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Today, every vacation begins with a mobile phone. Travel is no longer just about tickets and hotels, but about experiences, stories, communities, and efficiency. Globally, two generations – Millennials (born approximately between 1981 and 1996) and Generation Z (1997–2012) – now have the largest influence on the tourism industry. Their values and habits are gradually shaping the future of tourism for the coming years. For these generations, travel is not just a holiday or a change of scenery. It must be meaningful and emotional. According to a global study by American Express Travel, about 70% of Millennials and Gen Z choose trips where the experience itself matters, not just the final destination.

Therefore, global tourism as an industry is undergoing major transformations due to digital innovations. What measures should national industry adopt, and what support do cities need to become modern and competitive urban centers? This concise study offers answers. We will discuss current trends, global platforms offering services, solutions developed in the Republic of Moldova, and the trends expected for 2026 at the global level.

Today, there are numerous international platforms developing solutions for the tourism industry. We will not focus on the already well-known platforms – those for hotel reservations, flight tickets, or transportation. Instead, we will present several platforms that are less known in the Republic of Moldova. We have selected three innovative solutions that provide useful tools and transform the travel experience into a richer and more personalized one:

• Travefy — an itinerary planning platform for managing groups and expenses, with features for travel agencies and individual travelers. It enables the creation of digital itineraries and real-time sharing. 
• GuideGeek (developed by Matador Network) — an AI travel assistant that recommends itineraries, attractions, and personalized experiences, accessible via chat (Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp). 
• Stay22 — a platform combining information about accommodation and events, ideal for festivals, conferences, and urban tourism. It offers integrated booking options and event navigation.

The Republic of Moldova, just like foreign companies, is developing its own digital tourism solutions adapted to the needs of tourists and local entrepreneurs. Several national platforms contribute to the digitalization of the tourism industry, but we will focus on three of the most innovative solutions. Among the active national projects in 2025 are:

• Village Travel Bot — an interactive chatbot that helps tourists discover villages, rural attractions, and local routes, providing historical and cultural information and the possibility to book activities; available via Telegram and website. 
• Moldova.travel — the national tourism promotion portal, offering itineraries, virtual tours, and information about more than 500 tourist sites in the country. 
• Cahul.travel — a regional platform for guesthouses, hotels, and tours in southern Moldova, facilitating online bookings and promoting local tourism.

These solutions demonstrate how technology can transform planning, personalization, and the entire travel experience, adapting quickly to each user’s needs. Industry pioneers continue to evolve, constantly integrating new innovations, and local developers must keep up to expand their user base.

The tourism industry will continue to transform rapidly in 2026. A recent study highlights the main IT trends that will shape the sector’s evolution. Here are the 10 major trends and the teams that have already begun implementing them:

1. AI Personal Assistants – “Travel Concierge”

Tourism enters the era of intelligent personal assistants capable of planning an entire trip: recommendations, bookings, price negotiation, daily route optimization, adaptation to user preferences (e.g., eating local, seeking historical sites, avoiding crowds).

Startups:
GuideGeek (US), Layla (UK), Roam Around (US)

2. AR/VR for Tourism Experiences and Digital Museums

Cities and historical destinations adopt augmented experiences: AR routes, virtual museums, 3D reconstructions of destroyed buildings, and VR city tours. Travelers want memorable experiences, and AR increases engagement by 50–70%.

Startups:
NextMuseum (DE), Overly (LV), NomadAR (ES)

3. Digital Twin for Tourist Destinations

Urban Digital Twin becomes a standard. Cities create 3D replicas for managing attractions, routes, transportation, and real-time tourist flows.

Startups:
CityZenith (US), MyCityExplorer (CA), 3D City Planning (NL)

4. Robots in Hotels, Airports, and Smart Museums

Robots for check-ins, luggage, cleaning, and museum guidance are becoming accessible even for small hotels.

Startups:
Yotel / Relay Robotics (US), Temi Robotics (IL), Pudu Robotics (CN)

5. Web3 Tourism

The year 2026 will bring the rise of Web3 in tourism: tokenized tickets, NFTs for VIP access, digital travel reputation, token rewards for visiting locations.

Startups:
Travala, FlyAir, xTravel

6. Predictive Maps and Smart Mobility

Mobility algorithms will generate optimized routes with predictive traffic, weather, taxi availability, scooters, and public transport.

Startups:
Wimbify (IT), Moovit (US), HumanForest (UK)

7. Autonomous Hotels and Full Self-Service

The trend moves toward highly autonomous digital hotels with fully automated check-in, AI-controlled rooms, smart dynamic pricing, and a unified tourist profile.

Startups:
Hayya Concierge (UAE), Mews (NL), HotelFriend (DE)

8. Digital Gastro-Tourism and Contextual Marketplaces

Platforms will expand to combine personalized gastronomic routes, AI recommendations, smart bookings, cultural scoring, and dietary preferences.

Startups:
EatWith (US), FoodieTrip (JP), Chefly (FR)

9. Biometric Security and Unique “Travel Identity”

More airports will adopt full biometric scanning, automated check-in & security, and unified digital travel identity across multiple services.

Startups:
Clear (US), SITA (Global), iProov (UK)

10. “City-as-a-Service” Platforms for Tourists

Cities evolve into integrated digital infrastructures: cultural maps, interactive historical guides, AI recommendations, restaurant and transport integration, localized social media events.

Startups:
HelloGuide (SE), Tripian (CA), NearBy (US)

In the coming years, tourism will evolve into a fully digitalized ecosystem where cities, hotels, restaurants, and museums are interconnected in a fluid, predictive, and personalized experience. The key is no longer “where you go,” but “how your unique experience is built.” Therefore, tourism companies in the Republic of Moldova must redefine how they offer services: fast location planning, personalized experiences, interactive exploration, and the innovations listed above.
Today, tourists are no longer simple spectators—they become active participants and co-creators of memories, and the tourism industry continuously adapts to offer memorable experiences.