ABTA reveals speaker line up for this year’s Travel Matters conference

Friday, June 10, 2022

ABTA has unveiled the line-up of expert speakers for its annual Travel Matters conference on Wednesday 22 June, which brings together leaders from across the travel industry to debate the biggest political and policy issues facing the travel sector.

Delivering this year’s keynote speech and sharing crucial insight and anecdotes into the inner workings of Westminster is former Minister Amber Rudd, who served as Home Secretary and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

Also offering a window on to Westminster is Nikki da Costa, an influential commentator on politics, legislation and parliament who served as Director of Legislative Affairs at No 10 Downing Street under both Theresa May and Boris Johnson. da Costa will be advising travel businesses on how to prepare for the run up to the next general election, while also offering her perspective on how the travel industry can forge a strong working relationship with the UK Government and opposition moving forward.

Additional speakers, whose insights will be driven by this year’s theme, ‘An Agenda for Recovery and Renewal’, include:

• Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive, ABTA 
• Karen Dee, Chief Executive, Airport Operators Association 
• Simon McNamara, UK & Ireland Country Manager, International Air Transport Association (IATA) 
• Alistair Rowland, Chairman, ABTA
• Tim Alderslade, Chief Executive, Airlines UK 
• Martin Alcock, Director, Travel Trade Consultancy 
• Luke Petherbridge, Director of Public Affairs, ABTA
• Giles Hawke, CEO, Cosmos
• Brian Young, Managing Director, EMEA, G Adventures
• Prue Stone, Group Head of Sustainability, Hotelplan
• Susan Deer, Director of Industry Relations, ABTA
• Andy Janes, Group Director of Operations, Intertek 
• Moderator: LBC’s Tom Swarbrick

This year’s Travel Matters conference comes one year on from the Travel Day of Action on Wednesday 23 June 2021, so offers the industry a timely opportunity to reflect on what lessons can be learnt from the pandemic, as well as exploring how travel business leaders can effectively manage the shifting landscape and what the industry needs from its future relationship with the UK Government to ensure its long-term success.

Luke Petherbridge, Director of Public Affairs at ABTA – The Travel Association, said:

“As the travel industry continues to recover from the effects of the pandemic, there are many critical challenges ahead, including rebuilding consumer confidence, attracting talent back to the industry and withstanding geopolitical turbulence. Constructive and regular engagement between industry and Government will be required to successfully tackle these challenges, and I’m looking forward to hearing industry leaders and political experts outline their views on the way ahead for travel at ABTA’s Travel Matters conference on 22 June.”

Global, the Media & Entertainment Group, is the media partner for the event. 

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