Travel experts must acquire the necessary knowledge to keep abreast of the latest technological developments and their impact on the tourism industry. Travel technology is a key market and the eTravel World at ITB Berlin provides all the latest information. A fast-growing segment, the eTravel World has now moved to the Travel Technology Hall (6.1). Thus the world’s leading travel trade show has combined this market with exhibitors of traditional technology, which can now be found next door in Hall 5.1. In Hall 6.1 the eTravel World will gain an extra 50 per cent of floor space and a larger stage, enabling it to meet the growing demand.

One of the most pressing issues which experts holding three lectures will be discussing is that of secure communications. On 5 March experts from Secusmart and Sophos will be giving papers on “Bug-proof mobile communications“ and “Bring Your Own Device“ respectively. On 7 March the software manufacturer SAP will be talking about the “The cloud“. Big data is another key topic.

On 6 March, for the first time, ITB Berlin and the International Federation for Information Technologies in Travel and Tourism (IFITT) will be co-organising a two-hour workshop (IFITT@ITB). International experts will be discussing “E-tourism – social media and big data: In search of competitiveness“. Prof. Dimitri Buhalis will moderate the event. The workshop will highlight the potential of business intelligence and data mining for the travel and tourism industry. The panel members are Prof. Dimitrios Buhalis, University of Bournemouth, UK; Prof. Wolfram Höpken, Hochschule Ravensburg-Weingarten, Germany and Prof. Matthias Fuchs, Mid-Sweden University, Sweden.

On 7 March, a panel discussion involving Traveldudes, Reiseblogger Kollektiv, DZT and häberlein & maurer will be debating “Social media monitoring” and “Return on investment”. More and more bloggers, agencies and destinations are collaborating with each other. At a number of lectures and discussion rounds Germany’s most successful bloggers, including Anja Beckmann (travelontoast.de), will be explaining how working together can benefit all parties concerned. Furthermore, on the days reserved for trade visitors and on the Saturday of the show, taking place on the eTravel Stage, professional travel bloggers will be presenting travel destinations, among them Sebastian Canaves (offthepath.com) and Laurel Robbins (monkeyandmountains.com).

Innovations which could kickstart a future trend and practical tips
Everyone is eagerly awaiting innovations which could kickstart a future trend. On 6 March mattheis.werbeagentur will be presenting “Gamification in tourism“. On 7 March SITA, an IT company, will be demonstrating “Wearables“ and Ray Sono, an internet agency, will be presenting “Responsive Design“. On 5 March iBusiness will be debating the issue of how much web and app developments really cost. On 7 March Routerank will be discussing the possibilities for planning door-to-door travel.

On 5 March Tourismuszukunft will be providing visitors with valuable practical knowledge and discussing best cases with members of the audience. Videos will also serve to highlight the topic of brand engagement. On 5 and 6 March respectively, Eduardo Perrez and BrandEngage will be showing how to implement the necessary tools to achieve success.

Guided tours offer expert help
For the first time at the show, ITB Berlin and Tourismuszukunft will be co-organising tours to guide visitors around Travel Technology. The tours will focus on software for the hotel industry, destinations and tour operators. A Mobile Technology tour will also be on offer. The tours will be taking place on 5 and 7 March. Participation is free for trade visitors and journalists, who must register in advance