Remaining in the heart of decision-making is one of the core values of our business. This is why we couldn’t miss this year’s FVW Congress in Valencia! Stergios Panagiotakis, our CEO, Alexandros Stathopoulos, our CCO and Nick Mariolis, our CPO, were there, giving insights on the most prominent points of this year’s discussions.
Many exciting plans were announced for the future regarding the development of Spain, with a shift of the country’s focus towards more cultural and quality visitors. Miguel Sanz, general director of Turespaña gave us an optimistic input concerning the growth opportunities in the German market.
Sustainability seems to be the most important notion that will define all of our future proceedings, strategy making, and actions in our industry. The need for a more ethical and environmentally conscious path for development is prevalent. Minimising the negative impact that tourism has on the environment, communities, and cultural heritage, for a profitable development, arises to be the main plan of the leaders of worldwide tourism. Sustainability was mentioned as a top priority from CEOs of major airline companies, setting the impressive goal of achieving zero CO2 emissions until 2050. As key speakers have noted, now is the time for the industry to innovate and secure a future that is both socially acceptable and allows opportunities for growth.
Yet another important point that dominated the conference was the indisputable appearance and inevitable incorporation of AI in our industry. A significant number of tour operators have already incorporated artificial intelligence into their operations, specifically in the fields of algorithmic pricing, image tracing, SEO optimization, and more. However, as we are currently undergoing a transition to the implementation of this cutting-edge technology, many steps are yet to be taken. Nevertheless, AI development and its use in streamlining processes, optimising business conduct, and handling data are hot topics that will certainly arise in future conferences.
Our ever-changing industry is now tasked with defining a development path amidst growing concerns within society regarding the conservation of both nature and culture. The contemporary traveller is an environmentally-conscious consumer who demands cleaner and more ethical means of travel. Additionally, while the introduction of AI undoubtedly has an important role to play, its full potential is yet to be seen. We fully recognise and empathise greatly with all the points that were raised during the conference. As a tech-first company, we constantly reflect and strategize on how we can accelerate the growth and efficiency of our clients through AI optimisation. Furthermore, a more sustainable future lies at the heart of our operations, embracing the need and challenge to transform our vision into a viable reality using technology as a key tool. One thing is certain: we have exciting times ahead of us!
Last but not least, the tone was set by Spain’s Minister of Tourism, who introduced the audience to Spain’s transition towards quality tourism. The country plans to shift to a superior level of experience rather than competing solely on price with similar destinations and increasing volume. Specifically, significant plans were announced for Valencia, with the goal of making it the first green city in Europe, outlining a more sustainable future.
The Chief Data Officer of Amadeus called for a healthy criticism of the current AI frenzy, citing the lack of sufficient data to process the vast volume of information in our industry. The importance of AI in data processing was also emphasised by the CEO of HOTELPLAN, while the CEO of FTI highlighted that 90% of bookable content will be generated through AI.
