WIT extends its community into the mobile space with launch of new app

SINGAPORE – This month, Web In Travel, the community for anyone passionate about travel technology, distribution and marketing, is launching an app at their flagship conference in Singapore 19-22 October 2015. The app, WIT Extra will push news about travel, technology and start-ups in Asia from the webintravel.com website to mobile devices.

Since its inception in 2005, WIT has grown from strength to strength. WIT’s beginnings weren’t meagre as 110 participated at the inaugural conference, many of whom still attend today. This year the conference has attracted 550 participants and 100 speakers from 33 countries.

WIT has always been ahead of its time. Over the past decade, WIT has brought together travel industry professionals from all sectors – air to ground, cruise to hospitality, and tourism – and slowly but surely forged an integrated community.

In 2008 and 2010 respectively WIT grasped the Singapore Tourism Board’s titles of Most Innovative Marketing Initiative and Trade Conference of the Year, due to their initiatives to foster a community around an event. Today, thousands throughout Asia and the Middle East attend satellite and niche events staged by Web In Travel, read its news feeds and engage in online discussion forums.

With the new mobile app WIT Extra, WIT is now extending its reach deeper into the travel community, beyond its events and website. As 37% of all global internet users now use their smartphones to read content online[1], the app will keep WIT at the heart of the travel trade community by providing instant access to industry-related information; enabling discussion, reflection, and growth.

“Most of us now consume content on our devices. Yes, we have a mobile-optimised website but with this app, we want to give our community WIT + more. It’s social with a Wall for sharing and it’s got relevant third-party content so that our community gets a richer user experience,” said Yeoh Siew Hoon, Founder, WIT.

The app provides alerts and notifications about WIT events around Asia & the Middle East. It also has a wall where users can post and share news and information; provides users with relevant news feeds related to the travel industry and digital travel space, all at their fingertips.

In a time of world economic uncertainty, Asia has emerged as a global growth leader; China, India, South East and North East Asia are burgeoning travel markets. Southeast Asian travel gross bookings are projected to reach US$53.7 billion next year; the Indian market alone is worth US$27.9 billion; and China is a dominant regional market with US$174.5 billion in travel gross bookings. The WIT Extra app can keep travel industry professionals connect to these emerging markets to help them crack the Asia code, by providing unparalleled access to pertinent market information.

To learn more about WIT, please visit

http://www.webintravel.com.

[1] Source: Kaspersky Lab; B2B International, February 2015.