Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The Amadeus Central Asia Forum was held in Tashkent (Uzbekistan) in September 2022. This was the first Amadeus face-to-face meeting with customers in the region since the pandemic and was attended by representatives of 8 countries - the executive leaders of the largest travel agencies of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan; experts and representatives of Amadeus regional offices from France, Germany, Central Asia and the Caucasus.

The focus of many presentations and discussions was on global trends and best practices for the effective operation of travel companies as they seek to renew the travel industry following the immense challenges of COVID-19.

“The industry is still feeling the effects of the pandemic, we are seeing difficulties in the global economy and uncertainty has become the new normal. Nevertheless, demand for travel is growing, and the number of international flights is increasing day by day, and this is encouraging", - said Tatyana Akulova, General Manager of Amadeus in Central Asia and the Caucasus. “At the Forum in Tashkent we presented solutions that will help travel agencies quickly adapt to changing circumstances and regain the confidence of travelers by offering them a more personalized approach and services.”

Amadeus experts reviewed current trends in global travel and identified priority areas for digital transformation – including the automation of business processes, efficient access to a variety of air and non-air content, how to optimize costs, and the value of developing new working methods and sources of revenue.

One of the key global trends is the continued rise in travelers' expectations when it comes to service levels and personalization of offers. So, for example, during the period of COVID-19, the volume of requests for exchanges and refunds of tickets increased greatly. The introduction of Amadeus Ticket Changer technology has allowed agencies to automate time-consuming operations and speed up processing of customer requests both online and offline. Specialized Amadeus solutions have been developed and integrated to help consult travelers on country policies on entry rules and required medical certification. Another example is technologies for informing passengers in the event of unforeseen changes on the route (flight rescheduling, changes of airport terminal or gate, etc.).

In the context of travel content fragmentation, the ability of the Amadeus Travel Platform to help alleviate the issue created strong interest. Within one global booking platform travel agencies have access to real-time inventory and pricing for airlines, with ancillary services details (seats, luggage, meals, etc.), hotels, cars and more. A wide choice of airline offers, including regular, low-cost and hybrid air carriers, as well as offers using IATA’s NDC enabled content – are made available to agents to search and book using a single screen, without additional investment in technology or training.

Special attention at the forum was paid to the topic of hotel bookings. According to Amadeus, the global hospitality industry is showing a good pace of recovery. For the summer of 2022, global hotel occupancy hit an average of nearly 70%, which is an increase of around 5% over the summer of 2019. By expanding hotel selection services based on innovative technologies, agencies can generate more value for their business.

A special session was also devoted to the challenges and opportunities for sustainable travel and tourism. According to forum experts, ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) initiatives and projects related to tourism are becoming increasingly important for travelers, travel companies and the communities they serve.

Sascha Nau, Head of Travel Unit Marketing, Northern, Eastern, Central and Southern Europe, Amadeus, said: “Our experience shows that collaboration and openness to innovation are key for the recovery of the travel industry, including the provision of technologies for safe travel and sustainable growth. It is our sincere hope that the forum in Tashkent will provide a good impetus for the development of new opportunities in Central Asia and the Caucasus, a region with big tourism and transport potential.”

Amadeus has been present in the region of Central Asia and the Caucasus since 1999, when the first office was opened in Kazakhstan in Almaty. To date, representative offices also operate in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The office in Kazakhstan (Amadeus Central Asia and Caucasus) is responsible for the development strategy of agency sales in the region, commercial issues, provides support and training for local travel agencies, and agrees cooperation on marketing programs with airlines and other partners.