Managing uncertainty with confidence

Every year, I look forward to welcoming colleagues from across the industry to ABTA’s Travel Convention. It is a chance to step back from the daily pressures of running a travel business and spend time with people who are dealing with many of the same challenges.

This year’s theme, ‘Managing uncertainty with confidence’ is particularly apt given the complex challenges that travel businesses are dealing with every day. The Convention gives us the space and time to explore those issues properly, both in the business sessions and in the wider conversations that happen throughout the event.

I’m particularly looking forward to discussing this in conversation with Jonathan Samuels, and to hearing from speakers who will bring different perspectives on what will shape the coming months and years in travel. The programme will also look at how leaders can respond to disruption with optimism, including the impact of AI and the changing expectations around work.

For me, that is what makes the Convention so useful. Over three days, delegates have time to step away from their usual routines and have the kind of conversations that are difficult to fit into a normal working week. The networking matters because much of the value comes from exchanging experience openly with others who understand the challenges first-hand.

This year we will also be making the most of the Convention’s setting in Funchal, Madeira, at the Savoy Palace. Madeira will provide an inspiring backdrop, with opportunities for delegates to experience more of the island around the programme. 

The Convention offers a valuable opportunity to take stock and return with useful ideas for the months ahead. I hope to see many of you in Madeira in October, ready to contribute to an important conversation about how our industry can respond to uncertainty with more confidence.

The ABTA Travel Convention is our annual flagship event however, it is part of our bigger events programme which includes practical workshops, online seminars and larger conferences. You can view our recently launched programme for this year here.

Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive