Overview

The Travel & Tourism, Leisure Progress Report was presented during the 42nd AFACT Plenary on November 26, 2024, by Dr. Anthony Chien, Deputy Director of the Commerce Development Research Institute (CIDS). This report outlines the activities and initiatives of the Travel & Tourism, Leisure Working Group (TT&L WG) under AFACT, emphasizing the adoption of e-business standards to support sustainable travel and tourism.

Key highlights include:

1. Leadership and Structure:

Dr. Anthony Chien was appointed as Chair, alongside Dr. Mikio Tanaka (Vice Chair) and Mr. Tunghua Tai (Secretary). The group consists of experts from various economies, including Taiwan, Japan, India, Korea, and others.

2. Major Projects:

(1) Travel Agency and DMC/DMO Package Tour Project:
-Focused on replacing emails and spreadsheets with standardized APIs for data exchange between Travel Agencies, Destination Management Companies (DMC), and Destination Management Organizations (DMO).

-Deliverables include Business Requirement Specifications (BRS) and Reference Data Models (RDM) for API specifications.

(3) API Transformation of Experience Program (EP) Technical Artifacts:

-Aimed at transforming EP technical artifacts into API formats to facilitate lightweight and smartphone-compatible trading mechanisms, aligned with UN/CEFACT standards.

3. Alignment with Sustainability Goals:

-The projects are designed to incorporate sustainability claims and align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), fostering responsible tourism practices.

4. Progress and Timeline:

-The Package Tour Project is set for completion by December 2024, while the API Transformation Project will conclude by April 2024, with respective publications planned during AFACT and UN/CEFACT plenaries.

The report emphasizes harmonization, standardization, and digital transformation as key enablers for sustainable and efficient travel and tourism services in the Asia-Pacific region.