The Travel Technology section of the ITB Berlin 2005, taking place from 11 to 15 March, will feature a diverse and even more international range of exhibitors…
The Travel Technology section of the ITB Berlin 2005, taking place from 11 to 15 March, will feature a diverse and even more international range of exhibitors. More than 60 exhibitors of technology from 11 countries will occupy three halls where they will again be displaying innovative IT products and services for the tourism industry. There has been a welcome and substantial increase in the number of exhibitors of software for hotels in particular at the ITB 2005. Above all technology should help to optimise processes, reduce costs and thus bring about a decisive improvement in the efficiency and market value of companies, not just in individual sectors but wherever possible in all the added value areas of a company, according to the organiser of this project at the ITB, Juliane Gaebler. In tourism too there is a growing need to transform isolated technological solutions for individual areas of work into value-oriented process chains and technologies that are integrated throughout the company.
Applications for networking entire tourism companies
In the travel technology sector it is now rare to find companies that only supply reservation systems, and most of them also include customer relationship management (CRM), calculating, accounting and other more wide-ranging functionalities. And moreover: in addition to the developers of IT products focused on established, core processes for the tourism industry, such as the marketing of tourism services, a growing number of suppliers are emerging with more wide-ranging technological solutions for tourism. These include applications and systems that link not only individual services but also tourism companies and even the entire value-added chain. Examples include those applications intended to improve the efficiency of purchasing and product design processes, finance and personnel management, and the logistics, security and administrative processes supporting the movement of travellers.
Today`s travel technology ranges from specific applications for individual service providers (such as tour planners for bus tour operators and dynamic planning of capacities and offers for hotels and car rental companies) to integrated solutions for travel agents (e-commerce functionalities, front-, mid- and back-office solutions for travel agencies, CRS/GDS), mobile information and service systems for vacationers at their destination, or high performance logistics solutions and modern passenger processing technology for airports and airlines.
This is also reflected in the scope of suppliers and trade visitors in the Travel Technology Halls 6.1, 7.1c and 8.1 at the ITB Berlin 2005. Software solutions for all areas of tourism will be presented here, including powerful computers that are ideal for running dedicated tourism software. The exhibition will also feature online travel guides, dynamic packaging software, which can be used to make reservations for tourism services from a variety of suppliers, and special applications for hotels, airlines, car rental companies and bus operators.
On a supply market that is becoming increasingly complex the one important aspect for many customers and trade visitors is to know which particular section of the value-added chain a particular travel technology company`s products and services are intended for. Consequently one of today`s main challenges is to present the range of products and explain their advantages to buyers with differing degrees of technological expertise. The ITB Berlin provides a number of forums and other platforms that are ideally qualified to meet these requirements. The concentration of technology providers in Halls 6.1, 7.1c and 8.1 ensures that information can be obtained quickly and selectively.
This event will also promote a dialogue and an exchange of views, for example at the ITB Business Travel Lounge and the ITB Business Travel Days (13-15 March, Hall 8.1), both of which are closely linked with the 25th Travel Technology Convention, which is again being organised by TMS Messen-Kongresse-Ausstellungen GmbH on behalf of Messe Berlin. Leading figures from the industry will be speaking at this event, taking a critical look at current economic and technological developments in travel marketing. With an average of 400 participants from home and abroad, representing the management of tour operators, tourism offices, hotels, carriers, travel agencies, IT companies and the business travel sector, the TT Convention is among the most outstanding of all the events accompanying the ITB Berlin.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
