With the rise of the Internet and mobile phones, the final session of today’s World Routes Tourism Summit debated what’s next for the world’s tourism industries.

The opening remarks made by moderator, ASM’s SVP of consulting and product development, Nigel Mayes, posited that technology, especially the Internet and smart mobile phones, had ‘revolutionised’ the travel industry. A statement that all of four panelists agreed with.

Director of economic and air service development at Tenerife Tourism, Stephanie Wear, commented: “Research conducted by the consumer has created an incredibly well-informed seeking a more customised, unique package. The proliferation of social media and using it to share personal experiences has been reflected in travellers choice of destinations. Accordingly, [Tenerife Tourism’s] communication and marketing is geared around highlighting the island’s vast range of activities.”

Wear highlighted the importance of a user-friendly website, both now and in the future, and encouraging a destination’s visitors to share their experiences online, “they are your best ambassadors and the power of positive word of mouth should never be undervalued,” she added.

Doctor Adam Wu, chief operating officer of the China Business Network, described the potential future impact Chinese travellers will have, noting that 97 million Chinese citizens travelled abroad last year, predicted to reach 110 million by the end of 2014. “Destinations trying to market to China need a dedicated Chinese package, many citizens don’t speak a second language and the country doesn’t have access to Google, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube,” he suggested.

IATA’s RVP of the Americas, Peter Cerda called current paper-based ticket distribution an “old horse,” noting how almost every other aspect of the industry had evolved. Helgi Mar Björgvinsson, SVP of marketing and sales for Icelandair, commented that, though direct bookings with airlines seemed to rapidly growing elsewhere around the globe, external agencies still played a “crucial role in its distribution channels.” However, he did admit that he operated in quite a “unique airline environment.”

All four panelists were in agreement that when it came to predicting the industry trends we might see over the next 20 years, with social media and ever-more personalised experiences leading the way. Doctor Wu noted: “People want to travel and technology is helping to them to realise their desires, but is the infrastructure in place to fit us all on the plane. Technology is speeding growth dramatically, but airports and airlines have to act now to keep up with the demand of the future.”

Wear expected big data to play a larger role in the future, especially in the dialogue between tourism authorities and airlines: “We see if bookings for a particular period are soft and work with the airlines to increase capacity through additional marketing and promotions. No one knows the market and the destination better than the tourism bodies, so partnering with them is an essential component for both airlines and airports.”

IATA’s Peter Cerda had the last word, commenting: “We must have transparency across the entire process. Consumers are now very vocal on social media and are more than willing to share bad experiences, such as poor service or unfulfilled expectations, with others online. The industry needs to ensure they provide uniformly excellent service as a bad experience at one stage, such as at the airport, can overshadow the entire trip.”