Rapid evolution of travel industry takes centre stage at Travel Leaders Connect in Monaco

Thank you to everyone who joined us this week for the Amadeus Travel Leaders Connect 2013 under the High Patronage of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco. This first event of its kind saw more than 100 delegates including leaders from TMCs, global online leisure and specialtytravel agencies, and corporate customers from all over the world.

The travel industry is evolving at breakneck speed and simply adapting to change isn’t enough. Antiquated ways of seeing travel distribution no longer prevail; we all must be prepared to seize new opportunities for growth and prosperity via an x-volution of the travel industry – a term which we selected as the theme of the conference because the future will require significant evolution, some degree of revolution while mitigating the risk of involution present in certain areas.

It’s no longer business travellers vs. leisure travellers, as they can be one and the same. It’s not about being supplier-focused or buyer-focused: it’s about the sustainability of the overall travel distribution business model. TMCs are getting closer to the specialty model and OTAs are developing an interest in unmanaged business travel. Therefore, we need to change the way we think and do travel distribution and focus on the synergies, between business and leisure, especially travel sellers and buyers, offline, online and mobile.

Distinctions as we’ve known them are becoming more blurry ashotelsare no longer about hospitality; rather they are about a lifestyle. Search is no longer just aboutsearch, it is about personalization, experience, and social elements. Marketing is no longer one-to-many, but one-to-one. Travel management is not solely about negotiated rates and travel policies, but about an end-to-end travel service.

With these insights in mind, we’ve developed technology, as showcased during the event in our value space, which will be the backbone of travel. Our latest search solutions, powerful content tools, targeted dynamic advertising platforms, mobile technology, and front office innovations will empower you to offer even better service and value – critical for ensuring that your business can compete and differentiate.

As an industry – we need to drive change and shape the future of travel together with our customers. In this complex and rapidly moving global travel environment, we, as senior executives and leaders in the industry, must focus even more on our travellers, ensuring we continue to meet their unique needs.

I look forward to collaborating with you in the future to leverage the opportunities we talked about so your businesses can take advantage of a rapidly changing travel map.