ABTA Travel Convention to be held as virtual event

ABTA’s annual conference will take place as a virtual one-day event, on 14 October.

The Travel Convention was originally due to be held in Marrakech, (above) from 5 to 7 October, but was cancelled earlier this year due to the pandemic.

ABTA has promised ‘thought provoking content around the future of travel and tourism’, with keynote speakers, business sessions, a range of specialist workshops and networking opportunities delivered to delegates via the internet.
Confirmed keynote speakers include:

* Yael Selfin, Chief Economist, KPMG
* Dr Paul Redmond, Author, The Graduate Jobs Formula and Director of Student Experience and Enhancement, Liverpool University
* John Bevan, CEO, dnata Travel Europe

Delegates will be able to access business sessions and specialist workshops, either live or on demand for up to a month after the event.

They will also be able to request one to one meetings with other attendees and receive live technical assistance throughout the day.

The business sessions will be broadcast from a virtual studio in central London, with Chris Ship, the Royal Editor at ITV News, returning to moderate for the fifth time.

The Travel Convention programme is developed around three key pillars: Our World, Our Industry and Your Business. This year’s theme is ‘Rebuilding Confidence in Travel’.

Topics covered include the government’s approach to restoring confidence in travel and how Brexit will impact the industry.

A panel of economists will explain what is happening in the economy at a macro-level, whilst commentators and industry speakers will examine how consumer expectations are changing as a result of Covid-19.

In Our Industry, a number of speakers will explore what is happening throughout the customer journey, including in destinations, to encourage the return of safe travel.

There will also be a focus on sustainability, diversity and inclusion, digital transformation and new ways of working with interviews panel discussions with industry leaders.

The list of confirmed speakers is available on the Convention website and the full speaker line up will be released in September.

Delegates can register via The Travel Convention website. Early bird fees until 1 September are £79 while non-member fees are £199.

ABTA Chief Executive Mark Tanzer said: "We took the difficult decision a few months ago to postpone this year’s Travel Convention in Marrakech to 2021, but we look forward to welcoming our delegates there in person next year.

"In the meantime, with the start of the recovery presenting so many challenges to businesses, it has never been more important for us to come together to discuss the future of travel and how we can rebuild confidence in customers.

"From our virtual studio, we’ll be delivering high-level business sessions, practical workshops and time for networking. It will be unlike any other Convention before it – and we look forward to seeing our delegates there."

By Linsey McNeill, Editor (UK)