We have these great competitions for innovation in travel. Up pops yet another application for some soft fruit named communication device or for a gizmo that is sold complete with a child of 6 to show you how to work it or some really clever add on for a ZX54 website with a section zappo thingymajig that is very popular in the lower regions of Southern India – or something that allows me to call Mars from 32,000 feet. Great. Fantastic. Wake me up when someone works out how to get an ipod to make a real cup of tea.

After the GDS (which, given that it is 1970’s technology is really rather clever) nothing much happened as far as the coal face of travel was concerned until… along comes Google Earth. Many looked at Google Earth and Ooooh-ed! and Ahhhh-ed! a bit but it is only lately that I have realised how clever it is – more importantly, how invaluable a tool it is for the travel agent. Here is something that makes life so much easier for the business travel agent – indeed all travel agents.

It can tell you which airport is closest to an address, which hotel is nearest to such and such an office or conference centre – and even (if you can get in close) how to get from the hotel to the office you want to go to. Is it a short journey? Yes, (you can say to the client) “Out the hotel, turn left, go along two stops of the dual carriageway, sharp right at the lights, 100 yards on the left – can’t miss it, guvn’or.” I am not saying this about somewhere local to Gerrards Cross, I am talking about a small factory, just south of Peking.

Just the other day, I had to get a crew to a private yacht (that’s the sort of client I have) near to Hilton Head – using Google Earth I was able to identify the airport – Ah! Ha! Your wrong, using Google Earth I was able to tell that Savannah was actually closer to the actual yacht mooring – and so was able to advise the client that they had a much shorter journey to pick up the new crew – and was even able to tell them how to get there (actually they did not need the last bit, though it does look good when you are talking to a client – it seems to them that you, the agent, have an incredible depth of knowledge!)

I am only just starting to find out what else it is useful for – perhaps to the extent of having a look at a potential clients house – does it look like the sort of house which indicates that they may be the “right sort of stuff”. You can see the cheaper hotels, bed and breakfasts, caravan parks (eh? For a business agent?) conference centres… You can search using postcodes (very useful!) and if you only know part of a location, slowly, slowly home in to what you are looking for.

You can keep your ipod apps – who wants irritating mobiles at 32,000 feet, anyway? You can keep your ability to look up what time the XYZ flight from Beirut is due – I know what time it’s arriving – anything from the West arrives early and anything from the East arrives late -or how to find a fish and chip shop just off the A23 – my vote goes to Google Earth!