Ein Rückblick auf den TalkTourism #3 in München

Talk Tourism 3, the tourism event organized by Saint Elmo’s Tourismusmarketing, PROJECT M Strategy Consulting, and the Association of Online Travel Distribution (VIR), focused on current tourism trends and concepts for shaping the future of the tourism industry. The event, which took place on June 14 and 15 at the Serviceplan Group’s House of Communication in Munich, was attended by 36 speakers and 160 guests. Talk Tourism is held annually as part of the House of Tourism agency collaboration. 

Munich, June 22, 2023. Talk Tourism is the first tourism event aimed at both the inbound and outbound industries, designed to foster dialogue among participants. The third edition of the industry event, which took place on June 14 and 15 at the Serviceplan Group’s House of Communication in Munich and was hosted by House of Tourism, focused on the theme “Dialogues on the Future” and aimed to collaboratively shape and develop positive visions for the future of the travel industry. 

At Talk Tourism, presentations by 36 speakers from various disciplines and industries provided fresh perspectives and inspiration. From A for AI to Z for Zeitgeist, the keynote speeches covered a wide range of topics. The 160 guests also had the opportunity to participate in interactive sessions such as panel discussions and informal talks, as well as a varied supporting program. 

“We are thrilled with the success of Talk Tourism 3. The combination of innovative sessions packed with expert knowledge, high-profile participants, and the unique venue has made the event the industry’s new flagship event,” summarizes Claudia Raith of Saint Elmo’s Tourism Marketing. “We are proud to have created an important platform for dialogue in the inbound and outbound tourism sectors under our House of Tourism brand.” 

“At Talk Tourism, we succeeded for the first time in bringing together the incoming and outgoing sectors in a dialogue about the future,” says Tobias Klöpf of PROJECT M Strategy Consulting with conviction. “With a program that inspired attendees through its depth of expertise, forward-thinking vision, and innovative formats. We brought politics and business into dialogue. Associations and universities. Travel tech and destinations. Together, we discussed what should be, not just how things are. Talk Tourism is a culture of dialogue and a language—not just an event. And we will continue to speak this language. Encouragingly and with those who inspire. That is what the House of Tourism stands for.” 

The topics on the first day of TalkTourism: the spirit of the times, the spirit of sports, technology, and politics 

Talk Tourism kicked off with a presentation by Kirstine Fratz, Germany’s first zeitgeist researcher. In her keynote address, she explained how zeitgeist emerges and how it shapes and influences the way we think, act, and feel. As a current example, she cited Generation Z’s new attitude toward work and its impact on the labor market. 

In the subsequent session, “AI in Tourism – Different Perspectives and Applications,” representatives from the Centouris Institute, DialogShift, ADVANT Beiten, IBM, and Adigi discussed the importance of AI in general and ChatGPT in particular for the tourism industry. 

AI was also the focus of the presentation by Kevin Prösel of Saint Elmo’sMAX3 and Joachim Unterberger of Saint Elmo’s Tourism Marketing. They provided concrete examples of how the use of AI tools can make marketing work more efficient and productive. 

“Whoare the travelers of tomorrow, and how can we reach them?”– Sascha Barthel from Heilbronn University. The subsequent panel discussion focused on target group models and data-driven personalization of target group outreach. The booking and travel behavior of tomorrow’s guests was the topic of the presentation by Norman Ladig from booking.com and Oliver Käsermann from Amadeus Switzerland. 

Under the title “How Did You Do It?”, the founders of NeedNect Solutions, Juvigo, Lohospo, Sleepero, Neue Höfe, and Urs Treuthardt from Vorarlberg-Bodensee Tourism shared insights into their startup journeys and offered tips for anyone looking to launch a new business. Incubators and similar networks connecting investors with other startups play a significant role. These are important for learning from others’ experiences and avoiding mistakes. Additionally, it is advisable to seek the expertise of seasoned tourism professionals. 

In his keynote speech titled “Push Yourself to the Limit!”, former cyclist Udo Bölts explained how aspects of elite sports—including the ability to overcome pain—can be applied to the business and professional world. According to Bölts, the team structure in sports resembles that of professional teams, as in both cases each member has specific strengths but also weaknesses and should be deployed accordingly. 

In the evening, Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger spoke at Talk Tourism. In his speech, he emphasized the sector’s great importance for Germany: “Tourism is a key pillar of our country’s prosperity: This applies not only to Bavaria as an attractive and diverse destination, but also to the entire travel industry. And that is why, as a tourism destination, we are particularly strong when we have a value chain with robust inbound and outbound tourism. Because together, we can better represent our interests and find new solutions.” 

The guests were able to round off the day with informal conversations, networking, and musical entertainment. 

TalkTourism Day 2: AI, Big Data, Blockchain, and New Ways of Working 

The second day of Talk Tourism also offered guests a wide range of topics relevant to the tourism industry. Right at the start, the session “New Spaces of Reality – Atmospheric Design of Experiential Spaces,” led by Edgar Eller of Stadtmarketing Austria and Peter C. Kowalsky of PROJECT M, addressed the question of how brand managers can bring the identity of places to life. 

Following that, Bastian Hiller from Teejit demonstrated how AI can be used for moderation. Sebastian Beck from ISO Travel Solutions and Sven Sterzenbach from Munich University of Applied Sciences spoke about the potential applications of blockchain technology in the tourism industry, and Olaf Nitz from Saint Elmo’s Tourismusmarketing, together with Dr. Annette Klett-Steinbauer from thaltegos, highlighted the potential of big data. – For example, the two agencies’ new real-time market research tool uses big data analytics to better understand tourist demand and make realistic predictions about tourist behavior. 

This was followed by a panel discussion with CoworkationALPS, WERK1, and cloopio on boundary-less, digital, and location-independent forms of work. The discussion focused on the opportunities that workation, bleisure, digital nomads, and coworking present for the tourism industry, and how such offerings can be designed. 

That evening, five startups introduced themselves to the audience with short pitches as part of Startup Night. The event is traditionally organized by VIR in close collaboration with the Travel Industry Club (TIC). 

Summary of Talk Tourism 3 

Following the conclusion of the two-day event, VIR Board Member Michael Buller offered a positive assessment: “Our industry is facing a tremendous wave of technological and cultural change that is affecting both the inbound and outbound sectors alike. With the Talk Tourism format, we have not only addressed these challenges but, thanks to our experts, transformed them into inspiration for the entire tourism industry—in such a way that it is a pleasure to view them as opportunities. In this way, they can play a decisive role in shaping the future of both inbound and outbound tourism.” 

The travel podcast travelholics offers further insights into the topics covered at Talk Tourism. Over the course of the two-day event, guests had the opportunity to share their visions and ideas with podcaster Roman Borch, who has made these available as “shortcasts” on Talk Tourism at travelholics.tourispix.de. 

The press release is available for download here in PDF format.