Travel industry professionals recently gathered at one of the world’s largest travel technology trade shows, the Travel Tech Show at World Travel Market (WTM) in London. The show, which took place from November 7-9, featured more than 80 events across 12 travel-related sectors moderated by speakers with expertise in travel technology, the media, and other fields. Speakers represented Facebook, Google, and other top social media companies. Here are some highlights from this informative travel technology show. Social Media and Travel Day one of the Travel Tech Show at WTM featured a session titled “YouTube and the Continuing Rise of Video.” Sponsored by Gosh PR and Traverse, the session featured several notable speakers, including comedy vlogger Laura Bubble; digital influencers Evan Edinger, Hannah Witton, and Ana Maria Nica of Gosh PR; and Simon Matthews, CTO of Gosh Digital, a part of Gosh PR. The speakers discussed how YouTube has revolutionized travel with its unique user base and how the number of people who watch YouTube videos continues to rise 100 percent each year. The speakers also discussed how YouTube can help to propel various occupations, including videography and blogging. Following the presentation, a panel discussion was held that offered participants the chance to ask questions and interact with the speakers. Another session titled “WTM & Travel Perspective: Facebook – The Future of Storytelling,” was organized by travel industry leader Travel Perspective. Mark Frary, the founder of Travel Perspective, was on hand to lead the conversation with attendees, as was Neasa Costin, who serves as EMEA Travel Vertical Lead, Global Marketing Solutions for Facebook. Topics included chatbots and how they assist in booking travel, virtual reality as it relates to travel, and travel companies and how they can take advantage of these new technologies. Continuing on the topic of social media, the Social Media in Tourism Master Class was presented by WTM and Travel Perspective. The master class, which was led by Paula Butler and Meryl Levitz of Visit Philly, focused on how the organization has used social media as one of its main promotional tools for bringing tourists to Pennsylvania. Butler and Levitz touched on their experience in the travel industry and what has been effective so far. The master class also gave participants a peek into what is on the travel horizon for 2017. Travel Trends Moreover, the session “Bots, Automation & Messaging and VR Trends in Tourism,” which was held on the final day of the conference, featured prominent speakers including John Newbold of the 383 project, Nick Hiall of DTTT, Sandro Cuzzolin of Amadeus/Travel Audience, Terri Scriven of Google UK, and Henry Stuart of Visualise. Messaging has become extremely important in travel marketing, and many brands are seizing the opportunity to create rich, interactive messaging experiences for their customers. The speakers discussed how quickly messaging has taken off in 2016 and what can be expected going forward. In addition to the actual Travel Tech Show, WTM presented the WTM Forecast Forum: 2016 Industry Report, a press-only event. During this session, WTM executives discussed their 2016 Industry Report, which included perspectives on the travel industry now and in the future. One of the highlights of the discussion was the Global Trends Report, which briefly mentioned supersonic flights possibly coming back into the marketplace. All supersonic flights, such as the Concorde, were retired from service as of 2003. The retirement was spurred by the 2000 Concorde crash in Paris, as well as the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. The report indicated that there are several aeronautical firms diligently working to bring supersonic technology back into the travel industry. Responsible Tourism and Travel Safety Discussion centered on travel safety and responsible tourism were another highlight of the Travel Tech Show at WTM. Spread out over the course of the three days of the conference, the discussions were held in conjunction with WTM World Responsible Tourism Day.
A session titled “Safety, Security and Leisure Travel: Can Technology Such as Robots or Artificial Intelligence Help Make Travel and Tourism Safer in Today’s Challenging Times?” was held on the final day of the conference and featured speakers including Richard Singer, president of Travelzoo Europe, Simon Talling-Smith of SurfAir, and Yeganeh Morakabati, associate professor at Bournemouth University. Singer touched on ways that the use of artificial intelligence and robots could make traveling safer for passengers, and there was also discussion in regards to how customers react to robot integration. There is some concern that this sort of technology could be off-putting to consumers concerned about their safety, while other, more technologically savvy consumers are expected to wholeheartedly embrace this technology. In keeping with the discussion on travel safety and responsible tourism, the 2016 Industry Report detailed how political unrest and terrorist attacks have adversely affected certain formerly popular tourist destinations. Countries such as Greece, Turkey, and Egypt have seen sharp declines in tourism revenue, and it is believed that tourists who fear for their safety are staying away from these locations. These are just a few of the many highlights of the three-day Travel Tech Show at WTM. You can find out more about what occurred at the show by visiting the WTM website at www.wtmlondon.com or by reviewing the World Travel Market 2016 Industry Report. Comments are closed.
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AuthorBruce Eaton is the president and chief executive officer of i2 Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a hit discovery and lead optimization technology provider serving clients in the pharmaceutical industry. Categories
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