WTM London, the world’s most influential international travel exhibition, is giving special emphasis to technology this year, organizing the Technology Summit on the role of innovation in supporting tourism professionals in a period of intense change and turbulence.
The conference will take place on Wednesday, November 5, at the Purple Stage, from 10:45 to 13:45, bringing to the stage leading international experts, entrepreneurs, lawyers, investors and researchers in tourism and technology.
This year’s theme is linked to the central slogan of WTM London, “Reimagining Travel in a Changing World”, and has been curated by Timothy O’Neil-Dunne, WTM’s technology advisor and well-known industry analyst. O’Neil-Dunne was a founding member of Expedia and is currently the CEO of T2Impact Ltd, an international aviation and tourism advisory and investment firm.
The AI debate
The central theme of this year’s discussions is artificial intelligence (AI) – with the key question being: is it a friend or foe of tourism?
The relevant discussion will feature Stephen Joyce from Prospect Group and Christian Watts from Magpie Travel, attempting to shed light on the opportunities and risks posed by the rapid spread of AI in the travel sector.
Rhys Griffiths and Farina Azam, lawyers at Fox Williams, will discuss the legal and regulatory implications of using AI in tourism businesses, while Andreas Nau (Ennea Capital Partners) and Min Liu (Cambon Partners) will examine how the investment community is responding to the “AI era” of tourism.
New roles and new data
Artificial intelligence is also fundamentally changing the role of the travel agent, as James Lever (DataArt) and Gulce Rozenveld (Oojo.com) will explain, while Sally Bunnell from NaviSavi will present how video content is now shaping users’ travel decisions.
Data analytics is also a critical area. Dave Goodger from Tourism Economics will show how travel insights can be combined with economic indicators to make smarter business decisions. Meanwhile, Thomas Dillon (A3M) and James Spalding (Trip.com Group) will discuss the delicate balance between hyper-personalization and privacy.
Innovations in payments and aviation
The program also includes a special section on technological developments in payments, with representatives from Stripe, Trust My Group, actuary.aero and Almosafer, who will analyze both the B2B and B2C landscapes.
Airlines are gaining a greater presence at WTM London and this year’s Technology Summit. Filip Filipov from OAG will present the latest data on the global aviation market, while Amanda Campbell (T2RL) and Nadine Wood, a former Qantas executive, will examine the evolution of low-cost carriers and the lessons for traditional carriers.
The future is connected
WTM London’s Official Technology Partner, Holafly, joins CEO Pablo Gómez Fernandez-Quintanilla in a 20-minute discussion with O’Neil-Dunne, entitled “Connected Futures: Tech, Data and the Power of eSIMs”, at 13:50.
Finally, Roman Townsend from Belvera Partners will present the latest developments in artificial and virtual reality, showing how these technologies are reshaping the travel experience.
As Timothy O’Neil-Dunne noted: “We will hear a wide range of views on the hottest issues in tourism technology. Artificial intelligence is just the beginning – data, payments and air transport are also playing a key role. By the end, we will attempt to answer the most crucial question of our time: is AI good or bad for tourism?”
