Within two years, holidaymakers and business travellers could receive travel tickets, booking and destination information, and after care customer service direct to their mobile phones.

And by 2010, mobile technology could be sophisticated enough for customers to browse and book holidays direct using their handsets.

This insight into the future of travel technology was revealed today by Steve Procter, CEO of Mobycards, and an exhibitor at next month’s Travel Technology Show.

Organised by Centaur Exhibitions, the Travel Technology Show takes place from 31st January - 1st February 2006 at London’s Olympia 2. It showcases travel technology solutions.

“Mobile technology is a very powerful marketing and customer relationship management tool that can be used to great effect by travel suppliers in conjunction with traditional or online booking systems,” explained Steve Procter.

“Mobiles can be used to deliver travel tickets conveniently and securely and to deliver booking and destination information as a value added service.

Travel suppliers can also use mobile technology as a revenue generator by charging to send City Guides, for example, direct to a customer’s mobile.

And they can be used as a channel for after care, particularly for airlines, which could text passengers with real time flight information, keeping them up-to-date and happy.

“Given that 95 per cent of adults in the UK have a mobile phone and nearly all of us take them with us when we travel, I would urge more companies to consider using this technology to enhance their customer service offering and differentiate themselves from the competition”

Travel Technology Show Event Director Neil Simpson added: “Mobile is just one of many exciting technologies that are forcing the travel industry forward at such an incredible pace.

At the Travel Technology Show, visitors will be able to see next generation products and services from over 100 travel technology suppliers - an opportunity that is not replicated anywhere else in Europe.”

The Travel Technology Show also hosts a complementary Seminar Programme where visitors can get a feel for, among other things, future technology trends in the session ‘Future Access Technology Trends - A Glimpse at the Future’.

Speakers from Accenture, Harvey World Travel and Exodus Systems will discuss next generation technology trends, including virtual reality kiosks and voice-recognition software.

And finally, visitors can hear about the latest sales, marketing, distribution and pricing strategies at the Product Presentation Theatre and get free technology advice at the Advice Centre.

This year, for the first time, the Advice Centre will be offering an exclusive service called eConsultancy, which provides ongoing free technology advice from Equinus, the UK’s leading travel technology consultancy.

More than 3000 visitors attended the Travel Technology Show in 2005, an increase of 44 percent from the previous year, and 100 plus exhibitors were on the show floor.
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