There was a time when going on a tour meant printing an email, folding it into your back pocket, and hoping it survived the journey. Some of us still remember rifling through hotel lobby printers, or worse, panicking when the printer jammed and your bus was due in five minutes.
But times have changed. And while many industries have embraced paperless systems for years, tourism has taken a little longer to catch up.
Now, that’s shifting. And it’s not just about technology, it’s about the way people travel.
Why now?
The world has changed. Smartphones are no longer optional for most travellers; they’re a lifeline. A recent Statista report showed that over 88% of travellers use a smartphone for trip-related activities. From boarding passes to translation apps, route maps to WhatsApp groups, a huge part of modern travel happens on a screen.
This change in behaviour has opened the door for a major shift in our industry: allowing guests to redeem and travel using just their voucher.
No printed ticket. No physical validation. Just scan and go.
Funny, but true: A guest will lose their paper ticket before they lose their phone. Their passport? Possibly. The booking confirmation email? Definitely. But the phone? Never. If it’s not within arm’s reach, they’re already panicking.
The benefits of going paperless:
- Fewer printing headaches: No need for guests to find a printer at their hotel or ask your staff to do it for them.
- Faster boarding: QR codes on vouchers mean validation is quick and secure.
- Lower costs: Less paper, fewer devices, less waste.
- Greener operations: Reducing paper usage is a small but meaningful step toward more sustainable tourism.
Real-world use case: We’ve already seen operators adopt this model successfully, especially those using self-service devices, handheld scanners, and mobile POS tools. With the right checks in place, vouchers alone can be scanned and redeemed with full confidence.
But what about edge cases?
Of course, no tech update is one-size-fits-all. Here are a few realities to consider:
- WIFI isn’t always reliable: Not all travellers have roaming data, and spotty hotel connections still exist. That’s why downloadable, offline vouchers remain essential.
- Older demographics may prefer paper: Certain audiences still like to hold a printed copy in their hand. Operators may want to offer optional paper printouts or maintain that flow for now.
- Back-end readiness is key: It’s only paperless if the system supports it. Palisis does – we’ve enabled full voucher redemption for ticketing and boarding across supported devices.
What this means for operators:
Going paperless isn’t just about looking modern. It’s about:
- Reducing queues and speeding up operations
- Making life easier for travellers
- Saving time and money behind the scenes
Want to see how it works in action? We’ll walk you through the voucher redemption setup and what it could look like for your team.