Kerala to host country's first meet on travel technology

Thiruvananthapuram, April 27 (IANS) The country's first international event on travel technologies will be held in Kerala, with the objective of helping the travel and tourism industry leverage the massive marketing potential of the internet.

The International Conference on Travel Technology (ICTT) India will be held at the tourism destination of Kovalam near here June 7-9.

Subject experts -- tour operators, hotel and resort owners, tourism marketing professionals, academics, researchers and think tanks -- from India and abroad will gather at the conference to discuss evolving technologies and the opportunities they present.

ICTT India is being organised by the Association of Travel Trade Organisations, India (ATTOI) - a not-for-profit body working to promote responsible travel and sustainable tourism with the support of Kerala's Department of Tourism.

"From researching destinations to planning travel, tourists today are heavily influenced by the social media and other online resources. Businesses here need to understand the web space and know how to make technology work for them, which is what we hope to achieve with ICTT India," said P.K. Anish Kumar, secretary, ATTOI and organising secretary, ICTT.

ICTT India will also be a platform for Travel Technology companies to showcase their newly developed software and mobile applications and discuss improvements and innovations.

"Thanks to IT, the nature of business has changed considerably. The internet has become the first point of reference, and social media a primary channel for information," said tourism secretary Suman Billa.

An exhibition will be organised on the sidelines of the conference to provide an opportunity for travel and tourism businesses to showcase their products and services.

Among the exhibitors are national and state tourism departments, national and international tourism organisations, trade bodies, tour operators, hotels, resorts, health spas and medical tourism facilities, technology and communications services providers, IT companies, financial service providers, airlines, education institutes and tourism publications.