The evolution and application of digital technologies are profoundly changing the way people live, work, travel, and do business, transforming and reshaping tourism in the process. The scope and adoption of digital technologies vary by country, sector, organisation, and location. The resulting opportunities and barriers create an uneven playing field, which is exacerbated by a growing disparity between tech-driven and globally connected tourism businesses and traditional micro and small businesses, which are often defined by low-tech corporate practices.
A true ASEAN partnership bringing together the combined resources of ASEAN member states, in both the public and private sector, to take tourism in the region to new levels and to firmly establish ASEAN as one of the most viable and attractive tourist destinations in the world.
Tourism SMEs now have unprecedented opportunities to enter new markets, develop new tourism products and services, adopt new business models and processes, improve their position in global tourism value chains, and integrate into digital ecosystems due to digitalisation. Digitalisation has the potential to significantly benefit SMEs by allowing them to become more efficient, free up time and resources to focus on strategic tasks, and increase their capacity to develop new business models, enter new markets, or internationalise operations.
The convergence of advanced technologies, as well as the increasing social and economic connectivity that is unfolding as a result of globalisation, is driving the push to adopt digital technologies. Digitalisation has the potential to stimulate innovation, generate economic and environmental efficiencies, and boost productivity, particularly in the highly globalised tourism sector. The Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the travel and tourism industry, with borders remaining closed and large gatherings discouraged. To stay in business, the industry needed to transition from a physical engagement platform to a virtual engagement platform.
A tourism organisation in the Philippines recently signed an agreement with a market leader in AI and Big Data technology to launch a comprehensive virtual exhibition and engagement platform to help facilitate an inclusive business environment and provide greater access to new markets.
Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, borders have been closed and large gatherings have been discouraged, causing unprecedented disruption in the travel and tourism industry. By leveraging the virtual platform to transition from physical to virtual, the tourism company can improve accessibility, connection, and engagement while removing time and space constraints through virtual exhibitions, webinars, digital marketing campaigns and more.
“This collaboration between our ASEAN tourism organisation and an AI and Big Data technology market leader is a historical event – a true ASEAN partnership bringing together the combined resources of ASEAN member states, in both the public and private sector, to take tourism in the region to new levels and to firmly establish ASEAN as one of the most viable and attractive tourist destinations in the world,” said, President of the tourism company.
Powered by market leaders’ AI and Big Data technology, the platform provides a suite of innovative solutions to assist the tourism company in organising virtual events while driving meaningful and measurable online interactions. The platform includes an intelligent B2B matchmaking feature that connects local businesses with global businesses, increasing market reach. Travel and tourism industry participants can also use the platform’s global distribution system to conduct secure and uninterrupted business transactions.
The robust platform allows businesses to showcase their offerings through virtual booths, facilitate pitching sessions through live streaming, provide real-time reporting capabilities, and performance monitoring and measurement features. It also enables businesses to take advantage of powerful AI-powered digital marketing tools to create personalised campaigns. The platform enables the company to generate vital business prospects and develop networking opportunities in a data-driven manner, in addition to creating engaging online events.
Covid-19 has brought the travel and tourism sector to a halt; however, the tourism company has demonstrated its commitment to the industry by embracing digitalisation to bring new avenues of progress to pave the way for the future of travel, hospitality, and tourism in the Philippines.
