Technology key to access new markets
A home-stay in Kerala can now market itself just like one of the big hotel chains to its target audience even in London, or Sydney. reports how technology helps entrepreneurs to widen their reach.
At the recently held International Conference on Travel Technology (ICTT) in Kerala, Oommen Chandy, Chief Minister, Kerala highlighted the important role technology plays in enabling all entrepreneurs in accessing new markets in the travel and hospitality business.
“India has made a significant progress in the global tourism arena. However, it still has a long way to go to realise its true tourism potential. Here, it requires a surge of entrepreneurship to develop the various travel attractions and make them great tourism products. In fact, all that is needed to fuel this surge of entrepreneurship are various platforms and channels for marketing the various travel attractions,” said Chandy. “In this case,
technology revolution becomes an enabler that helps thousands of entrepreneurs in the travel business reach out to markets that were inaccessible earlier.
Entering into these markets required massive investments. Technology has become a great enabler for new businesses in the tourism sector to partner with stakeholders across multiple geographies,” he added.
ICTT had been organised by the Kerala-based Association of Travel Trade Organisations, India (ATTOI) and was recently held in Kovalam, Kerala. The objective of this conference was to prepare the travel and tourism industrialists in India and neighbouring countries to understand the importance of web marketing, techniques for using the resources avail- able online to drive business, get inputs in adapting to the changing technology and acquiring skills to beat the competition.
Here Chandy insists that technology has enabled micro enterprises and individuals to reach out to their markets across the seas. “A home stay in Kerala can now market itself just like one of the big hotel chains to its tar- get audience even in London, or Sydney. In Kerala, we have lot of entrepreneurs in the tourism sector and I am sure that technology will give them wings,” he added.