Sustainability and tech are changing mobility in tourism

High-speed train travel is booming, supersonic flights are next

A recent report issued by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Trip.com Group has provided a glimpse into how 16 major technologies are set to transform travel and tourism. 

According to the report, 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.

It showed that 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,” states Boom on its website. 

“Envision flying Los Angeles to Tahiti in just over four hours or from Boston to Paris and back home in time to tuck the kids into bed.”

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 (260 km/h).

Europe is an 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.

And while speed is still a draw for many travellers, there’s a noticeable shift toward slowing things down too. 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”.

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,” the report says.

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,

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.