MOBILE APPLICATIONS AS A MODERN TOOL OF INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENT IN THE SPHERE OF TOURISM

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the study of the impact of mobile applications on the modern tourism industry. The development of information technologies, which significantly transform approaches to organizing travel, including route planning, information retrieval, and interaction with tourism services, has been analyzed. The main categories of mobile applications, such as booking services, navigation systems, language translators, information platforms, and tools with augmented reality (AR) elements, have been examined. Their advantages, such as convenience, interactivity, personalization, and accessibility, as well as challenges like internet dependency, cybersecurity, and technical failures, have been outlined. According to Statista (2022), 70% of tourists use mobile applications for trip planning, emphasizing the growing role of digital technologies in this field. Particular attention has been paid to popular platforms such as Booking.com, Skyscanner, TripAdvisor, Google Maps, and Google Translate, which simplify the travel organization process and reduce costs. The specifics of using mobile applications for accommodation booking, transportation rental, route creation, and overcoming language barriers have also been studied. The importance of mobile applications in creating social content has been highlighted, as over 50% of users actively share their experiences through social media, contributing to the development of travel communities. An analysis of recent research by Ukrainian scientists sheds light on the impact of mobile technologies on the development of national and international tourism, emphasizing the innovative potential of applications in various market segments. The conclusions indicate that mobile applications play a crucial role in modernizing the travel experience, enhancing convenience, safety, resource efficiency, and interactivity. However, the need to address issues related to cybersecurity, technology accessibility in remote regions, and technical malfunctions has been revealed. Overcoming these challenges will facilitate further integration of mobile applications with modern technologies and expand their impact on the tourism industry.