25 August 2009

WIT, ITB Asia chart changes in online travel

SINGAPORE Ã¢â¬' The year 2009 is being tipped as the Ã¢â¬ËœYear of the DealÃ¢â¬â¢ when online travel in Asia will come into its own.

Online Travel Agencies operating in the region are still reporting growth in transaction volumes albeit yields are down.

Low cost carriers, taking advantage of the economic downturn and trading down by consumers, are expanding and aggressively promoting cheap fares on their websites.

Premium airlines are also pushing special fares online.

It is against this background that WIT-Web In Travel 2009 will be held in partnership with ITB Asia, October 20-23 at the Suntec Singapore Exhibition & Convention Centre.

Leaders in the travel distribution, marketing and technology industry will gather to discuss the latest trends and debate the hottest topics that are driving change in this dynamic environment.

Hotel groups, for example, are changing their strategies by introducing exclusive online sales, group-wide discounts and value offers on their branded websites.

The depressed market conditions are forcing suppliers to become more creative and adventurous in their distribution and marketing, and all are seeking to increase their presence in the electronic channels while maintaining traditional ones.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœIt will be the highest profile and most diverse gathering of experts in this field,Ã¢â¬~ said Yeoh Siew Hoon, producer of WIT.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœTo date, we have gathered an impressive list of speakers from JapanÃ¢â¬â¢s Rakuten Travel and AustraliaÃ¢â¬â¢s Webjet to regional names such as Wotif, Agoda and Asiarooms and global brands like Expedia and Travelocity.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœWe also have CEOs of global companies such as Banyan Tree, Accor Asia Pacific, Travelport, Abacus and Sabre represented.Ã¢â¬~

Held in conjunction with ITB Asia, WIT, which celebrates its fifth anniversary this year, will bring a touch of Ã¢â¬ÅâœTough LoveÃ¢â¬~ to its programme which will cover issues such as management and leadership in difficult times and branding and marketing in the digital age and hot-button topics such as social media, search, rate parity, content, branding and mobile.

A ticket to WIT, The Main Event includes free admission to the WIT Ideas Lab at ITB Asia; ITB Asia itself; Ã¢â¬ÅâœAsia ConnectÃ¢â¬~ workshops by HSMAI Asia Pacific and a Business Events Forum.

For further information about WIT and to book, visit Ã¢â¬~¨www.webintravel.com.

TravelMole is a media partner for WIT and ITB Asia