5th ITB Hospitality Day: Tour operators discuss change in demand
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Berlin (February 26, 2010). Budget hotel today, luxury tomorrow. A chic dinner today, extreme climbing tomorrow. Individualisation has long become a fixed part of tourism and the hotel industry. How do the marketers of mass tourism adapt to this? How individual are their products? The two travel giants TUI and Thomas Cook and Oeger Tours, the special tour operator, will take part in the initial discussion at the fifth ITB hotel conference, the "ITB Hospitality Day". On Thursday, March 11, 2010, trade fair visitors can listen to this panel at any time of the day as well as to five other discussions without registration – and take a glimpse at market trends.
In the 1990s, defining realisation and quality was in the focus, while these concepts have become more complex today. Quality needs to show in specialisation as well. And travellers'' demands will surely not decrease - particularly not during their vacation.
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| Prof. Karl Born. |
All three representatives share this opinion: Dr. Ingo Burmester, Executive Director TUI Deutschland; Dr. Ulrich Sperl, Managing Director Hotel Contracting & Destination Management, Flug Nah und Fern (short haul and long haul) at Thomas Cook; and Wybcke Meier, Board Member of Oeger Tours. For quite a while, the two big operators have been recording an increasing number of vacationers looking for "special products" and willing to pay extra. Special tour operator Oeger has a slightly different viewpoint in this respect.
Prof. Karl Born, Professor of Tourism Management at Harz University, and well known in the industry thanks to "Born''s cutting remarks", will try to point out the differences between the operators, and how they approach the target-group orientated concepts and specialisation as all-inclusive operators.
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| Wybcke Meier. |
How to convince hoteliers – important partners of tour operators – to put more trust in special segments? From what point in time can niche demands be realised in travel products at all? Presentation in catalogues and in the Internet plays an important role in this. Another interesting question is whether operators that have to satisfy their travel agency chain are willing to use the colourful possibilities of the Internet for marketing special hotels.
The panel discussion with the title "Resorts: How do Tour Operators Adapt to the Changing Needs of Customers in the Hospitality Industry?" starts on Thursday March 11, 2010, at 10:30 a.m. (Hall 7.1b, Auditorium London).
hospitalityInside is media partner of the ITB Hospitality Day and is responsible for the content of the panel discussions. The remaining discussions revolve around the key words innovation, mobile devices, climate and budget. In addition, there will be a CEO panel.
Please find the detailed programme of the entire day under this link. / kn
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