From 17th to 21st February, the WSB Merito University in Wrocław hosted the international ENTER25 eTourism Conference, organised by the university in collaboration with the International Federation for Information Technologies and Travel & Tourism (IFITT) and the Convention Bureau – Wrocław. One of the event’s partners was the Poland Convention Bureau POT, whose manager, Aneta Książek, participated as an expert in two thematic panels.
The conference in Wroclaw gathered nearly 300 participants, including leading experts and academics from around the globe, specialising in information and communication technologies (ICT) within the tourism and travel sectors. The discussions centred around how modern technologies can support the development of the tourism industry, particularly regarding the challenges and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence. Other topics included the industry’s need to become more socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable.
The organisation of the ENTER25 Conference by WSB Merito University in collaboration with IFITT and the Convention Bureau – Wrocław represents a significant academic success for the Tourism and Recreation programme. Securing this prestigious event for Wrocław was the result of several years of effort by the university’s team – including the university’s management, teaching staff from the tourism department, and alumni. A special role in this process was played by Wiktoria Król-Cieciorowska, an alumna of the programme, who is currently the Vice President of the Convention Bureau – Wrocław.
Poland Convention Bureau at the Conference
As part of its collaboration with the organisers, Aneta Książek, Head of the Poland Convention Bureau, participated as an expert in two panel discussions, presenting the practical use of technology and e-marketing in promoting the country internationally, using examples from the Polish Tourism Organisation’s initiatives.
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19th February – Smart Tourism Destination Best Practice
Moderator: Inkeri Starry (Finland)
Participants: Laura García (Visit Benidorm), Aneta Książek (Poland Convention Bureau), Stefanie Warum (Alturos Destinations), Matěj Brnka (IT Project Manager, CzechTourism) -
20th February – Robots and Autonomous Devices: Setting the Research Agenda
Moderator: Stanislav Ivanov (Varna University of Management, Bulgaria)
Participants: Aneta Książek (Poland Convention Bureau), Katerina Berezina (University of Mississippi, USA), Ian Yeoman (NHL Stenden, Netherlands) – The Future of eTourism 2025–2060
I would like to thank the organisers, and particularly Professor Dimitrios Buhalis (Chair of the ENTER 2025 Conference), for the trust and opportunity to actively participate in the academic part of the conference, where I had the chance to present the practical application of new technologies in the area of promotion (ZOPOT London campaign), education (Mobile Education Centre “Tourist School” and “Laboratory of Creators”), as well as events organised by the Polish Tourism Organisation. I am pleased that the conference’s ‘pet’ became our friendly robot Pepper, who not only represented the POT stand but also actively participated in the panel regarding robots and the future. I must admit that the most impressive moment for me was meeting the futurist, Dr Ian Yeoman (NHL Stenden, Netherlands), during one of the panels. He stated that to cope with the rapid pace of change related to technological developments, we must expect the emergence of more radical forecasting methods that use science fiction archetypes. Our concern for the future often grows when we face social threats, such as climate change, COVID-19, or the development of transformative technologies,” said Aneta Książek, Head of the Poland Convention Bureau.
“Twenty or thirty years ago, at the dawn of the internet age, the modern technologies we encounter today were associated only with science fiction films, such as Minority Report (Spielberg, 2002), Westworld (Crichton et al., 2000), or I, Robot (Asimov, 2004). This shows that what we imagine today in films is the ‘future of tomorrow’. Personally, however, I remain hopeful that we will not allow a catastrophe or the takeover of the world by machines. Machines can streamline our work, but let us not allow them to take away our individuality, empathy, curiosity, and our readiness to meet other people,” added Książek.
Conference Programme in Wrocław
Throughout the four-day conference, dozens of workshops, panel discussions, and lectures were held. The conference covered a range of topics, including:
- Smart Tourism
- Artificial Intelligence Applications
- Digital Culture and Heritage
- Training in the AI and Metaverse Era
- Technology Innovations in Tourism
- Robots and Autonomous Devices in Tourism
- Detecting Emotions in User-Generated Content and their Influence on Tourist Satisfaction
- E-Gamifications
Organisers
For the first time at WSB Merito University, an academic event in the field of tourism of such scale and significance as Enter25 took place. Together with IFITT and the Convention Bureau, we hosted several hundred people from dozens of countries within the walls of our university, who are the leading scientific authorities in the world in the field of using modern technologies in tourism. This is a key direction for the further development of the tourism business, especially in the case of artificial intelligence, which also highlights the immense practical importance of the issues addressed during the conference. However, this unprecedented event would not have taken place without the immense involvement of many people both in the acquisition process – the conference was held for the first time in Poland – and its organisation. I am proud that I was able to play a part in bringing this event to our university and to Wrocław. Special recognition should go to the university authorities, led by Chancellor Dr Joanna Nogieć, as well as Dr Jarosław Tomaszewski, Dr Eng. Julita Markiewicz-Patkowska, Dr Edyta Pijet-Migoń, Dr Karolina Królikowska, Dr Eng. Agnieszka Pawlak-Wolanin, and Dr Hab. Eng. Anna Zgrzywa-Ziemak, Prof. UWSB Merito. It is also worth noting that the Vice President of Convention Bureau Wrocław, who was co-responsible for organising Enter25, is a graduate of the Tourism and Recreation programme at our university – MSc Wiktoria Król-Cieciorowska,” said Dr Hab. Daniel Puciato, Prof. UWSB Merito, Manager of the Tourism and Recreation programme, co-initiator of the Enter25 conference organisation in Wrocław.
“The Enter conference is one of the most important global events in eTourism and for over thirty years has gathered scientists and practitioners whose innovative actions shape the future of the tourism industry. The conference was first organised in 1994 in Austria, in Innsbruck. Together with Dr Hab. Daniel Puciato, Prof. UWSB Merito, and with the tremendous support of Chancellor Dr Joanna Nogieć, we have been working since 2022 to make WSB Merito University in Wrocław the host of such an important scientific event. This year, the Enter conference focused on the key technologies used in the tourism industry, such as e-marketing and offer personalisation, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and sustainable development,” added Dr Eng. Julita Markiewicz-Patkowska, university lecturer and co-initiator of the organisation of the Enter25 conference in Wrocław.
IFITT Overview
The International Federation for Information Technology and Travel & Tourism (IFITT) is a leading, independent global community focused on creating and disseminating knowledge in ICT within the travel and tourism sectors. The engaged community fosters an environment where academics and professionals can collaborate to generate pioneering solutions and share them widely. The community thrives through a culture of dialogue, sharing cutting-edge resources, and creating platforms for exchanging experiences. IFITT members advocate for the dissemination of innovative research results, ensuring their impact both in academia and at conferences. IFITT is at the forefront of nurturing a culture of open knowledge exchange and promoting the visibility of research.
The ENTER eTourism Conference, organised by IFITT, is the leading global forum for sharing and challenging the latest insights into the application of ICT in the travel and tourism industry. IFITT is led by President Professor Jacques Bulchand Gidumal from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, and its board. IFITT currently has over 10,000 followers from Europe, Asia, South and North America, Africa, and Australia.
