ITB Asia: strengthening future resilience in travel and tourism

# tags: MICE , Events , Exhibitions , Meetings Industry , ITB Asia

ITB Asia announces 2024 conference theme as ‘Innovating for Tomorrow: Strengthening Future Resilience in Travel and Tourism’.

The conference spans over 3-days from 23 – 25 October at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore, alongside MICE Show Asia and Travel Tech Asia. Across three stages, renowned industry experts will explore, debate and discuss the latest insights revolutionising the travel and tourism sector.

As the travel industry continues to evolve at an unparalleled pace, the ITB Asia Conference 2024 provides the key platform to stay on the cutting edge and shape a resilient and dynamic future for global travel and tourism.

Under this year’s theme ‘Innovating for Tomorrow: Strengthening Future Resilience in Travel and Tourism’, the agenda of the three-day conference comprises ground-breaking knowledge and insights across three focused tracks on how to adapt to changing consumer expectations, improve operational efficiency and create more sustainable and immersive experiences.

“ITB Asia Conference is where tourism leaders gather to take the pulse of the future and discuss trends on business continuity and resilience. ITB Asia is jam-packed and full of energy, celebrating the vibrant travel and tourism scene with its cultural and destination showcases, complemented by a seamless B2B business meetings scheduler,” says Joyce Wang, Executive Director of Messe Berlin Asia Pacific, the organiser of ITB Asia, MICE Show Asia and Travel Tech Asia.

“The most pressing topics critical to the future of MICE, corporate travel, leisure travel, and travel technology will be discussed by a line-up of high-calibre international speakers to strengthen the industry's resilience and pave the way for the future.”

“Technology is a catalyst that shapes the future of tourism”

The opening keynote on Day One, 23 October, will feature a keynote speech from Liz Ortiguera, Managing Director Asia-Pacific and Sr Advisor to CEO, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), titled ‘Global Trends for Sustainable Travel and Tourism’. Attendees will gain an economic outlook on the travel and tourism industry in Asia-Pacific, as well as global and regional trends that are influencing the sector’s transition towards a more sustainable future.

Those seeking insight into the transformative impact of technology in the industry will benefit from the keynote speech, ‘Navigating the Future of Travel: Embracing Technological Innovation,’ delivered by Kevin Goh, Chief Executive Officer, Lodging, CapitaLand Investment Limited and Chief Executive Officer, The Ascott Limited.

“Technology is a catalyst that shapes the future of tourism, with the ability to transform the traveller experience, operational efficiency and sustainability. As Ascott charts our course towards global leadership in hospitality, we see technology as crucial to enhancing our productivity and service standards. To continue leading in innovation, we must foster a culture that not only embraces technological advancements but also empowers our workforce to fully harness these innovations. This approach will pave the way for a transformative future in travel, where technology and human expertise converge to deliver unparalleled experiences.”, says Kevin Goh, Chief Executive Officer, Lodging, CapitaLand Investment Limited and Chief Executive Officer of The Ascott Limited.

Strategies for delivering authentic experiences and for sustainable transformation

The Knowledge Theatre will present leading C-suite and industry experts who will share their expertise on how to tackle overtourism to enhance the guest experience, provide inspiration on how to move towards a sustainable and responsible future, explore how to enhance travel experiences through tours and activities, and discuss how to navigate the future of travel experiences.

Ananth Ramchandran, Head of Advisory & Strategic Transactions, Hotels & Hospitality, Asia, CBRE, will provide strategies for delivering authentic experiences to travellers and growth strategies for sustainable transformation in the session ‘Adapt and Pivot: Delivering Authentic Experiences While Prioritising Sustainable, Inclusive and Resilient Growth’.

A series of talks by national tourism organisations (NTOs) from around the world titled ‘NTOs’ Talks: Crafting Luxury Escapes – Strategies in Attracting Travellers to Luxury Destinations’ and ‘NTOs’ Talks: Discovering the Hidden Treasures of the World’ promises to inspire with innovative approaches and valuable insights into the dynamic landscape of luxury travel marketing as well as discover new perspectives on global travel with unveiling of the hidden gems, cultural wonders, and natural splendours around the world. Attendees can expect thought-provoking takeaways from Franka Gulin, Director, Croatian National Tourist Board, and H.E. Francisco Tenya Hasegawa, Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of Peru in Singapore.

Chew Hang Song, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Frasers Hospitality and Peter Koh, Regional Chair, GBTA APAC Conference Working Group will delve into the dynamic evolution of extended stay experiences in a fireside chat titled: ‘Hospitality Reinvented: The Evolution of Extended Stay Experiences’.

Storytelling, experiential immersion, AI and sustainability

At MICE Show Asia, this year’s rich agenda will feature insights into the topics of sustainability in long-term event planning, the transformative impact of AI and digital innovation, the integration of experiential experiences at events, and more.
Attendees who want to keep abreast of the latest trends in the MICE industry will find what they are looking for in ‘Trends vs Reality: A Global Look at What’s Ahead in Our Industry with Content, Events, and Experiences’. Led by Taylor Smith, VP, Executive Creative Director, BCD Meetings & Events, and Sanjay Seth, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, BCD Meetings & Events, they'll cover trends such as storytelling, experiential immersion, AI and sustainability.

The ways in which the power of data can help enhance the attendee experience while ensuring that all event objectives are met will be addressed by Qinxin Khoo, Head of Asia Pacific, Live Group, in the session ‘Data-Powered Personalisation: How to Enhance the Attendee Experience’.

Generative AI, cloud-native micro-platforms, and Web 3.0 are transforming the industry at a rapid pace – how these technologies can revolutionise travel management and enhance the traveller experience will be revealed by David Hughes, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Uniglobe Travel International, in his session ‘Building a Travel Programme Fit for the Future’.

The role of technology in the future of tourism

The premier travel technology conference, Travel Tech Asia, will highlight key digital trends, including the role of technology in the future of tourism and its transformative impact on the future of travel, overcoming the challenges of travel tech adoption, the role of artificial intelligence in the travel landscape and the transformation of travel in the era of mobile, data and AI.

In the session titled ‘Beyond Conventional Transactions: Strategies for Unleashing the Full Potential of Mobile Payments,’ Amy Read, Vice President of Innovation, Sabre Corporation, and Sean Seah, Senior Vice President Strategy, Technology and Innovation, Langham Hospitality Group, will share strategies for leveraging the full potential of mobile payments and provide insights into the latest trends in payment innovation in the hospitality sector.

Attendees seeking to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to cutting-edge technology will discover the disruptive innovations that are transforming the travel industry in the session ‘Superapps: The Unstoppable Force Redefining Travel Distribution’. From frictionless bookings to hyper-personalised experiences to superapps – Brett Henry, President Director, MG Group, and Kei Shibata, Co-Founder & CEO, Venture Republic & Trip 101, will reveal the unmatched opportunities that await the industry.

‘Digital Transformation in Travel: Navigating the New Ecosystem for Seamless Journeys’ is the title of the session led by Sidne Yeo, Asia Head, Lufthansa Innovation Hub, and Anna Schneider, Senior Research and Intelligence Analyst, Lufthansa Innovation Hub, who will deliver useful insights into the emerging trends, key areas attracting corporate investments, and the influence of Asia seen through corporate innovation endeavors.

High-profile conference partners underline strong industry commitment

This year’s conference welcomes several new and long-standing conference partners in the travel, tourism and MICE sector including Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), Global Destination Sustainability – Movement, Global MICE Collaborative, STR, Tourism Economics and World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF).

These strategic conference partnerships further facilitate knowledge exchange and ensure the delivery of cutting-edge, up-to-date data, knowledge, and trend analysis, which will prove beneficial to attendees across all three conference stages.

ATTA – Adventure Travel Trade Association’s session (24 October, Knowledge Theatre) will demonstrate how adventure travel can be employed as an effective instrument for the advancement of sustainable tourism practices.

About Global Destination Sustainability (23 October, Knowledge Theatre, and 24 October, MICE Show Asia Theatre), Jessica Vandy, Asia-Pacific expert in regenerative tourism, will highlight the gap between potential and reality in sustainability practices, focusing on co-creating a path of radical collaboration for regional and global transformation.

The Global MICE Collaborative will provide industry updates and insights from the meetings outlook, key trends in incentive travel, and cover strategies in the business of exhibitions: IAEE – International Association of Exhibitions & Events (23 October, MICE Show Asia Theatre), SITE – Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (24 October, MICE Show Asia Theatre), and MPI – Meeting Professionals International (24 October, MICE Show Theatre).

STR’s sessions (23 October, Travel Tech Asia Theatre, and 24 October, Knowledge Theatre) will examine how new markets compare to established favourites and provide an in-depth analysis of Southeast Asia's hotel market performance across different segments, from budget to luxury.

During the sessions (23 October, MICE Show Asia Theatre, and 24 October, Knowledge Theatre), Tourism Economics provides insights on the travel outlook for the APAC region, covering shifts in traveller demographics, the future of business and MICE travel, economic trends driving travel demand, and industry challenges and opportunities.

The World Tourism Cities Foundation’s session (24 October, Knowledge Theatre) will examine concepts in the cross-border tourism market and innovative strategies to enhance outbound and inbound tourism from tourism cities, along with its effects on Asia-Pacific tourism.