VIDEO: Tech heads on a digital world to decipher in travel

The digital leaders in the travel industry face an infinite number of challenges and opportunities.

Whether they are chief technology or digital officers, heads of digital transformation or some other title, each is responsible for driving innovation and ensuring their respective company keeps up with changes in the wider tech world.

The strategies that they impose on a business have to meet with the demands of their customers - a process that needs careful consideration, investment and, sometimes, good fortune.

But many companies do not have the budgets or existing technical skills of solely tech-focused organizations to push forward their ideas, so the role of the digital leader is a vitally important one.

Following on from PhocusWire's Tech Heads theme month in November 2018, our sister brand Phocuswright's European conference last week convened four executives from different parts of the industry to unravel and debate the trends and issues that they face.

The panel, hosted by Phocuswright analyst Peter O'Connor:

• Dara Brady, digital director at Ryanair
• Ian Di Tullio, senior vice president for guest services at Accor
• Christian Langer, vice president for digital strategy at Lufthansa Group
• Dirk Tietz, chief digital and transformation officer at DER Touristik Group

Here is the session from the main stage.

We also caught up with Brady of Ryanair in the PhocusWire Studio. He talks about personalization and the carrier's latest website, which is soon to be launched. He also touches on getting support from the board for digital initiatives.