The hospitality and tourism industry plays a significant role in driving a nation’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product). In India, the hospitality and tourism sector also signifies the same thing, as it contributes approximately 9.1% to the country’s total GDP and generates around 42 million jobs as of the year 2024. The significant contribution reflects the industry’s ability to generate direct and indirect employment in areas such as hotel management, food and beverage services, travel agencies and tourism support services.
As the hospitality and tourism industry is constantly evolving, leveraging various technologies to enhance customer experience, security, and operational efficiency becomes a no-brainer. Already widely used in major hotel chains, airports, and tourist attractions, RFID is shaping the future of travel and hospitality. It’s no surprise that hospitality businesses want to take advantage of RFID technology too, especially when it offers speed, security, and a high-tech touch. In the post-pandemic hospitality business landscape, the use of contactless technologies like the RFID, Bluetooth, RTLS and NFC (Near Field Communication) is an important part of daily operations.
Let’s see how RFID is enhancing tourist experience and meeting visitor experience in hotels and tourist destinations, boosting security.
India’s Approach to Boosting Tourism and Hospitality Sector
As the country rebounds from the pandemic’s effects. India’s rich cultural heritage, diverse landscapes, and growing infrastructure are expected to position it as a prime destination for global travelers, further boosting employment and economic growth in the sector.
Moreover, India’s Union Budget 2025-26 has allocated RS. 2,541.06 crore (US$ 291.07 million) to boost the nation’s tourism sector, the budget focuses on improving infrastructure, skill development, and travel facilitation through measures like developing 50 top tourist destinations, offering MUDRA loans for homestays, enhancing connectivity, and introducing e-visa facilities.
By 2030, India is expected to become the 4th largest global spender on tourism, with an estimated expenditure of INR 35.3 trillion.
RFID is Boosting the Hospitality and Tourism Sector
The tourism sector is known for its versatility and the thrill it offers for travellers and visitors. From RFID-enabled access cards to automated wristbands and many other devices, RFID supports the hospitality and tourism industry every step of the way. During a visitor’s stay in a hotel suite, RFID supports smart decision-making by serving guests with customized ambience settings and facilitating easy travel throughout the smart city by simply carrying a RFID-enabled smart card.
Radio Frequency Identification makes use of electromagnetic waves to record and transmit small-sized data. The data gets stored in tiny chips that are either attached or embedded into the wristbands or smart cards. These wristbands and smart cards play a major role in enhancing guest experience by automating tasks like billing, tracking and providing seamless access to lounges and bars.
RFID has proven to be a reliable partner in automating tasks that used to be time-consuming and inefficient. Now, visitors no longer have to worry about their luggage when checking into hotel suites, as each item is tagged with RFID and taken to a designated location. Hoteliers who constantly suffer from lost items can now also benefit by tracking their own assets such as pillows, hair dryers, dishes and souvenirs by attaching a UHF RFID tag to each item.
Tags like passive RFID tags provide cost effectiveness and access control in a hospitality setting as they provide efficiency in tracking low-value assets like pillows and blankets and ensure that only people with access can visit certain areas.
RFID in Luxury Hotels
An ancient saying in India, “Atithi Devo Bhava”, meaning “a guest is akin to god”, signifies how guests are treated in the country. It sets a high benchmark for India’s service industry. A market report tells us that International tourist arrivals are expected to reach 30.5 million by 2028 and to generate revenue of over INR 5,086 billion. To that end, RFID technology can provide an enhanced experience to our valuable guests.
In five-star hotels and resorts like the Taj Hotels, Lalit and Marriott, RFID-enabled key cards have successfully replaced traditional metal keys and magnetic stripe cards. These key cards contain information like the guest’s name, room number, check-in date and the duration of stay. The RFID readers are mounted near the doors of hotel suites, and they communicate with the RFID Chips on guest’s key cards. When a guest approaches the door, the reader will activate the room keycard and verify whether one is accessing the right room.
Unlike the obsolete magnetic keys that can demagnetize or require precise swiping, RFID cards allow guests to access their rooms with a simple tap. Other hotel chains like Hilton and Hyatt have adopted RFID technology to enhance security and convenience. Guests can use these smart cards not just for room access but also for signing up for special services like gym membership and bar access.
1.RFID for Cashless Transactions
Guests can pay for meals, spa treatments, gift shops, gym membership and other paid services without carrying cash or credit cards, simply by tapping their RFID-enabled wristbands or cards.
Mobile POS terminals are carried by the mini bar staff to send the listed items consumed directly to the management system through a network, contributing to a seamless transaction experience.
2. RFID Allowing Exclusive Access
RFID cards can grant access to VIP lounges, executive floors, private pools, and other restricted areas, ensuring a personalized experience for premium guests.
3. Personalized Experience for Guests
When linked to a guest profile, RFID can store preferences such as room temperature, lighting, and favourite services, ensuring a customized stay that enhances the comfort and convenience of visitors. Personalised experience is a defining factor that makes a visitor visit again.
4. Room Service & Housekeeping Optimization with RFID
RFID tags can track guest room occupancy, allowing housekeeping to efficiently schedule cleaning without disturbing guests. Automated requests for towels, toiletries, or maintenance can be handled via an RFID-enabled system.
5. Theft Prevention & Enhanced Security
RFID-enabled safes like digital safes within hotel rooms allow guests to store valuables such as jewellery and cash securely. Additionally, lost or stolen RFID-enabled key cards can be easily deactivated remotely to prevent unauthorized access.
RFID in Tourism: Streamlining Exploration for Foreigners
During travel to tourism destinations like India, visitors expect surprises in the form of cultural differences and variety of food that our country offers. But it becomes important to provide the travellers with experiences that they never forget. To make this possible, the implementation of technology like RFID can provide a seamless experience to these visitors. Here’s how RFID aids in tourism;
1. Tourist Cards & Smart Passes
Cities like London, Singapore, and Tokyo offer RFID-enabled travel cards, allowing seamless access to public transport, attractions, and even restaurants. The Oyster Card in London and the EZ-Link card in Singapore are prime examples of how RFID improves tourist mobility. These cards also provide discounts for multiple services, making travel more budget-friendly.
Visit ruddersoft.com for procurement of smart cards such as NFC/RFID-Enabled cards.
2. Digital Guide & Navigation
In India, Maharashtra tourism has launched an application named ‘Chalo’ to provide automated bus ticketing that also features a smart RFID travel card to automate travelling within the city easily and efficiently.
Moreover, RFID-enabled wristbands or cards that connect to mobile apps offer real-time navigation, multilingual audio guides, and emergency assistance for tourists. For instance, smart wristbands can send real-time alerts and distress signals automatically when any tourist gets stuck in an unexpected situation.
However, Museums and cultural heritage sites incorporate RFID to provide automatic explanations of exhibits in the visitor’s preferred language. It presents an incredible service that allows engagement of customers from all ages.
3. Lost & Found Tracking
RFID tags on luggage, backpacks, and personal belongings help travellers recover lost items quickly, reducing stress during trips. Deploying RFID fixed readers at specific locations can allow the tracking of baggage and belongings of tourists. Many airlines, such as Delta, have already implemented RFID baggage tracking to reduce lost baggage incidents.
4. Hotel & Tour Integration
One of the biggest challenges for tour operators is to keep a watch on tourist movements, especially when they are visiting tourist-friendly spots like monuments, waterfronts, etc. With RFID silicone wristbands and key fobs, tracking customers becomes smoother and more convenient as they can be tracked in real time. These smart bands integrate with partnered hotels, restaurants and tour operators, allowing hassle-free authentication and payment processing throughout a trip.
5. Seamless Car Rental & Parking Experience
RFID-enabled systems allow business travellers and visitors to rent cars seamlessly, access hotel parking, and even use toll booths without stopping for manual processing.
RFID also supports the parking experience by providing real-time updates on space occupancy in a parking lot and enables visitors to make efficient decisions while parking their vehicles.
RFID for Security and Crowd Management
Safety is paramount in tourism. Both the visitors from abroad and domestic tourists demand security of their belongings and themselves in a lesser-known environment. Thus, RFID can come into play by ensuring security and visitor management.
1. Contactless Check-ins & Immigration
Foreign visitors mainly use airlines to visit a country or attend an event. Many airports and hotels use RFID for swift and secure check-ins, reducing queues and streamlining the process. Biometric-integrated RFID passports further speed up the immigration process and control.
With RFID in play, visitors need not fill up lengthy sign-up papers for gym or pool membership as they can carry an RFID card wherever they go in the facility. Moreover, it provides security to individuals without the need for cameras in all places.
All the data is collected without invading guest privacy and helps facilities make decisions about things like room layout and amenities.
2. Event & Attraction Access Using RFID Cards and Wristbands
In recent times, many visitors have travelled to India for the sole purpose of attending the Mahakumbh event at Prayagraj. RFID wristbands can come in handy for such situations as they ensure efficient tracking for travellers and VIPs. RFID devices like fixed readers can send real-time alerts to managing authorities about the presence of a hefty crowd at cluster regions. Attraction places like theme parks, museums, and concerts can ensure controlled access by deploying the technology. The system minimizes ticket duplication and reduces the counterfeiting of tickets.
3. Emergency Response & Tracking
In case of emergencies, RFID wristbands help authorities track tourists’ locations and ensure efficient evacuations. Cruise ships, for instance, use RFID to monitor passenger headcounts during safety drills and emergencies.
RFID Supporting Adventure & Eco-Tourism
RFID support security and sustainability when visitors visit exploring areas like zoos and wildlife sanctuaries. Here are a few key applications;
1. RFID in Trekking & Wildlife Safaris
RFID readers at specific locations in trekking routes ensure that the visitor group stay together in a safe zone. RFID wristbands track tourists in national parks and trekking routes, ensuring safety and preventing unauthorized entry into restricted areas.
2. Eco-Friendly Smart Hotels & Campsites
RFID cards are being used in eco-resorts to control energy consumption by automatically switching off lights and AC when guests leave their rooms. This improves sustainability and helps equipment run a long time.
To summarize, we got to know how RFID has become one of the most significant technological advancements in recent years, especially in terms of hospitality and tourism. Already widely used in major hotel chains, airports, and tourist attractions, RFID is shaping the future of travel and hospitality. The hospitality and tourism industry stands at the brink of a tech-driven transformation, and RFID is at its core. However, it is important to keep in mind that RFID systems can be expensive to implement and maintain. For the implementation of RFID in your hotel, you need tags, readers, RFID locks, software and the help of an RFID solution provider like Ruddersoft. At Ruddersoft, we offer the service of choosing the right hardware and software for your business.