From the invention of the wheel to the jet engine taking off, advances in technology have helped to make the world a much smaller place.
So it's natural that in the digital age, a number of web-based businesses have capitalized on the opportunity the internet offers to make global travel even simpler.
Gone are the days when arranging an overseas adventure meant hours spent poring over paper-based brochures and talking face-to-face with a travel agent until they tracked down the best deal possible from a limited choice of partner firms.
Now you can do everything from booking your flights and hotel to planning activities down to a tee before you leave home, minimizing hassle when you get to your destination while maximizing your chances of having an excellent holiday or business trip.
With all the above in mind, here are five firms are the forefront of travel tech.
Airbnb
It's not so long ago that accommodation options while traveling abroad were limited to hotels, self-catering apartments and backpacker hostels.
But booking accommodation with Airbnb has changed everything because you can now have a much more authentic travel experience by spending your vacation in a family home, which often enables you to immerse yourself more fully in the local culture.
TripAdvisor
Before TripAdvisor, travelers had to rely on word of mouth recommendations from friends and family who had been to the same resorts before them or believe that the positive marketing copy of travel agencies could be taken at face value.
But this wonderful site now contains millions of reviews from fellow tourists on everything from the poshest places for afternoon tea in NYC to the best bars and nightclubs in Bangladesh.
Skyscanner
There are other flight comparison sites out there, but visiting Skyscanner.net is the first choice for millions of travelers because its powerful engine tends to serve up the most relevant and cost-effective deals for a wide range of journeys in a split-second.
The Edinburgh-founded firm's recent acquisition by Chinese mega-brand Ctrip is an excellent indicator of its commercial potential.
HappyCow
Focusing on an expanding travel niche is one way to capitalize on emerging opportunities and HappyCow is a fine example of this approach.
With increasing numbers of vegetarian and vegan travelers struggling to find suitable eateries at their vacation destinations, this handy app means they can make a bee line for plant-based restaurants wherever they are in the world.
Looking4.com
Rolling around an airport car park in ever decreasing circles as you try to find a last-minute space can cause a pre-flight panic of substantial proportions.
But finding airport parking at Looking4.com for a wide range of hubs across the US is fantastically simple - with cheap deals from Seattle to JFK and everywhere in between. This is another web-savvy operation whose prime performance hasn't gone unnoticed - it was recently snapped up by Manchester Airports Group (MAG).
So ends our list - but tell us about your own favorite travel tech firms in the comments section.
