Tourism & Hospitality | Sunday 24 April, 2016 11:37 am |

Top travel agencies from the Middle East were given a sneak peek into the future of travel at an innovation event hosted by Sabre Corporation (NASDAQ: SABR), a leading global technology provider to the travel and tourism industry.  

The event, hosted at Sabre’s EMEA headquarters in Richmond, UK, gave agencies a unique view into the top technology trends and innovations that Sabre is investing in for the future.  It also provided an opportunity for agencies to share their view of the future, and some of the top challenges and opportunities they are facing, such as how to create a more seamless and personalized experience for travelers, and how to appeal to increasingly tech-savvy travelers. 

“New technology such as mobile, online and even virtual reality are having a profound impact on travel, and in the next few years, we’re going to see a lot of changes to how travelers needs are met,” said Daniel Naoumovitch, CEO Sabre Travel Network, Middle East. “Millennial travellers for example are digital natives and fully-accustomed to doing everything and expecting everything to happen on a mobile device. They have high expectations and demand an intuitive and more personalized travel experience this generation will make up 75 percent of the workforce by 2025 – there’s a lot of work to do to meet this generation’s needs.”

Another key topic was highlighted is online travel in the Middle East. 

Rashad Al Refai, CEO of Misr Travel said: “Sabre has so much to offer to help travel companies improve their business, save time, increase productivity and meet their customers’ expectations. It makes our life easier especially with Sabre Red Workspace which has powerful features and online capabilities that assist online travel agencies to compete in an aggressive market place. Online is the future of travel and Sabre has the full package to support that future.”

 “Having an online and mobile strategy is not an option anymore. It’s a must! Studies prove that travellers are using their mobile devices before, during and after their trip. The Middle East is one of the world's most vibrant and fast-growing mobile markets, where over half the region’s population are now mobile users. It’s the right time for Middle East travel companies to embrace this, to create loyalty among travelers and competitive advantage,” said Naoumovitch.

Hady El Mezlawy, Vice Chairman, Wonder Travel said: “Sabre has proven to realize not only what travel companies need to compete in a fast evolving market place, but also what customers are expecting from us. I am grateful for these enlightening sessions. Having the opportunity to picture how travel will look like in the future help us equip ourselves with the right solutions and consider the latest technologies including mobile and online to stay ahead of the game.” 

In addition to strategic discussions, guests met innovators from Sabre Labs, and enjoyed dining and shopping in London before heading back to the Middle East.