ABTA is encouraging delegates to register by Tuesday 19 July for this year’s Travel Convention to take advantage of the discounted Early Bird rates.

Registration rates for ABTA Members and the first ABTA Partners are currently £600, with additional ABTA Partners and non-Members paying £700. From Wednesday 20 July, these rates will rise to £750 and £850 respectively.

Taking place in Marrakech from 10-12 October, the three-day event will include a programme of high-level business sessions, an array of networking opportunities and a range of full and half-day excursions to explore the host city.

ITV’s Chris Ship will return to moderate the business sessions under the theme ‘travel’s new landscape’, with the first speakers confirmed as former Conservative MP and cabinet member Rory Stewart, consultant and author Christine Armstrong, and Chief Executive of Intrepid Travel James Thornton.

Stewart will be sharing his thoughts on the political upheaval at home and overseas, while Armstrong, as a specialist in the future of work, workplaces, leadership and company communication, will be discussing hybrid working, attracting and retaining talent, and how to lead.

Beyond the business sessions, delegates will be able to explore Marrakech and raise money for a good cause by joining the ABTA LifeLine Convention cycle ride on Monday 10 October. Supported by Intrepid Travel and Avis Budget Group, tickets cost £45 per person and all proceeds will go towards ABTA LifeLine and local charity Amal which helps disadvantaged women in Morocco.

Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive at ABTA – The Travel Association said:

“The travel industry has been through a series of immense shocks and huge upheavals since we last held an overseas Convention, so this year’s event provides a vital forum for us to come together and discuss the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for our sector.

“From attracting talent back to the industry to how we can best withstand geopolitical changes and the cost of living crisis, we’ll be focused on providing essential information and practical advice that delegates can apply to their own businesses.”

“I’d like to encourage everyone to take advantage of discounted Early Bird fees while they still can and I look forward to seeing all of our delegates in Marrakech this October.”

Register now at www.thetravelconvention.com.

Notes to editors

ABTA has been a trusted travel brand for over 70 years. Our purpose is to help our Members to grow their businesses successfully and sustainably, and to help their customers travel with confidence. The ABTA brand stands for support, protection and expertise. This means consumers have confidence in ABTA and a strong trust in ABTA Members. These qualities are core to us as they ensure that holidaymakers remain confident in the holiday products that they buy from our Members.

We help our Members and their customers navigate through today's changing travel landscape by raising standards in the industry; offering schemes of financial protection; providing an independent complaints resolution service should something go wrong; giving guidance on issues from sustainability to health and safety and by presenting a united voice to government to ensure the industry and the public get a fair deal.

ABTA has around 4,000 travel brands in Membership, providing a wide range of leisure and business travel services, with a combined pre-pandemic annual UK turnover of £40 billion. For more details about what we do, what being an ABTA Member means and how we help the UK public travel with confidence visit www.abta.com