"Horizon Technologies in Tourism - Scientific Research Programme"

We have seen significant interest from Academia in the value of our membership resources, which offer a unique ‘practitioner’ lens on tourism industry trends and strategies.

In recognition of the value of Academia and Industry relations, DTTT Founder, Nick Hall, has recently been co-opted onto the board of the International Federation for IT, Travel & Tourism, the principal membership body representing leading scientific research on technology in tourism.

This cooperation has led to a joint commitment to building bridges between Industry and Academia, launching a joint membership proposition, establishing a podcast series ‘Beyond Tourism’s Horizon’ and commitment to further looking at joint research opportunities down the line.

We believe that this only touches the surface and there’s an opportunity to provide a more complete and compelling interface between the European tourism policy and initiatives. In particular, this interface can offer the potential to bring together some of the leading researchers in tourism, with the critical questions facing our industry - such as exploring the role and impact of horizon technologies or examining the deep learning that can be garnered through big data analysis and machine learning.

To further progress these aims, the Digital Tourism Think Tank is currently developing a series of catalogues, available within its membership platform, collecting a wide range of scientific papers, horizon technology research, cases and examples.

These critical research insights, together with the innovation methods we apply day-to-day built upon human-centred design principles are key to furthering our understanding of the opportunities and potential that exist in the digital and sustainable transition.

Prerequisites

Furthering this action requires detailed cooperation and this requires a strong commitment from partners who recognise the potential and want to be on board.

For this, we see the DTTT x IFITT Dual Research Membership as key. Not only does it provide a rich pool of resources, it also brings the academic community together, alongside industry, to jointly engage in exploratory scientific research set against some of the key aspects of the transition pathway.

This includes the following steps:

1. Develop an extensive catalogue of 'horizon technology' applications leveraging both advanced imaging and mixed reality experiences as well as data-derived solutions built on technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence.
2. Engagement with the Academic community to offer scientific contributions through specific studies and papers, offering critical insight into potential applications for industry.
3. Growth of Research Membership to offer a more representative cross-section of leading institutions pursuing cutting-edge research in the field of technology in tourism.
4. A clear pathway to identifying funding opportunities and establishing strong prospects for consortia based on existing collaboration and complementary expertise.

Measuring Success

1. June 2023 - Launch of DTTT x IFITT ‘Joint Research Call’ to engage a wide network of institutions on the objectives and opportunities.
2. September 2023 - Growth in Research Membership uptake to achieve a representative network of European academic institutions.
3. January 2024 - Comprehensive and active dialogue and engagement from the academic community on the transition pathway with expertise and input alongside critical oversight.
4. March 2024 - Launch of extensive research catalogue, including an in-depth library of interviews and analysis from the research community.
5. June 2024 - Demonstration of tangible outputs through active collaboration initiatives between Industry and Academia aligned with the transition pathway.