Tag Archives: World Travel Market

Prof. Dimitrios Buhalis and Barbara Neuhofer of the eTourismLab at the IFITT@WTM Technology enabling Travel

by Barbara Neuhofer

WTM TECHNOLOGY ENABLING TRAVEL ORGANISED BY IFITT

5th NOVEMBER 2012

Technology Enabled Tourism Experience Economy
The International Federation for IT and Travel & Tourism (IFITT) is hosting a workshop entitled “WTM Technology enabling travel organised by IFITT” at the London World Travel Market (WTM) 2012. The event will take place on Monday, 5th November 2012 from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm in the South Gallery Room of the WTM exhibition grounds, ExCel, London.
In this workshop representatives from leading travel and tourism businesses will discuss current issues relating to tourism and technology, exploring specifically how recent technological developments can enhance travel and tourism experiences. The experience economy has become an increasingly important concept in modern society as well as in business. Tourism as a traditionally service-dominated industry has always been on the forefront of the experience economy. Therefore, for tourism businesses, designing and delivering meaningful, unique and memorable consumer experiences has become an imperative. At the same time, recent dynamic technological advancements have provided opportunities for adding value to already high-level quality tourism products and services.
IFITT President Professor Dimitrios Buhalis said “as tourism and leisure are increasingly recognised as experience industries we need to explore how technologies and technology enabled services will be critical in developing and delivering dynamic tourism experiences. Social media, mobile technologies, augmented reality and eventually gaming will give us technological tools for developing such experiences.” The event will explore this fantastically exciting area and discuss how businesses in the tourism, travel, cruise, aviation, or hospitality sectors, as well as a number of destination management organisations, have successfully implemented recent technologies in order to enhance the experiences for their customers.
The workshop will be moderated by Professor Dimitrios Buhalis (IFITT President and Director eTourismLab, Bournemouth University). Speakers from the travel and tourism industry and academia will include

 

The admission to the IFITT workshop is free to all visitors BUT registration to access the WTM is required. To register for the workshop and access, visit http://ifitt.eventbrite.co.uk/ to register for the WTM please visit http://www.wtmlondon.com/
For more information contact: Professor Dimitrios Buhalis (IFITT President) at ifitt@ifitt.org or dbuhalis@bournemouth.ac.uk

BU Tourism Futures Forum @ WTM2011

by Mike Martin

World Travel Market, ExCeL, London,
Thursday 10th November 2011 – 14.00 to 16.00 Room: North Gallery Rooms 6&7
Seminar Details
Chaired by Professor Dimitrios Buhalis

<a href="http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/tourismBournemouth University tourism experts organise again the BU Tourism Futures Forum @ WTM2011 and engage leading tourism practitioners from around the world on an interactive discussion to examine the future of tourism. The global challenges and opportunities for both tourism destinations and suppliers around the world require innovation in management and operations, calling for a major rethinking of both strategic and tactical Tourism Management. The Tourism Futures Forum will provide an insight into the future dimensions of the tourism industry. It examines major trends in tourism demand and supply and explores the strategic changes that lead to the international tourism industry restructuring. The Forum will be organised by
<a href="http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/icthr/Bournemouth University in partnership with the World Travel Market and the TravelDailyNews are organising this forum to facilitate debate about the key strategic changes and to engage in a discussion about the successful response of the industry. The event will involve two short research-based presentations to stimulate discussion. Chairman Prof Dimitrios Buhalis will encourage all participants to contribute to the debate and discussion.

Invited Presentations

  • Dr Marcio Favila, United Nations World Tourism Organisation, Global Tourism Trends
  • Professor Adele Ladkin Human Resources trends and Tourism
  • Dr Richard Shipway Olympics, Sport Tourism and Legacy

Invited Panelists include

  • Marcio Favila, United Nations World Tourism Organisation
  • Dermot Blastland TUI UK
  • John Kent YouTravel & Aquis UK and Greece
  • Jens Thraenhart DragonTrail.com China
  • El Hamy El Zayat EMECO Egypt
  • Justin Reid VisitBritain UK
  • Daniela Wagner ewaterways UK
  • Dmitry Khrapov tutu.ru Russia
  • Ana Sustelo Just a Drop UK
  • Gerard Brown, UBM Aviation, Routes UK

BU launches eTourism Lab

by Mike Martin

Bournemouth University is launching the eTourism Lab (eTL) at the World Travel Market 2011.

This exciting new research Lab will explore cutting edge information and communication technologies, alongside e-based strategic management and marketing for the tourism and hospitality industries. The eTourism lab’s mission is to push back the barriers of knowledge on eTourism and through Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) empower policy making and strategic competitive advantage.

The Lab is led by Bournemouth University’s Professor Dimitrios Buhalis, who’s currently President of the International Federation for Information Technologies in Travel and Tourism (IFITT). Professor Buhalis said: “As Information Communication Technologies become globally pivotal both commercial and public organisations are increasingly depending on their ability to embrace, foster and develop information technology for achieving competitive advantage and implementing strategy.”

The eTourism Lab will reside within the International Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Research (ICTHR) in the School of Tourism at Bournemouth University. The School has a long tradition of generating research output in the information technology and information systems field and the formation of the Lab demonstrates the university’s commitment to this field.

Professor Buhalis continued: “Bournemouth University is in the cutting edge of eTourism research and is working closely with international organisations to create agile solutions and dynamic innovations. Technology will be critical for competitive advantage and our research will have great relevance and global impact”.

The eTourism Lab will offer global excellence in the field of eTourism in the widest possible sense which includes eTravel, eTransport, eHospitality and eCatering/Food. In addition it will research how social media is becoming critical for organisations to communicate effectively and compete globally.

The Lab will generate synergies with the newly established MSc in eTourism; it will engage with multiple stakeholders and will also enable the School to be recognised as one of the key research organisations in this field. Academic members include Dr Philip Alford, Dr Soo Jun, Dr Miguel Moital, Dr Christos Gatzidis and researchers include John Fotis, Nicolas Gregori, Barbara Neuhofer, Andrew Spencer, Ivana Rihova, Soultana Symeonidou, Georgina Sekadakis, Zornitza Yovcheva and Luca Smiroldo.

A number of projects on eTourism Marketing, Social Media and eConsumer Behaviour are currently underway. The eTL reflects increasing global interest from bodies such as the World Tourism Organisation, the World Travel and Tourism Council and the European Commission in the wide range of implications of ICTs. The eTL aims to provide research results, which will facilitate both policy making at the macro level as well as strategic tools for optimising competitiveness and maximising profitability at the micro level. The eTL will collaborate globally in developing this pioneering vision and strategy.