TTI unveils new strategy
The Travel Technology Initiative has revealed a new strategy designed to give it a wider role in promoting the development and take-up of new technology within the travel industry.
The Building on Success strategy sees TTI moving beyond its traditional role of developing XML standards for use across the travel industry.
Overwhelming feedback from consultation was that members wanted TTI to engage in projects that will take the organisation beyond the work in which it has been involved.
Work to date includes the recent launch of TORIX, intended as an XML replacement for viewdata and TOPAS, a standard for the electronic transfer of tour operator product availability to travel agents and the data-scanning companies that serve them.
Both these new standards are being adopted by travel companies who TTI says are seeing “significant cost savings” as a result of improved efficiency and additional profits from being able to distribute via new channels to market such as the online travel agents and meta-search engines.
The new strategy will start in March when the organisation will hold the first new style management meeting. All TTI Executive Members are eligible to attend these meetings and can actively decide which projects the organisation will adopt. Projects may be proposed by Executive or Associate Members.
Potential projects include: extending the TORIX message set to encompass non-packaged travel components, the development of a standard for the electronic transfer of content such as hotel images and descriptions, standardisation of geo-coding (the codes that describe countries, regions and resorts) and the development of a generic model of travel intermediary business processes.
Most major UK travel companies and technology suppliers are members of TTI and so the organisation expects that its new role will have a significant impact on the industry.
TTI chairman Tony Allen said: “Our members have called for TTI to extend the excellent work the organisation has been doing into new areas of interest and we have responded with a strategy that will see TTI involved in many avenues of I.T. I expect TTI to be a major influence on the direction of travel technology for many years ahead.”
Report by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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