Robotic travel plans

Victoria University associate professor and tourism futurologist Dr Ian Yeoman predicts self-cleaning hotel rooms, sleep deprivation tablets to fight off sightseeing fatigue, robot prostitution and hotel rooms so clever they’ll be able to detect moods and change wallpaper colour accordingly. Speaking at the Tourism Futures conference on Australia’s Gold Coast, Yeoman said that travel in 2050 will be shaped by an older population, food, water, jet fuel supply problems and technological advances. Robot waiters at cocktail bars, remote-controlled camera-carrying guard dogs in hotel lobbies and hotel rooms that self-tidy are all likely, according to the expert. “Robotics will become important, because you’re going to have labour shortages in the future,’ Yeoman said. According to his latest book, Tomorrow’s Tourist, Earth will not be the only destination tourists flock to. Although China will be world’s largest tourism destination, holidays in Outer Space will be considered the ultimate luxury experience.