The Enter e-Tourism Conference organized by the International Federation for Information Technology and Travel & Tourism (IFITT) has commenced in Izmir.
The Enter e-Tourism Conference organized by the International Federation for Information Technology and Travel & Tourism (IFITT) has begun in Izmir.
During the opening speech of the conference held at a hotel in the city, Izmir Governor Süleyman Elban emphasized the rapid advancements in technology, stating that tourism cannot achieve the desired development without benefiting from technology and digitization.
Governor Elban noted that digitization in tourism poses risks and, if not used correctly, can become a competitor to tourism. He said, 'There are two risks. One is that what you see after the works done with the filter program in the captured images can disappoint in reality. The second is the issue of whether you really go to the places you visit in the digital world. Instead of seeing these as risks, it is necessary to make the right preparations considering them as a transformation. This will be paved in conferences like this and similar ones.'
Oğuz Özkardeş, a Board Member of the Izmir Chamber of Commerce, drew attention to the rapid development of innovation and technology, stating, 'Izmir brings together all these with its cultural heritage, historical values, natural beauties, hospitable people, and equally important academic power, possessing all the factors to combine tourism with digitization and technology.'
IFITT President Juho Pesonen mentioned that the conference would involve knowledge sharing and discussions on technological developments.
The conference, organized annually by IFITT, will last for 3 days. Tourism and technology industry professionals, academics, and students from different countries will come together in simultaneous sessions.
The event will feature the sharing of the latest research and industrial case studies on the implementation of information communication technologies in travel and tourism. Knowledge and experience exchange will take place in the field of travel and tourism