On the 25th and 26th of March 2002, the University of Surrey<.> hosted the first `eTourism Futures Interactive Workshop And Seminar`, which was organised by the Centre for eTourism Research, School of Management Studies for the Service Sector at the University of Surrey. The workshop, which is part of the MSc in eTourism programme, invites senior practitioners and academics to debate eTourism developments and explore how the Information Communication Technologies Revolution is expected to change the future of the Tourism, Travel and Hospitality Industries.

The workshop attracted 30 highly esteemed speakers from industry and academia alike. Their chosen subjects were then debated in depth by another 20 participants who came from all over the world (from Hong Kong to Brazil!) along with 20 of our own MSc eTourism students. Course Director Dr Dimitrios Buhalis<.> was quoted as saying the event provided a real opportunity for informal discussion and debate, and enabled participants to debate a wide range of contemporary issues within eTourism. Many felt that this was a unique forum in encouraging foresight and vision in the future of eTourism.

This workshop identified the main drivers of change and supplied participants with access tools to enhance the future competitiveness of their organisations. A number of innovative management methods and skills were discussed. For example, `how can we turn lookers into bookers`, `how can we use viral marketing` and `how can we maximise the efficiency of tourism organisations by using Application Service Providers`.

A wide range of strategic implications were discussed for the airline, hospitality and travel intermediation sectors of the industry. Participants concluded that more research is required, and a closer interaction between industry and academia will provide significant benefits to both sectors.

The annual eTourism Futures will provide an opportunity for bringing together the two communities and encourage dialogue.