ITB Asia, ‘Asia’s Leading Travel Trade Show’, will focus on  the  interdependence  of  travel  and  technology  this  year,  under  the  overarching conference  theme  of  “Travel  Reimagined”.  Key  leaders  in  travel  and  tech  will  provide profound insights on the major trends provoking disruption across the travel industry whilst analysing  how companies  are innovating to stay ahead.  Hosted at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Marina Bay Sands, the conference will take place from 17 - 19 October

2018.

Impressive growth in the travel industry has been a result of travel tech start-ups launching and the speed of innovation in travel technology. According to ‘The State of Travel Start- ups 2017’, there were 1,497 digital startups around the globe which attracted nearly $62 billion  in  funding,  almost  double  from  the  previous  year.1  Technology  in  travel  is  thus growing fast and rapidly changing the way in which we travel. Taking 8% of global travel tech share, China has accounted for over a quarter of funding to the travel tech industry since 2013.2  In light of this, ITB Asia will be hosting a series of talks on travel technologies which will take place at the Travel & Tech Hub, allowing delegates to immerse in the game- changing technology that is progressing travel, meetings and business.

Speakers from leading tech firms will demonstrate how emerging and innovative tech can offer meaningful connections between travel brands and customers for true ROI. At ITB Asia 2018, delegates will gain insights into what the future holds for the leisure, the MICE and corporate travel sectors and the industry’s biggest challenges that can effectively be resolved through new tech.

Top technology and travel companies across the globe, including Booking.com, Egencia, Fliggy, Hotelbeds Group, KAYAK, Microsoft, Sabre, SITA, Skyscanner, Tencent, Travelport and Tujia will be joining the show with senior representatives, from Vice President to C- Level, on the stage talking about which technologies will truly transform travel. The show’s agenda  will  be  dominated  by  discussions  from  AI  to  virtual  reality  (VR),  biometrics, blockchain and  robotics  utilising  case  study examples  and  practical  application in travel management, business travel, hotel operations, travel photography, and dining experience etc.

Launching the new MICE Tech Showcase, the conference will feature innovations that will

help solve today’s complex issues in the MICE industry.

This year, ITB Asia is proud to join hands with Asian Development Bank with the Mekong Innovative  Start-up  Tourism  (MIST),  Innovel  Travel  Tech,  Skift  and  Troovo  as  the representative. Skift will be hosting a session at the Knowledge Theatre on ‘Post Experience Economy: Innovators At The Edge of Travel’. This new term, the ‘Post Experience Economy’ will look at the travel economy where everyone is already marketing experiences and smart innovators are thinking about the post-experience economy.

As a partner at the MICE & Corporate Hub, Troovo, a leading Robotic Process Automation solutions  provider,  will  join  ITB  Asia  to  tackle  the  positive  impact  of  virtualisation  and robotics for the travel industry. Exploring the endless possibilities of the virtual world and utilising them to expand the possibilities of the actual world, Troovo provides solutions on virtual payments, automating workflow and simplifying data process in corporations. As a strong  believer  in  automation  to  enable  greater  productivity  and  higher  profitability, Troovo’s Co-Founder and CEO, Kurt Knackstedt, will host a one-hour session on 18 October to  discuss  how  we  can  take  away  the  laborious  task  of  data  entry  and  grunt  work  of processing travel and payment transactions. Sharing further insights, he will draw on his experience  which  spans  over  20  years  and  4  continents,  across  technology,  travel, procurement,  leadership  and  marketing  roles  at  multinationals,  start-ups  and  his  own consulting business.

Kurt Knackstedt, Chief Executive Officer of Troovo commented, “Troovo is excited to be a part of ITB Asia, as the Asian region is rapidly pushing ahead with new technologies and strategies for travel. As a technology company also driving a new direction for the industry, it’s key for us at Troovo to help shape and lead the discussion about why travel needs to continue to embrace disruption and new ideas to keep our industry fresh and  forward- thinking. We’re looking forward to some amazing conversations in October in Singapore!”

ITB Asia’s strategic partnership with Asian Development Bank and Innovel Travel Tech will reach out to the young, tech-savvy companies around the world that are innovating with breakthrough  technologies.  Both  will  be  hosting  a  session  on  travel  start-ups  in  the dedicated conference track at the Travel and Tech Hub.

Rom Hendler, Founder & CEO, Innovel noted, “TravelTech is the new black of the tech industry. Travel is one of the biggest industries in the world, and it is ready for innovation and  disruption.  Innovel  bridges  between  the  innovative  start-up  community  and  the traditional international travel industry, focusing on one of the hottest tech markets in the world, Israel. There is no better place than ITB Asia to showcase this innovation to the key players of the travel industry in the region.”

Jason  Lusk,  Project  Director  of  Mekong  Innovative  Start-ups  in  Tourism  (MIST),  Asian Development Bank said, “The MIST start-up accelerator is thrilled to join this year’s ITB Asia programme. Our innovative start-ups are equipping Asia’s travel industry to serve travellers better and more sustainably. What better place to show them off them than at Asia’s largest travel trade show?”

For more information on ITB Asia 2018, visit www.itb-asia.com.