Food is now the leading hook in travel and many travelers the world over not only perceive food tourism as an adventure but are also calling for more adventure type tours to heavily incorporate food experiences among hiking or white water rafting expeditions.
Companies from Airbnb to Marriott are implementing innovative operational strategies based on the need to be fluid and adaptable as the travel marketplace continually evolves.
The event technology scene is going mainstream, but there needs to be more research on the business case for event tech from non-biased sources to help meeting planners make smarter business decisions.
This mashup of leaders in travel, media, commerce, and IT represents the cross-industry synergies fueling the rise of the digital platform economy. It also represents the growing link between smart city development and tourism, which is going to explode in 2016.