europe, use is more limited. It is found mostly in luxury hotels or where staff are hard to find.
Smart luggage and IoT tracking
Cheap Bluetooth trackers are now everywhere. This “AirTag economy” lets travellers track their own suitcase. They often spot a delay before the airline reports it. Lost luggage is still a deep problem for air travel worldwide. The next wave of solutions is being built where personal trackers meet airport baggage systems.
Overtourism: technology to manage it
The best-known case in Europe is Venice. It charges day-trippers an entry fee on the busiest dates, managed with online booking and QR-code checks. Other tourist cities are testing sensors that count people walking by. They measure crowds in real time in narrow streets, squares and museums. If needed, they can trigger short-term limits on access.
Italy: airports and digital tourism
Italian airports adopted EES with the rest of the Schengen area. They saw the same early delays reported across Europe. On the funding side, Italy’s PNRR recovery plan has set aside money to make tourism digital. This ranges from online destination marketing to tech grants for small hotels and B&Bs. But progress still varies from region to region.
FAQ
Do Italians need ETIAS to travel in Europe?
No. ETIAS applies to non-EU citizens who do not need a visa today (such as those from the US, Canada, the UK and Australia) when they enter the Schengen area. It does not apply to Italians or other EU citizens. They can travel freely, as they do now.
Will the passport disappear because of EES?
No. You still need a passport. EES just replaces the hand stamp with a digital record of entries and exits.
How much will ETIAS cost?
The confirmed cost today is €7. A rise to €20 is under discussion, but it had not been approved at the time of this update.
Do Italians need a visa for the UK?
No. But since 2 April 2025 they need an online permit (UK ETA), even just to change planes. Its cost rose to £20 on 8 April 2026.
Can an AI book a trip without mistakes?
Not yet. Tests show AI assistants can get times or prices wrong. So it is still wise to check before you confirm a purchase.
Travel in 2035
Biometric borders keep growing. If AI also becomes a reliable booking agent, travel in the next decade could lose almost all its paperwork. Your face will prove who you are. Your permits will already be on file. An assistant will plan your trip and fix it in real time. The open challenge is to keep this system fast, without queues at peak times. That is what happened in the first summer of full EES use.
Sources
- European Commission, eu-LISA, EES system status and early operational data
- European Commission, ETIAS, regulation status and proposed cost increase
- UK Government (gov.uk), UK ETA rules and costs
- IATA, seamless travel initiatives and biometric corridors
- Google, AI-based trip planning features
