During the second edition of the Dutch Travel Week in 2025, a new trade event dedicated to the digitalisation of the travel industry will take place: Travel & Tech. This trade event will take place simultaneously with the Vakantiebeurs Travel Trade Day, which will be extended from one to two days next year. Travel & Tech and the Vakantiebeurs Travel Trade Days will take place on Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 January 2025 in Jaarbeurs.

With the addition of Travel & Tech to the Dutch Travel Week, Jaarbeurs will offer knowledge sharing, buying and networking opportunities as well as inspiration in the field of digital transformation in the travel industry from next year. ‘The Dutch Travel Week consists of a week full of activities for travel professionals and travel enthusiasts including the Vakantiebeurs, the Vakantiebeurs Travel Trade Days and from next year Travel & Tech,’ said Jaarbeurs CEO Jeroen van Hooff.

Smart data and software

Travel & Tech promises to be the meeting place for travel professionals to explore the latest trends and innovations in digitalisation. Themes such as digital transformation, marketing automation, artificial intelligence (ai), virtual and augmented reality (vr and ar) and cybersecurity will take centre stage at the first edition. ‘The playing field of the travel industry is in full swing, both in terms of technology, e-commerce and marketing,’ believes Marleen Rompen, exhibition manager Dutch Travel Week. ‘Travel organisations need to think more and more about the use of smart data and software. Developments to which we, as fair organisers, want and need to respond adequately.’

Travel & Tech offers a collective look into the future of the travel industry with a full programme of field experts, including a special startup zone focusing on innovation in the travel industry. ‘Travel & Tech is a great new initiative as part of Dutch Travel Week,’ believes Frank Oostdam, director of ANVR. ‘This event is a great addition to the already extensive programme of the Dutch Travel Week, as it responds to a major overarching trend in our sector in terms of digitalisation.’ Jeffrey Kusnadi, sales manager Strategic Travel Trade Benelux & Nordics at AirPlus agrees: ‘We see that technology and payment solutions are essential for the travel industry and will become increasingly important in the future. It is good that Travel & Tech offers a prominent place for technology, trends and strategies.’

Recent research

The changes in the travel industry and developments in the world require the travel industry to take a new look at business. A future-proof travel industry requires cooperation now more than ever. That is why, based on recent research among the travel industry, Jaarbeurs decided to expand the Vakantiebeurs Travel Trade Day to two days and to open the Vakantiebeurs to consumers for three days. The new trade event Travel & Tech will be added to the full programme of the Dutch Travel Week.

Travel & Tech and the Vakantiebeurs Travel Trade Days are part of the Dutch Travel Week and will take place on Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 January 2025 in Royal Jaarbeurs. The Vakantiebeurs will be open to the public from Friday 10 to Sunday 12 January.

Source: Computable.nl