The Future is Here: Blockchain in Tourism
Oleg Safonov, the head of Russia’s Federal Agency for Tourism, recently unleashed his vision of a tourism industry revamped by Blockchain technology. Picture this: tourists bypassing long waits and intermediary fees, boldly interacting directly with service providers, all thanks to a little chain made up of blocks. No, seriously—someday you might tell your friends you’re booking a trip through the ‘Blockchain route’!
The Kazan Tourism Forum Revelation
During the Kazan Tourism Forum 2017, Safonov wasn’t shy about his forecast. He predicted that while Blockchain’s full impact on tourism might take anywhere from five to ten years, its potential to enhance service quality and reduce costs could streamline the entire industry. Think about how excited you get for a new tech gadget. Now imagine that energy channelled into your travel plans!
What Does Blockchain Mean for Travelers?
Let’s break this down: if Blockchain gets its way, you’ll be able to:
- Interact Directly: Forget middlemen—say goodbye to those pesky booking fees.
- Quality Assurance: With transparency and accountability, service providers have more to lose, which means better experiences for you.
- Cost-Effectiveness: More money in your pocket means more money to spend on that overpriced souvenir you really don’t need.
Russia’s Jekyll and Hyde Relationship with Blockchain
Now, hold your horses! While the government is all aboard the Blockchain hype train, it still has some mixed feelings about cryptocurrency. They’ve taken a sluggish approach towards trading virtual currencies. However, they’re all in when it comes to Blockchain, evidenced by recent announcements aiming to integrate the technology into the nation’s land registry. Kind of ironic when you think about it—one hand praises innovation while the other wants to tightly hold the purse strings.
Real Estate and Blockchain: A Match Made in Heaven?
If you haven’t been paying attention, the potential fusion of Blockchain technology with real estate could increase transparency in property dealings. In October 2017, the Ministry of Economic Development laid out plans to pilot Blockchain use to enhance the property registry system. Logic tells us that more accessible property information leads to a sharper rise in public trust. Plus, we all could use a little more confidence when buying a home—or at least when somebody tells us they’re an entrepreneur in real estate!
“The use of Blockchain will be aimed at increasing… citizens’ trust in the sphere of turnover of real estate.” – Ministry of Economic Development
