Effective Integration of Technology in Tourism Soon, says Suman Billa

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
The Tourism Department under the Union Ministry aims at the effective integration of technology into the tourism industry and overcome the limitations regarding the same, said Suman Billa, Joint Secretary, Minister of Tourism, Govt of India.
Speaking at the 12 th  UNWTO Asia/ Pacific Executive Training Programme on Tourism Policy and Strategy, currently on at Kovalam, he said that, in an era where any kind of products can be sold online using technology, promotion of tourism products also should take the online route. Stating that India is a country were factors like commoditization, democratisation, rating and governmental control are important, he went on to mention some of the difficulties faced by the country in these areas.
India has acquired an eminent space in the global tourism map and had earned maturity for the Indian tourism industry, he said, adding that the tourism policies and strategies of each and every country that is part of Asia/Pacific should be taken into consideration when talking about the Asia Pacific Tourism Development.
Prof Yoon Ji Hwan, Kyun Hee University, Seoul, Korea made the keynote presentation on the Impact of Technology on the Tourism and Hospitality Industry. Sarah Mathews, Head of Destination Marketing APAC, Trip Advisor; Prof Yoon Ji Hwan, Kyun Hee University, Seoul, Korea and Hari Nair, Founder and CEO Holiday IQ were part of the panel discussion.
Smart tourism, impact of digital borders, influence of technology on workforce, sustainability supported by technology, virtual- augmented realities, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, big data, robotics, smart robots and automation were the various topics that came up at the panel discussion. Participants representing various countries actively participated in the question & answer session.
Asked about the upcoming website which will provide all tourism details in India, Suman Billa said the website is currently in its Beta stage. The ambitious project aims at providing a world class website rich incontent, interoperable, interactive and big data, he added.
A SWOT analysis and related recommendations were put forward in the session on Country Presentations and Discussions on Tourism and Technology. Mohammad Rameen Aliqzada from Afganisthan; Wang Bin from China; Ramkumar Vijayan, India; Faezeh Behzadnejad, Iran; Cho Sunghak, Korea; Say Phalla, Cambodia; Ahmed Abeer Ismail, Maldives; Pauline Riman, Papua New Guinea; Le Tuan Anh, Vietnam; Masteru Nakamura, Japan, Kjaw Kjaw Lwin, Myanmar; Wahyu Duto Galib Indharto, Indonasia; Azman Azra Abdul Rahman, Malaysia; Gerelsaikhan Tsolman, Mangolia; Suifua Aferei, Samoa and Anton Dilesh, Sri Lanka; took part in the Country Presentations and Discussions on Tourism and Technology. Peter Semone, President of Destination Human Capital Limited was the moderator for the panel discussion.
Sessions on Good Practices in Destination Management & Operations through the Application of Transformative Technological Solutions and Tourism & Technology: Challenges & Opportunities will be held tomorrow.