The conference will run 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 – including leading figures from Almaty Tourism Bureau, Booking.com, Croatian National Tourist Board, Dubai World Trade Centre, FCM Meetings & Events, Live Group, MG Group, Skyscanner, Tripadvisor and World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) – will explore, debate and discuss the latest insights revolutionising the travel and tourism sector.
Berlin/Singapore, 13 August 2024 – As the travel industry continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, the ITB Asia 2024 Conference, taking place from 23-25 October in Singapore, offers the key platform to stay ahead of the curve and shape a resilient and dynamic future for global travel and tourism.
Under this year’s theme “Innovation for Tomorrow: Strengthening Future Resilience in Travel & Tourism”, the three-day conference agenda comprises ground-breaking insights and perspectives across three themes focusing on how to adapt to changing consumer expectations, improve operational efficiency and create more sustainable and immersive experiences. “The ITB Asia Conference is where tourism leaders come together to take the pulse of the future and discuss trends on business continuity and resilience. ITB Asia is packed and energized, celebrating the vibrant travel and tourism scene with its cultural and destination showcases, complemented by a perfect B2B business meeting programmer.” “The most pressing and critical issues for the future of MICE, corporate, leisure and technology travel will be discussed by a high-level line-up of international speakers to strengthen the resilience of the industry and pave the way for the future,” says Joyce Wang, CEO of Messe Berlin Asia Pacific, organizer of ITB Asia, MICE Show Asia and Travel Tech Asia.
ITB Asia 2024 Keynote Address The keynote address on day one, 23 October, will feature a keynote address by Liz Ortiguera, Managing Director, Asia Pacific and Senior Advisor to the CEO, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), titled “Global Trends for Sustainable Travel & Tourism”. Attendees will gain an economic perspective on the travel and tourism industry in Asia Pacific, as well as global and regional trends that are influencing the sector’s transition to a more sustainable future.
Those seeking insight into the transformative impact of technology on the industry will benefit from the keynote address, “Navigating the Future of Travel: Embracing Technological Innovation,” delivered by Kevin Goh, CEO of Lodging, CapitaLand Investment Limited and CEO of The Ascott Limited.
“Technology is a catalyst shaping the future of tourism, with the ability to transform traveler experience, operational efficiency and sustainability. As Ascott charts its course toward global hospitality leadership, we view technology as crucial to improving our productivity and service standards. To continue to lead in innovation, we must foster a culture that not only embraces technological advancements, but also empowers our workforce to make the most of these innovations. This approach will pave the way to a transformative future in travel, where technology and human experience converge to deliver unparalleled experiences,” said Kevin Goh, CEO of Lodging, CapitaLand Investment Limited and CEO of The Ascott Limited.
ITB Asia – Knowledge Theatre
The Knowledge Theatre will feature leading industry executives and 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 Strategic Advisory & Transactions, Hotels & Hospitality, Asia, CBRE, will provide strategies for delivering authentic experiences to travelers and growth strategies for sustainable transformation in the session “Adapt and Pivot: Delivering authentic experiences while prioritizing 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 luxury travel marketing landscape, as well as uncover new perspectives on global travel with the revelation of hidden gems, cultural wonders and natural splendours from around the world. Attendees can expect thought-provoking takeaways from Franka Gulin, Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board, and His Excellency Francisco Tenya Hasegawa, Ambassador of the 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 talk titled, “Hospitality Reinvented: The Evolution of Extended Stay Experiences.”
MICE Show Asia
At MICE Show Asia, the leading conference for MICE and corporate travel, this year’s rich agenda will feature insights on the topics of sustainability in long-term event planning, the transformative impact of AI and digital innovation, integrating experiential experiences into events, and more.
Attendees who want to stay on top of the latest trends in the MICE industry will find what they’re looking for in “Trends vs Reality: A Global Look at What’s Next for Our Industry with Content, Events and Experiences.”
Led by Taylor Smith, Vice President and Executive Creative Director of BCD Meetings & Events, and Sanjay Seth, Managing Director of BCD Meetings & Events for Asia Pacific, the event will discuss trends such as storytelling, experiential immersion, artificial intelligence and sustainability.
Qinxin Khoo, Director of Live Group for Asia Pacific, will discuss how the power of data can help improve the attendee experience while ensuring all event objectives are met, in the session “Data-Driven Personalization: How to Improve the Attendee Experience.”
Generative AI, cloud-native microplatforms and Web 3.0 are transforming the industry at a rapid pace. David Hughes, Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Uniglobe Travel International, will reveal how these technologies can revolutionise travel management and enhance the traveller experience in his session “How to Build a Future-Proof Travel Programme”.
Travel Tech Asia, the leading travel technology conference, 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 technology adoption, the role of artificial intelligence in the travel landscape, and transforming travel in the era of mobile, data and AI.
In the session titled “Beyond Conventional Transactions: Strategies to Unlock the Full Potential of Mobile Payments,” Amy Read, Vice President of Innovation at Sabre Corporation, and Sean Seah, Senior Vice President of Strategy, Technology and Innovation at Langham Hospitality Group, will share strategies to unlock the full potential of mobile payments and provide insights into the latest trends in payment innovation in the hospitality industry.
Attendees looking 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 hassle-free bookings to hyper-personalized experiences and super apps, Brett Henry, President and Director of MG Group, and Kei Shibata, Co-Founder and CEO of Venture Republic and Trip 101, will reveal the unparalleled opportunities that await the industry.
“Digital Transformation in Travel: How to Navigate the New Ecosystem for Seamless Travel” is the title of the session led by Sidne Yeo, Head of Asia, Lufthansa Innovation Hub, and Anna Schneider,
Senior Research & Intelligence Analyst, Lufthansa Innovation Hub, who will offer useful insights on emerging trends, key areas attracting corporate investments, and Asia’s influence as seen through corporate innovation efforts.
Strategic Partners: 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 partnerships for the conference further facilitate knowledge sharing and ensure the delivery of cutting-edge and up-to-date data, insights and trend analysis, which will prove beneficial to attendees across all three stages of the conference:
Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA): Day Two, 24 October 3:30pm – 5pm, Knowledge Theatre. The session will demonstrate how adventure travel can be employed as an effective tool for advancing sustainable tourism practices.
Global Destination Sustainability – Movement: Day One, 23 October, 2:30pm – 3:30pm, Knowledge Theatre; Day Two, 24 October, 10:30am – 11:30am, MICE Show Asia Theatre. Asia-Pacific regenerative tourism expert Jessica Vandy will highlight the gap between potential and reality in sustainability practices, focusing on co-creating a radical collaborative path for regional and global transformation.
Global MICE Collaborative: International Association of Exhibitions & Events (IAEE) : Day One, 23 October, 12:00-12:30pm, MICE Show Asia Theatre; Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) : Day Two, 24 October, 1:00-1:30pm, MICE Show Asia Theatre; Meeting Professionals International (MPI) : Day Two, 24 October, 2:00-2:30pm, MICE Show Theatre. The Global MICE Collaborative will provide industry updates and insights on meetings, key trends in incentive travel and hedging strategies in the exhibition business.
STR : Day One, 23 October, 3:30-4pm, Travel Tech Asia Theatre; Day Two, 24 October, 12:30-1pm, Knowledge Theatre. The sessions will examine how new markets compare to established favourites and provide an in-depth analysis of the performance of the Southeast Asian hotel market across different segments, from economy to luxury.
Tourism Economics: Day One, 23 October, 10.30-11.00, MICE Show Asia Theatre; Day Two, 24 October, 11.00-11.30, Knowledge Theatre. During the sessions, Tourism Economics provides insights into the outlook for travel in the APAC region, covering changing traveller demographics, the future of business and MICE travel, economic trends driving travel demand, and industry challenges and opportunities.
World Tourism Cities Foundation (WTCF): Day Two, 24 October, 14.00-15.00, Knowledge Theatre. The session will examine cross-border tourism market concepts and innovative strategies to enhance outbound and inbound tourism in tourist cities, along with their impact on Asia-Pacific tourism.
Source: ITB Asia.