Travel Technology Initiative has launched a new strategy that will see the organisation taking a wider role in promoting the development and take-up of new technology within the travel industry. The strategy, called Building on Success, sees TTI moving beyond its traditional role of developing XML standards for use across the travel industry.

In September TTI entered into a consultation period where the organisation asked its 150+ members whether they would like to see the organisation adopt a more proactive approach to the projects in which it is involved. The over-whelming feedback received was that members wish TTI to engage in projects that will take the organisation beyond the work in which it has been involved. This work to date includes the recent launch of TORIX, intended as an XML replacement for viewdata and TOPAS, a standard for the electronic transfer of tour operator product availability to travel agents and the data-scanning companies that serve them. Both these new standards are being adopted by travel companies who are seeing significant cost savings as a result of improved efficiency and additional profits from being able to distribute via new channels to market such as the online travel agents and meta-search engines.

The implementation of TTI’s Building on Success strategy will start in early March when the organisation will hold the first of its new style management meetings. These meetings will sit at the heart of the strategy. All TTI Executive Members are eligible to attend these meetings and can actively decide which projects the organisation will adopt. Projects may be proposed by Executive or Associate Members.

Potential projects include:

• extending the TORIX message set to encompass non-packaged travel components


• development of a standard for the electronic transfer of content such as hotel images and descriptions


• standardisation of geo-coding (the codes that describe countries, regions and resorts)



• development of a generic model of travel intermediary business processes

Virtually all major UK travel companies and technology suppliers are members of TTI and so the organisation expects that its new role will have a significant impact on the industry.

Tony Allen, Chairman, stated, “Our members have called for TTI to extend the excellent work the organisation has been doing into new areas of interest and we have responded with a strategy that will see TTI involved in many avenues of I.T. I expect TTI to be a major influence on the direction of travel technology for many years ahead.”