ABTA has unveiled the latest line-up of expert speakers for this year’s Travel Convention, who will be offering valuable insight into how they’ve responded to the challenges posed by the pandemic and sharing their vision for the short- and long-term future of the travel industry.

Manuel Butler, newly returned as director of the Spanish Tourist Office in the UK, will discuss how destinations can rebuild from the impact of the pandemic and how Spain – a hugely important destination for UK outbound travel – is leading the way in adapting to changing consumer behaviours.

Julia Simpson, who took up her new role as president and CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) last month, will address delegates on the importance of strong leadership as the travel and tourism sector emerges from the Coronavirus crisis.

MD of Intrepid Travel, Zina Bencheikh, and vice president EMEA at Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ben Bouldin, will join a panel discussion exploring how the industry can place sustainability at the heart of its recovery.

These four new speakers add to an already impressive list of travel industry big hitters and senior figures. Driven by the theme, Leading the Way – envisaging and inspiring in extraordinary times, topics to be tackled in this year’s keynote speeches, high-level business sessions and panel discussions include how innovations in the world of travel are set to shape the industry, what the future holds for business travel, and how we can adopt new ways of working to build better and fairer organisations.

This year’s Travel Convention will offer delegates the option to attend either in-person at East Wintergarden in London’s Canary Wharf or online via a customised digital platform. Mark Tanzer, CEO of ABTA said: “As the travel industry’s flagship event, the Travel Convention always brings together an esteemed list of speakers to debate the most pressing issues facing the travel sector – and this year’s event is no exception. This year, more than ever, it’s important for us to come together to reflect on the events and learnings of the past 12 months and inspire our delegates to envisage and embrace what the future holds for the travel industry.”