Five years ago, the world stood still. Planes were grounded. Cities fell silent. And the travel industry, a $9 trillion economic engine, was brought to its knees.
Yet while we waited, the pace of innovation accelerated, leading us to new advances that have fundamentally changed travel. Much has been written about AI-powered itineraries and personalized travel planning that influences where we go. However, the where is dependent on how we get there, and the mobility of tomorrow looks fundamentally different.
A recent report issued by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Trip.com Group gives us a glimpse into how 16 major technologies in four different categories are set to transform travel and tourism. One of the most exciting shifts is in the future of mobility, where faster travel, sustainable transportation options, and smarter tools are set to redefine the way we move around the world.
The future is high-speed, sustainable travel
With 40% of travellers willing to pay more for the convenience of avoiding layovers, it’s no surprise that the ability to reach a destination faster is a major draw. In the future of air travel, emerging innovations promise to slash travel time by as much as half, allowing passengers to spend more of their precious time enjoying the trip and less time stuck in transit. These incredible claims are thanks to supersonic travel.
Earlier this year, Boom Supersonic made history when its XB-1 demonstrator aircraft broke the sound barrier, something no piloted civilian plane has done since the Concorde was retired in 2003. This milestone marks the beginning of the American aerospace company’s larger mission to bring commercial supersonic flights back to the skies by 2029, under the name Overture.
“It will no longer take double-digit hours to see Australia. Flight times to Asia or the Middle East will be cut in half”, says Boom on their website. “Envision flying Los Angeles to Tahiti in just over 4 hours or from Boston to Paris and back home in time to tuck the kids into bed”.
In addition to significantly faster flight times, the company also offers 100% sustainable aviation fuel to reduce emissions and does not emit loud shocks in its exhaust plume like its supersonic predecessor, Concorde. Popular commercial airlines are already showing keen interest, with United and American Airlines securing 130 purchase order agreements globally.
The sky isn’t the only place we are chasing velocity. Very high-speed rail trains offer an eco-friendly and convenient way to reach long-distance destinations faster than ever before. The WTTC report highlights the Japanese Shinkansen’s “bullet train” as an example, capable of travelling at speeds greater than 160 miles per hour (approximately 260 km/h).
When it was first introduced in 1964, high-speed train technology revolutionized rail travel between Tokyo and Osaka and has since become the gold standard. Despite originating in the 1960s, these trains are only now seeing broader global adoption, due to a mix of evolving demand, economics, and technological advances. Governments and the private sector worldwide are building dedicated infrastructure to create a high-speed rail system that connects not only their cities but also with other countries.
Europe is a perfect example of a region that is looking to evolve its cross-border mobility through high-speed train networks, with time, sustainability, and growth in mind. In December of last year, the highly anticipated Paris-Berlin route was launched, under a push between two of Europe’s most populous countries to offer greener travel options.
Madrid and Lisbon, two cities set to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup, have just received the official approval from the European Commission to begin a project that will significantly reduce air travel between the two countries by connecting the capital directly by high-speed train. The project will cut travel by rail from nine to three hours, just in time for the world’s most anticipated football championship.
These are just a few of many anticipated projects across Europe in response to the heightened popularity of train travel as it expands efficiency in the form of speed and connectivity. The region’s existing rail offerings still present a preference for trains over planes for 65% of business travellers, with respondents citing ease of access and the ability to work as part of their determination.
The growing demand to travel slow
While speed is still a draw for many travellers, there’s a noticeable shift toward slowing things down. Virginia Messina, the VP of advocacy and communications at the World Travel & Tourism Council, told The Sociable that more people are opting for slower ways to get around.
“There’s definitely a big trend in terms of slow travel, as they call it. Because maybe if you go on a train, you might go for a slightly longer period than just a weekend. You can see more by experiencing different countries.”
The “slow travel” trend reflects a rise in travellers seeking a combination of an immersive cultural experience and environmentally conscious travel. According to the 2025 Hilton Trend Report, its popularity is rooted in a growing desire to “travel like a local”.
Travelling like a resident requires knowledge of the commuting system, schedule, and modes of transportation used by locals, information that was once less easily attainable than it is today.
The WTTC report calls attention to how cities that offer Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) in the form of accessibility to view and book reliable transportation options, will influence a better travel experience for its future visitors, “Cities that embrace MaaS and develop their public and shared transport networks may attract more visitors who are keen to use a variety of easily accessible transport options when they need it”.
Spain, ranked the second most visited country after France, has seen tourism growth partly due to its sustained investment in mobility infrastructure. Just as crucial, however, is its commitment to MaaS, which plays a vital role in seamlessly connecting travellers to that infrastructure. It enables passengers to plan, navigate, and pay for journeys with ease.
According to booking data from German travel platform Omio, ferry travel in Spain has exploded by 141% year-over-year, marking a noticeable surge across any major European country. This highlights the booming interest in slow modes of transportation for domestic island and international ferry routes.
“Ferries are no longer plan B; they are at the heart of consumer travel experiences,” says Veronica Diquattro, President of Consumer and Supply Business for Europe at Omio. “What we’re seeing across Europe, and especially in Spain, is that travellers are prioritizing flexibility, comfort, and the ease of discovering hidden coastal gems.”
Similar numbers have been reported in Canada too. BC Ferries, the primary ferry operator in British Columbia, confirmed a 21% increase in passenger travel compared to the previous year.
“We’ve seen significant increases in both passenger and vehicle traffic compared to last year,” said Ritinder Matthew, BC Ferries’ director of media and issues, in an interview with Comox Valley Record.
Ferries might be easier on your wallet, but their real draw is how much smoother they make the whole journey. Today’s traveller wants to skip the airport crowds, dodge the extra baggage fees, and forget about racing the clock at security. Instead, people are leaning into this slower, more scenic way of getting around, which is guaranteed to offer more leg room and better coffee.
As the relationship between technology, infrastructure, and traveller expectations continues to grow, the future of mobility in tourism won’t be defined by one singular speed or solution, but by choice. Whether crossing continents in half the time on a supersonic jet or gliding by sea via scenic coastlines, the evolving ecosystem of mobility is making the journey as meaningful as the destination. And in that shift, we’re not just moving faster—we’re moving smarter, more sustainably, and more connected than ever before.