Photo (from left to right): Ralf Usbeck (Founder and Chairman of the Supervisory Board), Karlheinz Kogel (HLX), Nicole Sohnrey (TUI), Kay Hellwig (Deutsche Bahn Vertrieb), Rainer Perling (DER Touristik), Stefan Seibel (Thomas Cook), Jan Gerlach (CEO Peakwork).
Now in its fifth consecutive year, Peakwork Partner Connect is an established key networking event in the leisure travel business.
DUSSELDORF – The Peakwork leisure travel network is continuing its double digit growth and connecting international tour operators, bedbanks, airlines, OTAs and metasearchers both technically and personally/physically: In the year of Peakwork’s 10th anniversary, around 350 senior travel industry managers, representing 145 companies from 25 countries (including US, Russia, China, United Arab Emirates, Taiwan and more) met in Dusseldorf to connect and discuss the latest trends and future technologies in the travel industry. Now in its fifth consecutive year, Peakwork Partner Connect is an established key networking event in the leisure travel business.
Friedrich Joussen, CEO of TUI Group, gave insights into the growth strategies of this leading tour operator through clever inventory management, individualized customer management and upselling additional services. Google stated the rising relevance of artificial intelligence to identify travellers’ requirements and the need to simplify travel planning for users. GetYourGuide shared the vision of offering worldwide access to activities and experiences. TripAdvisor presented their new social platform and took a deep dive into data analytics to raise the competitiveness and visibility of touristic brands. Peakwork presented insights into future technologies which will gain relevance in the digital travel business in the next 10 years, including artificial intelligence, machine learning for travel booking via voice control, image recognition to improve image choice and quality on booking websites, booking data analytics as well as what the trend of virtual avatars could mean for the travel industry.
Peakwork also presented awards for outstanding projects based on Peakwork’s Player Hub Technology: Deutsche Bahn was awarded with the Peakwork Innovation Award for the development of the Rail Package Player, allowing tour operators to bundle travel packages with rail components in more than twelve countries around their German core market. The Best Practice Award went to Thomas Cook for their new B2B search and booking solution which is being rolled out to travel agencies in all European markets. First Partner Awards were presented to the tour operator partners Peakwork is still working closely with since the early Peakwork days. Winners included TUI, Thomas Cook, DER Touristik and HLX/Holidays.ch with various airline vacation projects.
Peakwork, founded in 2009, has established a strong leisure travel network with more than 110 flight and hotel suppliers and almost 100 tour operator brands live in 35 markets.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
