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8th Annual E-Tourism Africa Summit

Etas is back again.

The E-Tourism Africa Summit (eTAS) is Africa’s largest and most successful Digital Travel Conference, now in its 8th consecutive year.

Following the huge success of last years event, eTAS15 is bigger and better than ever and now in 3 cities: Cape Town, Tshwane and Durban. As ever this dynamic and interactive event that allows the African travel and tourism community to come together and hear from leading global social media and travel technology leaders and to learn how new and innovative ways to promote their business.

This year we are featuring an all-new format. With social media now such a popular and powerful resource for marketing travel, we won’t be telling you about it but we will talking about it with a series of fascinating, educational and challenging onstage discussions between global and local experts. These discussions will look at the implications for the travel business, address multiple viewpoints about how best to utilize the power of online, and provide first had experience of making it work.

The audience will be able to participate, contribute and express their opinions in these discussions using their SMART phones, making you part of the event.You will leave eTAS with whole new approach to managing and marketing your business.

Choose your event:

Event partners, event details.

September 2015

South Africa

Coming soon

Cape Town, Pretoria & Durban

8th Annual Summit Pages

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E-Tourism Frontiers Seminars

To gain full understanding and make maximum use of these resources, join one of our training seminars, which provide attendees with intensive hands training in online sales, marketing and management skills for both destinations and tourism companies. 

Our trainers are experienced professionals with extensive experience working in online tourism around the world, including first hand experience of working in emerging markets. We use live demonstrations of working websites and technologies and will give you the skills, resources and support to begin making changes to your business and use the web to improve your organization and business. These 2 day events are tailored for each market and destination and are designed to provide realistic and practical solutions that delegates can immediately take home and put into action. They are suitable for: Public Sector - Tourism Ministries, Destination Marketing Organizations, Tourist Boards. Private Sector - Tourism stakeholder, hoteliers, tour operators and agents, community and eco-tourism projects. Tourism ICT Professionals - Webmasters, ICT officers, Network Managers. Most of our training seminars are hosted and managed in conjunction with individual destinations. We have held training seminars in South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Denmark and Jordan.

If you’d like to have a seminar held in your destination- please do contact us.

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E-tourism frontiers relaunches services after a year’s hiatus.

E-Tourism Frontiers has relaunched its services of developing digital tourism strategies for global markets. This comes following the untimely demise of its CEO and founder, Damian Cook, in November 2023.

The company was originally established in 2007, then expanded and rebranded to E-Tourism Frontiers in 2010, reflecting its broader focus on Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. E-Tourism Frontiers will now also explore the role of AI and Big Data in tourism.

Taking up the helm in the role of Managing Director, is Sarah Mathews, a global expert in online tourism with over 30 years of marketing and digital experience. Mathews brings extensive knowledge from over a decade tenure as Director of Media Partnerships across Asia Pacific for Tripadvisor. Her experience spans working with both corporate entities and internal tourism boards – she was the youngest ever female Chair of PATA – the Pacific Asia Travel Association and she had a decade-long collaboration with Damian Cook, identifying trends in consumer travel and providing strategic insights to keep the sector connected with travel audiences.

Speaking on the relaunch, Mathews said that she is thrilled and humbled to step into her new role taking over the late Damian Cook.

“Damian’s sudden passing last year left an immense void, not just within our organization, but across the many destinations he worked with including Kenya, Jordan, Rwanda and beyond. I am excited and feel a deep sense of responsibility to carry on Damian’s legacy, ensuring that businesses and destinations he worked with, benefit from the same level of innovation and passion that he embodied,” Mathews said.

Under Mathews’ leadership, ETF will incorporate big data analysis and AI to stay at the cutting edge of online tourism trends.

Mathews outlined her vision saying, “As we embark on this new chapter in E-Tourism Frontiers’ journey, I am keenly aware of the evolving landscape of travel and tourism. The urgent need for sustainable practices, the ever-changing consumer demands and the advent of AI are all factors that require our attention and action. My vision for ETF is to continue to be a leader in digital marketing consultancy, helping the industry navigate these changes with conscious, data-driven strategies that respect both our clients’ goals and the world in which we operate.”

“We want to show the benefits of both AI and Big Data and highlight how both can be used in everyday business. Part of the role of ETF is to ensure that the developing world in not left behind by a digital divide”, said Mathews.

Joining Mathews in this new chapter of E-Tourism Frontiers is Elizabeth Cook, stepping back into the role of Director of Marketing. As women leaders, Mathews and Cook bring a unique perspective and dynamic to the company’s leadership.

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How the digital world is changing the tourism industry?

Wanderer Blog Post 0

Tourism and travel represent nowadays the main leisure activity for billions of people around the globe. The digitalization of our world and the use of new technologies changed the way we look and perceive the tourism industry and opened the door to the E-tourism.

What is the future of tourism in the digital era? What are the changes we can expect?

As I am always interested in the new digital outbreaks, and also passionate about tourism and travels , I decided to research the new concept of E-tourism.

E-tourism: digitization of the industry

E-tourism: new digital trends, m-tourism and e-tourism:.

The E-tourism is defined as “the digitization of all the methods and value chains of the tourism, travel, hotel and catering sectors, allowing companies to maximize their efficiency and their offers to customers”. The emergence of the Internet in the ’90s as well as the development of various web technologies have strongly changed and revolutionized the tourism sector . E-tourism is a new way of thinking, organizing and experiencing the holidays that is taking place . People are increasingly using smartphones, computers, and tablets to book flights and hotels. They also tend to discuss and send photos and videos of their stay. In the era of E-tourism, travelers share their opinions and experiences before going on a trip , during the trip, and after the end of the holidays on social networks.

These opinions will have a great influence on the reputation and value of a certain destination or tourist offer. A study conducted by Raffour Interactive’s firm in 2015 shows the key figures of E-tourism in France:

• 71% of people consult the Internet to prepare their stay.
• 45% have booked all their trip or part directly online.
• 32% are preparing their holidays from their smartphones.
• 77% of E-tourists consult opinions online.
• 68% are influenced by the opinions they read. These figures show that the Internet has become an important source of information regarding tourism offers . People are increasingly trusting the sites and reviews posted on them to choose their stay.

The web has become the predominant channel worldwide . The number of bookings made online increases from one month to the next. According to Damian Cook, CEO of E-Tourism Frontiers : “ To say that digital tourism is the future of the market means that we live in the past. E-tourism is not the future, it is already the present “.

It’s not only important to know that online bookings are the new trend but you also need to understand the role that social networks play as ‘drivers’ of these bookings.

With the rise of social media, we find that there is a transfer of control from the travel industry to individual tourists. This can be frightening because their opinions can affect the integrity of a certain offer . At the same time, this transfer of control could be a great opportunity. “ When tourists have a great experience, they publish photos, videos and even write reviews that will surely bring in more customers ” said Damian Cook.

I personally think that nowadays internet users are increasingly looking for interactive platforms where they can communicate and share with tourist agencies. Having a website is not enough anymore. Tourism stakeholders are committed to empowering their customers to create their own content on social networks. I, for example, always like to participate in social media games or post reviews of my experiences. It would surely help me appreciate more and more the companies that are giving this opportunity for customers.

Vacations are the most shared experiences on these platforms. People take pictures, they show the destination, they describe their experience and also talk about their meals. This is considered free advertising for the agency organizing this stay especially as hundreds of thousands of such publications are shared each day . Social networks have surely changed the trends of tourism but the tourist in himself remains the most valuable asset. In the digital world, the tourism industry is driven by independent travelers. Consumers took power, they participate in the creation of the offer.

The development of mobile applications in recent years and its adaptation to the field of travel has led to the emergence of what we call the M-tourism .

“ The major evolution of E-tourism is that of the mobile ” according to Guy Raffour. In 2009, 4% of the population was preparing their holidays via their smartphones. This number increased exponentially during the next seven years. In 2016, 53% of people use tablets and mobiles to prepare trips. There is a huge increase in 7 years.

65% of travelers say that M-tourism has a big impact on the way they prepare their trips . By having their digital tablet or mobile, travelers have access all the time, to all the leisure offers and activities available on site. They customize their holidays on site , adding a hotel night or booking a restaurant without having to think about it in advance . We are witnessing more freedom and independence. Individuals are increasingly connected through their smartphone which makes the M-tourism the newest trend in the travel and vacation market.

To summarize, I think in the digital world, it is important for tourism and travel companies to acknowledge the importance of a satisfied customer. People are connected the whole time. I personally post pictures daily whenever I am visiting a new place. I write reviews and give my opinion on hotels, packages, and flights. There reviews and posts will surely influence people’s decisions when planning the same trip.

The customers are gaining more and more control. It is important to innovate and understand the value of UGC (user-generated content) in order to always offer unique experiences for travelers.

Finally, on a more personal note, always remember that even if you can stay connected all the time during your trips, turn off your phone for a few hours and just enjoy the stories you are writing!

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Moscow metro to be more tourist-friendly

A new floor sign system at the Moscow metro's Pushkinskaya station. Source: Vladimir Pesnya / RIA Novosti

For many years now, Moscow has lagged behind St. Petersburg when it comes to making life easy for tourists, especially where getting around the city is concerned. Whereas the northern capital installed English-language maps, signs and information points throughout its subway system in the late 2000s, the Russian capital’s metro remained a serious challenge for foreign visitors to navigate.

Recent visitors to Moscow may have noticed some signs that change is afoot, however. In many stations of the Moscow subway, signs have appeared on the floor – with large lettering in Russian and English – indicating the direction to follow in order to change lines. Previously, foreign visitors using the Moscow metro had to rely solely upon deciphering the Russian-language signs hanging from the ceilings.

Student volunteers help tourists find their way in Moscow

However, this new solution has a significant drawback. “The floor navigation is visible only to a small stream of people – fewer than three people per meter. During peak hours, this navigation will simply not be noticed,” said Konstantin Trofimenko, Director of the Center for Urban Transportation Studies.

One of the biggest problems for tourists in the Russian capital remains the absence of English translations of the names of subway stations in the station vestibules and on platforms. The Department of Transportation in Moscow has not commented yet as to when this problem will be solved. However, Latin transliterations of station names can already be found in the subway cars themselves.

Finding the right exit

At four of the central stations – Okhotny Ryad, Teatralnaya, Ploshchad Revolyutsii, Lubyanka and Kuznetsky Most – the city authorities have now installed colorful stands at the exits with schematic diagrams of the station’s concourse and surrounding area, which provide information about the main attractions and infrastructural facilities.

The schematic diagrams are the work of British specialists from the City ID and Billings Jackson Design firms, who have already implemented successful projects in New York and London.

According to Alexei Novichkov, expert at the Design Laboratory at the Higher School of Economics, the design of these information booths raises no objections: The color solutions, font, layout and icons are consistent with international standards.

However, the stands do have some shortcomings. “Many questions are raised about the fact that the developers of these maps did not apply orientation to the north, and have provided layouts of the surrounding areas with respect to the exits,” says Novichkov. “A system like that is used for road navigators, but most of the ‘paper’ guides and maps are oriented strictly to north. The subway map is also oriented to north, so people may become confused.”

Muscovites and foreign visitors are generally positive about these navigation elements, with most of them citing the numbered exits from the subway as the most useful feature.

The fact is that many Moscow subway stations have several exits. One of the busiest central stations of the Moscow subway in particular, Kitay-Gorod, has more than a dozen exits. Previously, these exits were differentiated from each other only with signs in Russian referring to the names of streets and places of interest to which they led – making it easy for tourists and those with poor navigation skills to get confused.

Now, when making an appointment to meet a friend, instead of struggling to find the right spot when they tell you: “I'll meet you at the exit to Solyanka Street,” you can just propose to meet under a specific exit number.

“I’ve lived in Moscow for seven years,” says Angelika, a designer from Voronezh, “but I still don’t always know where to go to find the place I need, so the new schematic diagrams will be very useful. Previously, some subway stations had maps, but not with so much detail.”

Teething problems

Foreigners, meanwhile, focus their attention on other elements. “It is good that the new information boards have QR-codes, which can be ‘read’ by smartphones,” says Florentina, a writer from Vienna. But there are also shortcomings. “The English font of the information on posters and in the captions to theaters and museums is too small – you have to come very close to see it well,” she says.

Pleasant encounters on the streets of Moscow

Florentina was also dissatisfied with the fact that such posters are not provided at all subway stations: “When I was trying to find Tsaritsyno Park (a museum and reserve in the south of Moscow) at a subway station with the same name, it turned out to be quite difficult,” she says.

“There are no maps with landmarks for other areas, such as those already in the city center. There were no clear pointers in the English language, and the passers-by I met did not speak in English, so they could not help me,” she adds.

Officials say that the navigation system is gradually being redeveloped and improved. According to Darya Chuvasheva, a press representative for the Department of Transport of Moscow, the introduction of a unified navigation system will take place in stages.

“By the end of 2014, the system will first appear on the first subway stations on the Circle Line. By the end of 2015, we plan to install the system at all major stopping points, subway stations and transport interchange hubs,” says Chuvasheva.

All rights reserved by Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

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