Travel technology was originally associated with the computer reservations system (CRS) of the airlines industry, but now is used more inclusively, incorporating the broader tourism sector as well as its subset the hospitality industry. While travel technology includes the computer reservations system, it also represents a much broader range of applications, in fact increasingly so. Travel technology includes virtual tourism in the form of virtual tour technologies. Travel technology may also be referred to as e-travel / etourism, in reference to "electronic travel" or "electronic tourism".

Travel technology is increasingly being used to describe systems for managing and monitoring travel, including travel tracking and flight tracking systems.