The millennium maelstrom is here! And with it comes a moment to reflect on the incredible journey of travel in the past century – never mind in the past thousand years.
There’s the birth of the travel package; sea, rail and air have all played their part in bringing greater freedom of movement between countries.
Television has also opened up horizons in the same way the Internet and new technology will in the 21st century.
So how will the industry do business in the future?
Will the technological explosion shape business information and business communications in new and exciting ways that perhaps we have not even thought of today?
It’s happening already of course, with the burgeoning army of people who work from home and the popularity of meetings via video and teleconferencing.
But if business is rapidly evolving, should travel exhibitions such as World Travel Market also change?
My view is that as long as strong, personal relationships remain vital for effective business to take place, WTM will be a focal point of the industry year.
But it does not mean we should not be ready to adapt to the technological needs of the business community.
For example, at this year’s WTM we have arranged a special Millennium Forecast Forum to demonstrate to the entire industry that the idea of holidays in space is not just pie in the sky!
Did you know that the first space holidays will lift off in 2003 and that the first space resort has already been designed and is expected to be launched in around 2017?
New technology is also helping to put visitors into direct communication with exhibitors.
At WTM this year, Reed Travel Exhibitions has introduced a new on-line meetings scheduler, which is believed to be the first of its kind in the world.
Meridian Club members can now have their own personalised Internet meetings diary, that will allow them to request meetings with exhibitors, detail time slots, the duration of the appointment and, in order to save time in a busy schedule, information about what is to be discussed on the agenda.
What’s more, it’s not difficult to use, just see WTM’s Internet site at www.travel. reedexpo.com
Millennium mania is here – and WTM mania is next month.
Make it productive and forward thinking and above all enjoy the opportunity to meet the global travel industry’s top professionals face to face.