By Evantia Giumba, Head of Travel Media and Startup Programme, WEMEA Online, Amadeus.

It all starts with an idea. The electric light, the telephone, even the humble sandwich. Yes, there was a time when all of these brilliant inventions were just a thought in someone’s mind.

It is only the truly unimaginative who ever complain that there’s nothing left to invent! In fact, it is just the opposite. There has never been more opportunity to see an idea come to life than in the twenty-first century. In 2018, the number of patent applications filed with the European Patent Office grew by 4.6% to reach a record high of more than 174,000. After all, every “problem” is just an opportunity waiting for a solution.

So where does Amadeus fit into the picture?

We’re constantly on the lookout for bright travel startups who are passionate about doing things faster, better, easier in our industry. That includes the people who have the ambition and courage to embark on doing something that’s never been done before. We applaud those brave hearted visionaries and entrepreneurs.

But we don’t just cheer people on. We help in practical ways too. Today, we’re empowering the people who have imagined the next big thing with the best travel technology available. We work with startups in every corner of the globe to share our more than 30 years of industry know-how.

Ultimately, it’s all about the traveler and how to make the traveler’s journey better connected, with less friction and fewer pain points. It’s about putting the wonder back into travel. Who says that wonder should have to wait until you are climbing mountains in Nepal or sipping drinks in a rock pool in French Polynesia?

Pitch your best ideas to win big

We believe the joy of travel should start right at the beginning with inspiration and trip planning. It should continue all the way through the booking process, on into the departure terminal and through every stage of the journey. But no one can build that kind of travel experience on their own. That’s why we believe in partnering with the thinkers, dreamers and planners who are determined to see their ideas come to life.

One way to discover brilliant startups who are waiting for their time to shine is by partnering with global forward-thinking events like Travel Forward. For the second year running we’re thrilled to be part of the judging panel for the startup competition. So if you’ve got a great idea for travel, you know where to find me at the beginning of November. Come to Travel Forward, pitch your ideas and get inspired with a world of possibilities. When it comes to the best ideas, it’s not a matter of if… it’s a matter of when. And the time is now!