Travelling through time and space now 'a reality' with thomson.co.uk

Russian mathematicians Irina Aref’eva and Igor Volovich have created a device they say will tear a hole in time and space which might enable time travel.  Science fiction, you might say…?  Not so because Thomson.co.uk, the UK’s most visited travel web site, have already opened the door to a future where holodecks, virtual holiday experiences and other technological advances are set to transform the way we currently travel through time and space… ie, on holiday.

Customer choice and technology are already blowing away the traditional ways we choose a holiday.  These include Thomson.co.uk’s introduction of a Google powered search tool that allows travellers to “visit” a particular property at the click of a mouse, and TripAdvisor ratings that the company refers to when discussing quality issues with hoteliers.  Further innovations include a “live weather tracker”, where travellers can check temperatures, view a five-day forecast or see weather patterns from previous years via a historical weather database.

But that’s only the beginning!  Graham Donoghue, Thomson’s New Media Director, believes that a raft of further changes could soon revolutionise the way we organise our trips abroad.  Some of the ideas might seem far fetched (like time travel!), but then again, the thought that almost 40% of all Thomson bookings are made on-line would have seemed like science fiction not too long ago…

Holodecks – for an advance preview of what their holiday might feel like, Thomson.co.uk customers could soon experience Star Trek style “holodecks”, where holograms, simulated sounds and smells will enable them to discover virtual hotels and resorts, and even soak up a “real” sensations, like a stroll on the beach, skiing on the slopes or simply partying the night away!

Mobile phone swipes – Customers deliberating over their future holiday will soon be be able to save holiday information to their phone by swiping their mobile over a dedicated in-brochure/on-line bar-code.  The digitally transferred information will then be downloaded by a travel consultant, who’ll be able to see the customers’ preferences before making any recommendations as to their destination.

Rapid contact facilities – Thomson.co.uk envisage a rapid contact search facility that will help people track family and friends overseas. By simply logging onto a dedicated website, a pop-up will show the location of the family or friends phone.