WTM 2013: Five years pent-up demand for tech, says Open Destinations

WTM 2013: Five years pent-up demand for tech, says Open Destinations

Travel industry software specialist Open Destination believes there is five years worth of pent up demand for new technology in the sector.

Travel industry software specialist Open Destinations believes there is five years worth of pent-up demand for new technology in the sector.

The UK-based firm, which has just confirmed its exhibition space at this year’s Travel Tech Show at WTM, is expecting to sign up global tour operator contracts.

Open Destinations chief executive Kevin O’Sullivan said that with the financial downturn looking like coming to an end, he expects a spike in demand for new travel technology.

“The Travel Tech Show at WTM gives us access to not only a truly international customer base but also to the decision-makers within the organisations.

“We have performed well during the recession, and signs are that there is five years’ worth of pent-up demand for new travel technology platforms about to be unleashed.”

Open Destinations has recently upgraded its flagship B2B and B2C reservation product Travel Studio and is looking to build on its current customer base.

Existing customers include Tui Travel, Abercrombie & Kent and Gullivers Sports Travel.

The upgrades have offered a deeper integration with the GDSs, from where Open Destinations can source fares and inventory for component-based itineraries.

It also links to Multicom, which has access to low-cost carriers and other non-GDS content through API (application programming interface) technology.

“This will allow our customers to move their online presence to a new level,” O’Sullivan added. “It provides a future-proof and scalable way for our platform to integrate with websites and ecommerce applications as well as with reporting tools and other back office functionality.”

Open Destinations has an office in London and a development centre in Goa and employs some 300 people, around one-third of whom are developers.

The firm claims it had grown 20% year on year since the start of the downturn in 2008, but in the first quarter of this year growth hit 30% up on the same period in 2012.

The Travel Tech Show at WTM has been created following the rapid growth of the Travel Technology region at the annual trade show which is held in London’s ExCel centre.

The event will sit alongside World Travel Market for the full four days (Monday 4 – Thursday 7 November).

Travolution was appointed the first global travel technology media partner for WTM last year.