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By Steve Ranger, 14 November 2007 13:17

COMMENT

Somewhere between Peru and Belize I finally admitted I was lost - but I wasn't sure where I had gone wrong. Somewhere around Madagascar, I figured. But what I really wanted to do was get back to Nevada.

Not because of the leggy showgirls, of course, but because from there I knew it was a quick hop, skip and jump to New England where the Sam Adams and award-winning cheese was going down a storm. And from there I was pretty sure I would be able to get my bearings again.

I tried asking someone near Brazil if he knew the way to Nepal but he just shook his head and went back to drinking a cocktail out of a pineapple.

My advice to you - never get lost in a travel show.

I was at the World Travel Market show yesterday to talk about business travellers and wi-fi - which is why on my first official outing as silicon.com's new editor I was wandering between the stands featuring rain forests and exotic fare set up by countries advertising their tourism opportunities.

Business travellers and wi-fi are something silicon.com can talk about for a couple of reasons. First, we've been running our Fair Wi-fi campaign throughout this year.

It seems to us terribly unjust that hotels should charge their customers over the odds for using new technologies such as wi-fi. We hope by raising the issue and creating debate we have helped hoteliers look at their policies and come up with better alternatives.

Another reason why I was at the show was to talk about atlarge.com - silicon.com's sister publication that helps travellers find, and rate, wi-fi at thousands of airports worldwide.

It's a reflection of the pervasiveness of technology that wireless, web 2.0 and user-generated content - which is pretty much what I was talking about - were relevant to the assembled travel industry experts, who posed me some good questions after the talk.

It was a good example of how technology is no longer just for technologists. Speaking at a travel show about new technology reminded me why we call it the world wide web - I just didn't expect to travel all the way around the globe in one afternoon.