Mustafa Abdel Azim (Dubai)
Ministers and officials participating in the Business Forum on Travel and Communication that will host Expo 2020 Dubai yesterday, as part of the Travel and Communication Week activities, affirmed that artificial intelligence technologies will contribute significantly to shaping the future of the tourism and travel industry, pointing out that countries and companies that adopt these technologies are the ones who It is currently on top of the world scene.
His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, said in his speech during the forum that technology has become a major factor in changing all aspects of life as well as all business sectors in addition to the mechanisms of work of government services and society as a whole.
His Excellency stressed that artificial intelligence techniques have become essential for tourism and travel services today, as international companies that adopt artificial intelligence in this sector, such as Airbnb, Expedia, Bookin.com and others, are achieving a continuous leadership in the global travel and tourism market.
His Excellency indicated that there are three prominent approaches in dealing with technological changes in our time. The first is to realize the changes, keep pace with them, coexist with them, and try to catch up with technical developments and benefit from them. The second approach is not realizing the impact of technology on life in general while staying away from its use. The third is to wait for the effects of the new technology to appear on the ground and to follow up on the impact of those who adopted the first approach to keep up with it, after which a decision is taken to adopt it if there is a sufficiently positive impact on it.
His Excellency explained that ignoring technical developments leads to loss and that technology in the end, in all its forms, brings about positive changes for everyone, pointing out that at this stage, emerging technologies not only bring about radical changes in work and life styles, but also create new areas and opportunities for business.
For his part, Hamad Mubarak Buamim, Director General of Dubai Chambers, stressed during his opening speech that communication is one of the main drivers of economies and societies around the world, noting that governments and companies have realized the importance of digital communication today, which has become a feature of the times and a priority for growth and development in light of the developments imposed by the pandemic on the sector. Business.
Buamim pointed out that the forum highlights business opportunities and modern technologies related to travel and communication, in addition to providing an opportunity to share experiences, knowledge and best practices that help businesses to be flexible and face challenges, considering that smart and digital transformation is one of the qualitative solutions that companies can adopt to improve their communication network. Organizing its services and providing added value to its customers.
In turn, Issam Kazim, CEO of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, stressed the importance of the relationship that brings together Dubai tourism with various partners from the private sector, who have contributed to the growth of the tourism sector in Dubai, bringing it to its current position as one of the most important sectors supporting the local economy.
Kazim said, “Technology is very important in the tourism sector, and the department is very flexible in using and bringing the latest technologies to Dubai, and at the same time we are open to new ideas for the future industry.”
During the session, Kazem spoke about the infrastructure of the tourism sector, especially about the attractive tourist destinations that were opened recently, such as the deepest swimming pool in the world at a depth of 60 meters, in addition to talking about the reality of hotels in Dubai, and the high-end and unique services they provide to their guests according to the highest levels. Globalism.
“We have focused on the importance of travel technologies, the habits of tourists are changing rapidly, and here comes the role of data, and today, we are ready to provide data and make it available to everyone, without keeping it for ourselves, because we believe that data is not Valuable only when used. For this reason, we make available our travel industry data regarding heat maps and tourism infrastructure, and all the information companies need to develop their ideas in the country.” He explained that his country is also focusing on Internet of Things technologies that support the science, technology, engineering and mathematics sectors, as they are among the priorities, and are directly related to travel technicians.
Sherine Francis, Executive Director of the Seychelles Tourism Board, said: “Initially, our commitment to sustainability was not easy given the resource constraints we need due to the small size of our country. It took a lot of vision, political commitment and education to create a conscious people that would form part of the new government, which gave them power about a year ago. As for tourism, our country is the second in the world in terms of dependence, directly or indirectly, on this sector, which generates about two thirds of the country’s GDP.
Sustainability Plan
Luis Araujo, President of the European Travel Commission in Portugal, stressed the importance of tourism sustainability: “We launched the 2020-2023 Sustainability Plan, which will reduce our carbon footprint for all activities, while preserving the cultural and social authenticity of our community, protecting biodiversity, as well as increasing our business profit. We believe in tourism as an economic force that contributes to the well-being of our people.” He added, “Follow-up has an active role, and we already have five sustainable laboratories in seven different regions of the country, to obtain and improve the data.” And then comes promotion, because we want to be one of the best and most sustainable destinations in the world.
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