Top travel technology experts will participate in a dedicated digital session that will highlight some of the most important technology trends and innovations that could benefit Travel & Tourism over the next decade and beyond. This informative session will take place during the 11th Global Travel & Tourism Summit in Vegas on 17 - 19 May.

Travellers will book one third of the world’s travel sales online by the end of 2012, according to a new report from PhoCusWright. Online leisure/unmanaged business travel bookings will grow twice as fast as the total market, to surpass US$313 billion by 2012.

As online travel continues to grow and expand into emerging markets, new channels that enable consumers to get online and make bookings are driving and facilitating this growth. Recent years have seen the explosive growth of mobile technology as well as its expansion into developing markets. Meanwhile social networking has fundamentally changed tourism marketing and distribution, presenting opportunities for Travel & Tourism.

On Wednesday 18 May, the ‘High-Speed Growth in Digital Lane’ session will focus on the latest developments in digital and mobile technologies, online travel and social networking, and look at how the balance between OTAs and suppliers is changing.

The question of whether Travel & Tourism has the right mindset when it comes to online business opportunities will be raised, and industry experts will look at whether the industry is in a position to embrace them fully so that its growth potential can be realised.

“Technology-based innovation separates winners from losers,” commented PhoCusWright CEO Philip Wolf, who will moderate the session. “The High-Speed Growth in Digital Lane session during the Summit illuminates a key catalyst for growth in the world’s largest industry.”

Philip Wolf, President & CEO, PhoCusWright will moderate part of the session and other panellists will include:

Barney Harford, President & CEO, Orbitz Worldwide
David Pavelko, Head of Travel, Google
Patrick Payne, CEO, QuickMobile
Stephen Kaufer, President & CEO, TripAdvisor
Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO, Expedia
Yeoh Siew Hoon, Editor & Producer, Web in Travel

Questions that will inform the debate will include:

How can Travel & Tourism make sure it is up to speed when it comes to digital media and social networking?
How will the ongoing developments in social networking impact marketing and distribution?
Content is still critical - but whose content will it be and how will it get distributed?
How can the industry harness the power of mobile technology in emerging markets?
What technologies should we be developing to provide solutions to these challenges?
What are the risks of not embracing technology?