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Travel bosses attend the round-table in London


Over-selling and ‘lies’ beset travel tech sector


Senior travel figures discuss technology challenges at a Travolution debate sponsored by the Malvern Group. By Benjamin Coren


Systems that don’t integrate and a lack of collaboration between suppliers are frustrating travel companies’ efforts to improve their technology.


Industry bosses claim some


technology suppliers oversell what their systems are capable of – and some even lie to win business. Speaking at a Travolution


round-table event, Chris Smith, general manager of Midcounties’ online brand Co-operative Holidays, said firms were


64travelweekly.co.uk2 May 2019


hampered by a patchwork of systems that in many cases didn’t talk to each other. “As a group, Midcounties is quite


diverse,” he said. “We’ve got our toes in many different markets and what’s clear to me is the desire to provide a onesiefitsall solution just isn’t there. “So, were trying to find bestin class solutions and get [suppliers] to collaborate to build a platform to fulfil all our needs across the whole group.”


Smith’s comments echoed those


of Midcounties Co-operative chief retail officer Alistair Rowland who, speaking at last year’s Abta convention, accused technology firms of failing to provide the systems businesses needed. Smith added: “Alistair’s


frustration was with the lack of collaboration between the technology companies. “They are competitors, but it goes on to a much broader, veiled criticism of over-promise and under-delivery and, in some instances, dare I say it, downright lies about what is available.” EasyJet Holidays technology


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