This year has seen travel technology hit a high with an explosion of new online travel solutions and mobile applications and confidence in the industry soar as a result.

This has been reflected in a record number of travel technology exhibitors at World Travel Market with interest for the first time from global technology leaders in the travel industry at the event.

Once again, WTM is providing a programme of technology events covering many of the latest trends, with a comprehensive educational programme of workshops, seminars and conferences from new conference partner, Travolution and seminar partner, Genesys.  New this year will be a presentation from global IT analysts, IDC, on the future of travel technology, with a report on best practice from Cisco Systems, the worldwide leader in Internet technology.  Silicon.com will be the first mainstream IT media partner at WTM providing a global online reach to the technology industry.

Tech highlights at WTM

Genesys, the expert travel technology consultant, will be organising seminars and workshops on Monday 6th November and Thursday, 9th November with presentations available afterwards via the Genesys and WTM websites.  Seminars will cover topics such as how to maximize potential on the Web, the latest online developments such as the use of tagging, animation and interactive maps on websites and RSS simple information feeds as well as the future of the travel agent.

‘Travolution@WTM - covering travel in the digital world’, a new WTM joint initiative, is a two-day online travel conference on Tuesday, 7th November and Wednesday, 8th November, with some of the biggest names in travel and the new media world.  Delegates will learn about new social media tools such as blogs, wikis and podcasts, as well as best practice in ecommerce, online advertising and web design, led by some of the most innovative brands in the online travel arena.  The conference will use innovative, interactive delivery such as live blogging and electronic voting, to identify new opportunities for online travel brands, e-marketing, CRM and web design.

Keynote speakers from Google to the Guardian, BA.com to MSN will unveil how the some of the world’s biggest brands have made the transition to become Internet success stories.

IDC (International Data Corporation), the leading global IT analysts, will be forecasting the future of travel technology in a cutting edge report with their predictions at WTM on Tuesday, 7th November at 2pm. The report will focus on the challenges & trends in travel and transportation, future travel technology directions and emerging technologies in the travel sector.  With over 850 analysts in 50 countries IDC has provided global expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends for more than 42 years, offering strategic insights to help the world’s largest technology companies achieve their key business objectives.

Speakers from Cisco Systems, the worldwide leader in Internet technology, will draw on recent success stories to present their view on best practice in the travel & transport industry and how emerging technologies will support the business transformation process in future.

Online media publication TravelMole is offering onsite and online media coverage at WTM once more, with journalists delivering stories up to the event and reporting the latest news online from the event as it happens.  Silicon.com will extend WTM’s reach into the global technology industry as IT media partner through its global online network.

For the second year running, WTM and TravelMole are holding the Travel Technology Awards, which recognise excellence in innovation, service and performance across the many sectors of the travel and tourism industry which are dependent upon technology companies. Held on Wednesday, 8th November on the World Stage at WTM at 3-3.30pm, new awards for destination management and the most innovative travel technology stand at WTM will be presented this year.  Other awards being presented include dynamic packaging, online brochure technology, innovation in mobile technology, booking systems, travel agency desktop tools, corporate online booking systems, tour and resort property management systems and hotel online reservation systems.

The International Federation of Information Technology & Tourism (IFITT), a non-profit organisation which aims to promote international discussion about information technologies in the field of tourism, will be promoting WTM to its membership drawn from the industry and will form part of the judging panel for the Travel Technology Awards.

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