The first IFITTtalk@Salzburg took place on the 22nd of October 2015 at Salzburg University of Applied Science as a main academic event within the annual Brennpunk eTourism. More than 350 academics, students and practitioners attended the event.

Chaired by Mattia Rainoldi, researcher and lecturer in the programme Innovation and Management in Tourism, this IFITTtalk covered five hot topics in the eTourism domain. Dr Barbara Neuhofer, IFITT Treasurer and Director of IFITT Next Generation, structured her presentation around the dilemma of Connecting vs Disconnecting, an upcoming issue that will certainly have an impact on the future of tourism. Andrea Ettinger, doctoral student at the Alpen-Adria University of Klagenfurt, talked about the importance of the “Five Senses” in the development and management of a destination’s image. Her pioneering research focused on lovely Austria.  Just before the break, Larissa Neuburger, student in the Master’s programme Innovation & Management in Tourism at Salzburg University of Applied Science, demonstrated in theory and practice the value of augmented reality as a tool to enhancevisitors’ experience in museums.

The second part of the IFITTtalk was opened by Dr Markus Lassnig’s presentation on Innovations in Destinations where the renowned researcher from Salzburg Research depicted the importance of innovation in the development of new e-business formats. The talk was concluded with the presentation of Paula Monteiro, Wikitude Online Marketing Manager, on Outernet and its impact on tourism. All presentations have received very positive comments from the audience and have inspired exciting discussions between participants and speakers. The event finished with an informal get-together where many participants asked information about IFITT and future IFITT events.