WTM 2014: Wearable tech will inspire new thinking in travel, says Sabre

WTM 2014: Wearable tech will inspire new thinking in travel, says Sabre

The impact of the latest wearable technology and how travel firms may exploit it to sell holidays will be debated at a Sabre Travel Network session at World Travel Market.

Image via Hattanas Kumchai / Shutterstock.com

The impact of the latest wearable technology and how travel firms may exploit it to sell holidays will be debated at a Sabre Travel Network session at World Travel Market.

The session will take place at 12.30pm on Tuesday November 4 in the Travel Technology Theatre (TT390),  hosted by Travolution as part of its Global Media partnership with the Travel Tech Show at WTM.

Visitors to Sabre’s stand (TT235) will be able to see some demonstrations of wearable technology which Sabre is currently experimenting with, including Google Glass.

Sabre said recent forecasts are that almost 500 million wearables will be worn annually by 2018, although believes this could be a very conservative estimate.

Joakim Everstin, Head of Innovation at Sabre Travel Network, Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: “In technology, there’s always something new and exciting vying for attention.

“Many come and go but every now and then, something like ‘wearable technology’ comes along and inspires new thinking across almost every industry.

“We’re just beginning to understand its potential, and how it can be used to enrich a traveller’s journey and improve how travel companies operate their business.”

World Travel Market, senior director, Simon Press said: “For a long time, these ‘wearable’ technologies have only been seen as science fiction.

“But wearable devices are now on the market – and their influence is expected to be huge within the next few years.

“With wearables, we’re looking at fashion accessories that are powerful mini-computers, which offer immense opportunities for the travel industry.”