CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR

eTour Object identification

David Faveur [Afidium] Bergamo – 2009-09-25 Content

• Introduction into topic • Needs and requirements • State of the art • Gaps and future needs • Recommendations

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Content

• Introduction into topic • Needs and requirements • State of the art • Gaps and future needs • Recommendations

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Introduction • Getting information or buying travel related products is often performed with the vendor or via intermediaries

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR 4 Introduction

• Multiple sources of information are available for shopping: – Single products (like hotels, car rentals or events ...) – Complex packaged products, – Comparing or aggregating information from different sources, becoming themselves sources • Identifying identical items, comparing information, merging or filtering from different sources is next to impossible in the current situation

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Content

• Introduction into topic • Needs and requirements • State of the art • Gaps and future needs • Recommendations

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Needs and requirements • "Travel is the change in location of people on a trip, or the process of time involved in a person or object moving from one location to another." • We need to precisely identify –Where: all geographical locations –What: Each travel service, all qualifiers (room, type of person…) –Who: All intermediaries and travel entities in general

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Needs and requirements

• "Travel is the change in location of people on a trip, or the process of time involved in a person or object moving from one location to another." : We need to precisely identify all geographical locations – Countries, cities, regions, airports, stations … – Touristical zones (not necessarily identical to countries) • Each travel service should have unique identifiers – For cross references, reliable comparisons and data aggregation – hospitality items, events, animations, activities, historical sites, exhibitions, museums ... • Unique identification for qualifiers for each type of service – To remove ambiguity of definition, to have structured formal definition – what is double, what is a child … • The different intermediaries should also be uniquelly identified – To allow compensations for services rendered by different entities in the whole travel (pre trip, on trip and post trip), – Tagging individual entities such as central reservation systems, credit card companies, GDSs, web sites, wholesalers, travel agencies, chains ... would greatly facilitate commission and money collection CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Location codes

• Not limited to countries and certain cities and airports but should be provided for – All countries, – All cities, airports, harbours, … – Points of interests, leisure, event or activity locations – Touristical regions – Terminals – Stations (railways stations, ski stations, car rental pickup stations) – ... • Easy to remember codes • Associate geodesic coordinates – For itineraries, results, searches... – Not valid for all types of geo location: What would be a country coordinate?

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Where:Location codes

Location codes not limited to countries and certain cities and airports

Easy to remember

Associate geodesic coordinates

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR What: Travel services

• Some already have codes that are standardized – such as airline IATA codes • Most have codes that depend on the vendor or distributor – Hotel codes – No add-on codes – No general room type codes –… • There is a need to have either – a unique global entity providing identification for all services worldwide or – specific entities per country or per sector providing identifiers with capacity to ensure unicity

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR What:Travel services

IATA

Some already have …but most have codes that are codes that depend standardized… on the vendor or distributor

There is a need to have a unique identification for all services worldwide

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Travel service qualifier codes

• To compare or qualify each type of services – Such as packages, room types, car types, activity type, facilities, features … • It is currently service dependent: – More developed for some services, like hotels or car rental – For some it is only recommended codifications and not true unique identifiers. – For most services, codification is still specific to each service provider.

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR 13 Travel service qualifier codes It is currently service dependent

More developed for Recommended Codification is still some services, like codifications and not specific to each service hotels or car rental true unique identifiers provider

Worldwide unique identification will allow to compare or qualify each type of services

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Travel company codes

• for all companies and actors involved in travel: – the end travel services – the wholesalers (hotel chains, tour operators) – the distributors such as travel agents, online companies – the intermediaries (central reservation systems, GDSs, switch companies) – the compensation, commission processing or payment processing companies – the call centers , ... • In order to – Add tracability – Process split payments more easily., – Explain pricing schemes, – Simplify processes all types of complaints, …

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR 15 Who:Travel company codes

• for all companies and actors involved in travel: – the end travel services – the wholesalers (hotel chains, tour operators) – the distributors such as travel agents, online companies – the intermediaries (central reservation systems, GDSs, switch companies) – the compensation, commission processing or payment processing companies – the call centers , ... • In order to

Add tracability Process split Explain Simplify processes payments more pricing all types of easily., schemes, complaints CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR 16 Content

• Introduction into topic • Needs and requirements • State of the art • Gaps and future needs • Recommendations

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR State of the Art

•IATA • HEDNA •OATC • ACRISS •ISO •GIATA • UN/LOCODE • URI •GS1 • UUAD •…

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR IATA: International association of travel agents • IATA Airport Codes: 3 letter Codes. – Expanded with city codes (with more than one airport), with coach, rail or ferry locations – Except for cities, mostly for boarding locations (not for stay /services locations). – Uniquely identify individual airports worldwide. – Drawbacks : Not only airports, Cannot be much extended to include all locations, airline dependent • IATA Airline Code: 2 and 3 alphanumeric codes + pure numeric codes. – Also allocated to railway or coach companies, whenever requested by airlines or GDSs – Drawbacks: Codes for other entities than airlines, Codes allocated to airlines that stop business would be reused after six months, same code may be used for different airlines, (if destinations do not overlap), 2 series of codes • IATA Agency codes: Numeric codes – Used worldwide for travel agents issuing airline tickets with exception of the U.S. – Drawbacks:Other systems for agencies not issuing IATA tickets, Not used in US • Other IATA codes : baggage tag issuers, delay codes, accounting prefix codes, logistics company codes ...

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR IATA: International association of travel agents

IATA Airport Codes: 3 letter Codes

IATA Airline Code: 2 and 3 alphanumeric codes + pure numeric codes

IATA Agency codes: Numeric codes

Other IATA codes : baggage tag issuers, delay codes, accounting prefix codes, logistics company codes ... CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR ICAO: International Civil Aviation Organization • ICAO airport codes: 4-letter airport identifier codes – uniquely identify individual airports worldwide. – They are used in flight plans to indicate departure, destination and alternate airfields, as well as in other professional aviation publications. – Usually, the first two letters of ICAO codes identify the country (but do not correspond to ISO country codes). – In the continental USA, however, codes normally consist of a 'K' followed by the airport's IATA code. • ICAO airline designator: – The codes are always unique by airline. – There are ICAO codes for companies that have no correspondance with IATA codes.

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR ICAO: International Civil Aviation Organization

ICAO airport codes: 4-letter airport identifier codes

ICAO airline designator : The codes are always unique by airline. There are ICAO codes for companies that have no correspondance with IATA codes.

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR ISO • Country codes : ISO 3166-1 alpha 2 and alpha 3 and numeric (2 and 3 letter codes for coutries as well as numeric codes). – Codes for countries and dependent territories, – Some codes are in fact regions and not countries (such as MQ for Martinique, part of France) – Two letter codes are more often used, alone or in combinations. • Region zones: ISO 3166-2 alphanumeric codes. – Codes for country subdivisions and dependent areas, such as regions, states, departments ... depending on countries. – They usually correspond to administrative zones. • Language codes: ISO 639-1. – 2 letter codes (usually enough for travellers) – ISO 639-2 for more possibilities if needed. – When local variations of the languages is important, the ISO 3166-2 country code is used :fr-FR and fr-CA • Currency codes: ISO 4217. – The first two letters = ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country codes – The third is usually the initial of the currency itself. (Or the initial for "new" ) CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR ISO

Country codes : ISO 3166-1 alpha 2 and alpha 3 and numeric (2 and 3 letter codes for coutries as well as numeric codes).

Region zones: ISO 3166-2 alphanumeric codes

Language codes: ISO 639-1.

Currency codes: ISO 4217

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR UN/LOCODE United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations

• Commonly known as "UN/LOCODE". • Managed and maintained by the UNECE, • Comes from collaboration within the United Nations. • Five characters – ISO 3166-1 alpha 2 country code – the three following represent the place name. – Examples such as CHGVA, FRPAR, GBLON, JPTYO and USNYC • UN/LOCODE picks up the IATA location code if possible, • Other data: airport, harbour, railway station, road terminal... • Based on standards (IATA codes whenever possible, ISO country codes) • it favors mnemonic associations for codes

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR UN/LOCODE United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations

• Commonly known as "UN/LOCODE". • Managed and maintained by the UNECE, • Comes from collaboration within the United Nations. • Five characters • UN/LOCODE picks up the IATA location code if possible, • Other data: airport, harbour, railway station, road terminal... • Based on standards (IATA codes whenever possible, ISO country codes) • it favors mnemonic associations for codes

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR HEDNA

• HEDNA is an international association focused on identifying distribution opportunities and providing solutions for the lodging industry and its distribution community. • HEDNA compiles codes for hotel chains, room types ... • It provides lists and codes of conducts on how to use those lists. • HEDNA also works on a project to provide global unique identifers.

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR HEDNA

• HEDNA is an international association focused on identifying distribution opportunities and providing solutions for the lodging industry and its distribution Hotel chains community. • HEDNA compiles codes for hotel chains, room types ... • It provides lists and codes of conducts on how to use those lists. • HEDNA also works on a project to provide global Room types unique identifers.

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR ACRISS

• ACRISS Members utilise an industry standard vehicle matrix to define car groups • Four character codes. • This coding system has been adopted to ensure that all ACRISS members display the same coding for the same vehicles. • ACRISS does not actually provide standardisation for all car rental related data: – for instance car rental stations are not standardised, nor opening hours.

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR ACRISS

• ACRISS Members utilise an industry standard vehicle matrix to define car groups

For vehicles • Four character codes. • This coding system has been adopted to ensure that all ACRISS members display the same coding for the same vehicles. • ACRISS does not actually provide standardisation Four character codes for all car rental related data

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR GIATA

• Acquires and standardises the digital image and text data for many tour operators and travel agencies such as TUI, Thomas Cook, Easyjet, Expedia, Opodo or Lastminute.com. • They are also used by CRS/GDS (Amadeus, Sabre, Galileo/Worldspan) to provide decoding information based on a unique identifier present in those GDS. • GIATA is not a global standardisation body but it has compiled enough data to become de facto a "standard" source of information, their identifier becoming "the" identifier in certain countries.

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR GS1

• Provides accurate Bar codes identification regarding products, assets, services and locations in many sectors • The most implemented supply chain standards system. • Used on bar codes, online Online transactions transactions, synchronisation • Applied in many trades and could probably be easily expanded to the travel trade • Already works with many Synchronisation corporations / standardisation bodies

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR URI

• Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) is a compact string of characters used to identify or name a resource on the Internet. • The main purpose of this identification is to enable interaction with representations of the resource over a network, typically the World Wide Web, using specific protocols. • URIs could be used in the travel industry in a systematic way, but they have major drawbacks such as – not being short, – requiring registration (and therefore money) – not really providing standard naming conventions.

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR URI

• Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) is a compact string of characters used to identify or name a resource on the Internet. • The main purpose of this identification is to enable interaction with representations of the resource over a network, typically the World Wide Web, using specific protocols. • URIs could be used in the travel industry in a systematic way, but Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) they have major drawbacks such as Uniform Resource Name (URN) – not being short, – requiring registration (and Uniform Resource Locator (URL) therefore money) – not really providing standard naming conventions.

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR UUID Universally Unique Identifier • Identifier used in software construction, • Standardized by the Open Software Foundation (OSF) as part of the Distributed Computing Environment (DCE). • Enable distributed systems to uniquely identify information without significant central coordination. • Anyone can create a UUID and use it to identify something with reasonable confidence of its unicity. • Information labeled with UUIDs can be combined without needing to resolve name conflicts. • Do not require a centralised body for validation (though repositories or registries would be useful). • BUT UUID keys are hardly usable due to their inherent complexity.

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Content

• Introduction into topic • Needs and requirements • State of the art • Gaps and future needs • Recommendations

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Locations: Countries, regions • Country codes • Region codes – concensus around the country codes – Less concensus here. (though several coding schemes exist). – The ISO sub divisions of countries are – The ISO 3166 standard is very widely less widely used : less matching the used, even incorporated in other travel industry needs. standards (like UN codes). – Need for travel specific regions, that do – However, the 2 letter codes are mostly not really map political or administrative used, limiting the migration to three boundaries (Cruise regions at sea, ski letter codes. That may hinder extending regions (or mountains) that are present the codes. on several countries, specific touristical – Some "Country" codes are also regions that may be within a country or allocated to regions of certain countries across countries (mediterranean or even part of the world that are bigger region, the south of France, Sardaigna, than countries (like EU for Europe, MQ Baleares, La Réunion ...) for Martinique). – Some countries have several levels of • Travel oriented zones : they often subdivision: ISO codes only take into coincide with countries, but not always. account one level • not done in a systematic way (there is – Some Travel companies are specilized no code for Corsica or Baleares for on certain domains (diving, hunting ...) instance). • They also require specific regions – There is a real need to differentiate related to their specialty. touristical "zones" with political • There is no way to submit such regions countries or areas. so as create a global repository. • There should be a mechanism to submit and validate such codification CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Locations: Countries The ISO 3166 standard is very Concensus around widely used, even incorporated the country codes in other standards

2 letters codes are mostly Need to differentiate used, limiting the Migration touristical "zones" with to 3 letters may be better political countries or areas.

Travel oriented Some "Country" codes zones : are also allocated to Often coincide regions of certain with countries, but countries or even part not always. of the world that are bigger Not done in a systematic way CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Locations: Regions The ISO sub divisions of Less concensus here. countries are less widely used : less matching the travel industry needs. Some Travel companies are specilized on certain Some countries have several domains levels of subdivision

Need for travel specific regions, that do not really map political or administrative boundaries that are present on several countries, specific touristical regions that may be within a country or across countries

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Locations: City, airport, point of travel codes

• IATA, • Travel destinations are not limited to airports – A number of incomplete identifications (city, or main cities (covered by the IATA codes). airport, railway stations ...) without – Precisely defining cities in general, villages, differentiation. stations (airport terminals, ski, railway, car – New codes added only in relation with airline rental, coach ...), points of interest within related business : no systematic coding cities or outside, lieu-dits... does not exist on a processes. global scale – 3 letters identification is far too limited to code • either differentiate airports, railway travel related identifications. stations, cities and build identification – However, widely used and accepted: global schemes for each type of item. coding process should allow their integration, • Or on the contrary create a unique set at least for airports of identifiers for points of travel. •ICAO – Second approach corresponds to the historical IATA approach. Seems logical – is also providing airport codes in a more because when travelling somewhere, location neutral way, and airport is a very similar notion (for the – Specialised and limited to airports. trip), except in case of multiple airports and • ÎAirport codification is fairly well covered airport differentiation is in order. though cluttered BUT • IATA nor ICAO seem in a position to provide • No codification integrate terminal data coding schemes. – vendors often create pseudo codes • Possibility to speed up process for global such as CD3 in lieu of CDG terminal 3, identification : Integrate local zipcodes or disrupting the initial IATA codes. other codifications, Use UN base…

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Locations: City, airport, point of travel codes

IATA ICAO A number of incomplete identifications Is also providing airport without differentiation. codes in a more neutral way, Specialised and limited to New codes added only in relation with airports. airline related business : no systematic coding processes Airport codification is fairly well 3 letters identification is far too limited covered though cluttered to code travel related identifications. BUT •No codification integrate terminal data Widely used and accepted : global coding •vendors often create pseudo codes process should allow their integration, at least for airports such as CD3 in lieu of CDG terminal 3, disrupting the initial IATA codes.

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Locations: City, airport, point of travel codes

Travel destinations are not limited to airports or main cities (covered by the IATA codes) First approach Precisely defining cities in general, villages, stations, points of interest within cities or outside… does not exist on a global scale either differentiate airports, railway stations, cities and build identification schemes for each type of item.

Or on the contrary create a unique set of identifiers for points of travel.

Second approach

Second approach corresponds to the historical IATA approach. Seems logical because when travelling somewhere, location and airport is a very similar notion (for the trip), except in case of multiple airports and airport differentiation is in order.

IATA nor ICAO seem in a position to provide coding schemes

Possibility to speed up process for global identification : Integrate local zipcodes or other codifications, Use UN base… CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Travel services codes

• No global unique identification – IATA and preferably ICAO provide extensive identification for airlines – Car rental companies, hotel chains are also identified by two or three identifiers. – Hospitality items, cruises companies, events, animations, activities, services, restaurants ... Have many identifiers, seldom standard – Private companies in certain countries provide partial data (such as GIATA in Germany). • Most codes are not even easily available so cannot be easily transcoded. • Impossible to – have unique identifiers for each element of a trip. – compare or even amalgamate information. • When and if in place, there is then a need to provide additional qualification like – understanding the position of the source compared to the content (is this first hand information) – does the author have the right to create or distribute the information – ... • Some organisations such as the HEDNA have such a project for hospitality services or other specific services, but this type of project needs to be globalised. CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Travel services codes

Most codes are not even easily No global unique identification available so cannot be easily transcoded.

Impossible to have unique identifiers for each element of a Impossible to compare or trip even amalgamate information. Provide additional qualification : - does the author have the right to Understanding the create or distribute the information position of the source compared to the content. - is this first hand information ?

Some organisations such as the HEDNA have such a project for hospitality services or other specific services, but this type of project needs to be globalised.

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Travel service qualifier codes • To refine the definition of travel related items, we need to identify rooms types, car types, facilities, staff credentials... • Nothing comprehensive really exists. – Certain associations provide recommendations or partial identification schemes and guidelines, without possibly imposing a standard. – For instance, there are coding recommendation for double rooms (such as DBL or just D) but that does not inform on the true occupancy of the room or its situation, view, comfort ... • Defining unique codes for travel services is very delicate – It touches marketing or sales oriented information which is subjective – It requires many details to allow precision. • To allow automatic quoting or advanced searches and automatic proposals, there is a need to define / unify those qualifiers. CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Travel service qualifier codes

To refine the definition of travel related items, we need to identify rooms types, car types, facilities, staff credentials...

Nothing comprehensive really exists

Defining unique codes for travel services is very delicate

To allow automatic quoting or advanced searches and automatic proposals, there is a need to define / unify those qualifiers.

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Travel company codes

• There is presently no global service providing unique identifiers for vendors, distributors, central reservation systems, cruises companies, commission payment systems, tour operators ... • It is important to track each company in a travel related booking or data exchange process. • There is a need to have – either a central body or sector or country specific bodies, – open registries to easily find the company codes

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Travel company codes

There is presently no global service providing unique identifiers for vendors, distributors, central reservation systems, cruises companies, commission payment systems, tour operators ...

It is important to track each company in a travel related booking or data exchange process.

There is a need to have - either a central body or sector or country specific bodies, - open registries to easily find the company codes

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Content

• Introduction into topic • Needs and requirements • State of the art • Gaps and future needs • Recommendations

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Recommendations

• Setup a watchtower to regroup the different existing identification schemes • Allow easy maintenance and sharing of identification by providing object identification tools and publication capacity

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Recommendations • Initial content of the watchTower (1 to 3 years)

Build a registry of present object identifications in the tourism industry

Develop travel related global geography identifiers

Integrate the global geography identifers in the registry and build transcoding capability

Develop travel company related global identifiers

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Recommendations

• Longer-term recommendations (3-10 years) – Provide recommendations for travel service coding schemes – Build global repository with transcoding capacity – Help major players to migrate to global identifers

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Recommendations

• Longer-term recommendations (3-10 years)

Provide recommendations for travel service coding schemes

Build global repository with transcoding capacity

Help major players to migrate to global identifers

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR Thank you for your attention

CEN/ISSS WS/eTOUR