Tech edge for Indian agents
The International Conference on Travel Technology India is the first- of-its-kind international meet on travel technology to be hosted in Kerala on June 7.
PEDEN DOMA BHUTIA The
International Conference on Travel Technology India, which will be inaugurated on June 7 by Kerala’s Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, takes note of the all-pervading impact of technology in every sphere of life. This three- day meet, from June 7-9, at The Leela Kovalam, will be the first-ofits-kind international meet on travel technology. Organised by the Association of Travel Trade Organisations, India (ATTOI) with the support of the state tourism department, the event will be attended by more than 400 delegates from India and abroad.
An exhibition will also be organised on the sidelines of the conference to provide an opportunity for travel and tourism businesses to showcase their products and services. In a bid to keep abreast of the rapidly changing business scenario where the tourism fraternity is heavily dependent on technology and innovations, the event will trace changes happening over the web space, travelrelated software and mobile applications.
Talking about the event, Shailesh Nair, Convenor, ICTT, says, “The idea is to educate the travel and trade fraternity. Technology is very important for tourism as the industry has become heavi- ly-dependent on tech lately. Most businesses have gone online, and most of the enquiries that come to us are also online these days. Online is the future, and the event is a continuing education programme for the fraternity. ICTT will help the agents and hoteliers to expand their online presence and attract more tourists.”
The event will also host international speakers including Sheila Scarborough, a writer and speaker specialising in tourism, travel and social media, Selina Power, Social Media Specialist and Social Media Commentator from Australia, Adam Franklin, Australian Social Media Expert and marketing manager of Bluewire Media, Philip Calvert, an award-winning social networking entrepreneur, a professional speaker on Social Media sales strategy, LinkedIn expert and author. From India, the speakers include Avijit Arya, CEO, Internet Moguls; Jaydip Parikh, Founder and CEO of Digital Marketing Company, Tej SolPro and Namrita Sehgal, who currently leads worldwide Digital Marketing for Taj Hotels and manages a multi-million dollar global Ecommerce revenue stream.
Nair adds, “In the current scenario, there is only 5 per cent Internet penetration in our country. Can you imagine what it is going to be like if it escalates to 10 per cent ICCT is a preparatory class for our trade partners.”