Australia national tourism conference opens

The master plan for Australian inbound tourism is expected to include cutting-edge tourism information technology and dynamic pricing, among other features, and these ideas will be explored in depth at the nation’s tourism conference that begins on Wednesday.

The Meeting Place 2008 conference of the Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) will bring together over 500 inbound tourism operators, industry decision-makers and product suppliers at Sydney’s Hilton Hotel, from 3 December, to examine the latest innovations available to the export tourism industry and discuss the future of Australian tourism.

ATEC’s managing director, Matt Hingerty, has said that the conference is an ideal format for the inbound tourism sector to cap off a particularly turbulent year. Hingerty noted that although the effects of the global economic crisis couldn’t be ignored, the emphasis of the conference would be on the positive developments occurring in the industry – as well as discussing ways to ride out the financial storm.

The agenda for the ATEC Meeting Place 2008 conference highlights a panel discussion on room-pricing schemes, a keynote address on online travel trends and a closing address on emerging trends.

A panel discussion, titled ‘Dynamic Pricing,’ will deal with the reasoning and implications of innovative room-pricing for the accommodation sector. The keynote address will be delivered by Claire Hatton, who is the head of travel for Google Australia, on recent business trends in the online travel sector. ‘Innovate or die’ is the title given to the closing address, which will be given by innovation expert and business futurist, Craig Rispin, dealing with emerging trends in business, people and technology – and how travel operators can profit from them.

www.atec.net.au