The Travel Convention 2026: Event comes as businesses grapple with challenges presented by long-lasting conflicts. Ian Taylor reports


Continued from page 64 The re-escalating tensions


put the UAE in the line of fire – not only because the UAE broke off relations with Iran last month, but also because the US blockade directly impacts Dubai, for many years Tehran’s biggest trading partner. Iranian missile and drone


attacks on the UAE in the first months of the war halted tourism and transit via the Gulf. It may only be a matter of time before Tehran again makes clear there is a cost to allying with Washington. In Britain, chancellor John


Healey gave notice of “a tough Budget” in October as analysts warned the government’s £24 billion surplus in March has been halved by the rising costs of UK borrowing – now at the level of the 2008 financial crash. Government attempts to


mitigate the rising cost of living seem doomed, with energy bills set to rise again following a 75% hike in gas prices since July. Deloitte UK chief economist


Debapratim De noted this week: “Inflationary pressures and a weakening labour market are likely to slow consumption towards the end of the year [and] we expect tax rises to impact consumer and corporate sentiment.” Against this backdrop, there


were signals last week of how the transition from summer to winter could pan out. Jet2 reported a near 9%


increase in passenger bookings this summer, boosted by “attractive pricing”, while Ryanair announced it will offer two million fewer seats than previously planned from November – a warning that winter may prove more challenging.


Tanzer says forum will ‘look at bigger picture’


The world has entered “a new paradigm” of long-lasting wars which impact on travel, “not just on costs but on people’s inclination to go to particular places”. That is according to Abta chief


executive Mark Tanzer, who argues travel business leaders need to look at “the big picture, at what is happening in the US, the Middle East and with Russia, and the change in the balance of power between East and West”. He said: “We’re often submerged in


the day-to-day running of businesses. It’s hard to step out of that to look at the broader picture and the things that are going to impact on businesses. [But] we’ve entered a period when wars are in multiple places and not sharply defined. They stop and start.” Tanzer suggested “it’s hard to see


a clean end” to the Gulf crisis, with its impacts likely to last into the winter, noting: “We’ve already seen Ryanair saying it will cut seats. A combination


Industry leaders to give ‘concrete examples of AI’


The Travel Convention will feature presentations by industry leaders on practical applications of AI, in addition to sessions already announced on trends, cybersecurity and leadership in the age of AI. These will include presentations


by easyJet holidays chief operating officer Matt Callaghan and Newmarket Holidays chief executive Niel Alobaidi. Abta chief Mark Tanzer said:


62 10 SEPTEMBER 2026 Mark Tanzer


of less capacity and higher oil prices is going to mean cost increases. Lifting our eyes is important.” These impacts will form the


backdrop to Abta’s Travel Convention in Madeira next month, which Tanzer argues will offer “a chance to meet and discuss, an opportunity to take stock” and “a change of scene to


“We’ll have short, sharp studies with concrete examples of AI applications, the challenges they’ve met and the strategy that underpins them.” The Convention will also see


the results of Abta’s annual Holiday Habits research presented on the main stage for the first time. Tanzer suggested: “There will be things to take away from all the sessions.” Attendees can also expect to


have “fun” at the welcome party and gala dinner, he said, and find plenty of opportunity to network. He noted the venue, the Savoy


Palace Hotel, “is well configured for private meetings and, by popular request, we’ve increased the networking time in the day”.


travelweekly.co.uk


shake the shackles from your mind and stimulate fresh thinking”. He noted: “It can be a lonely


place running a business. One of the things Abta does as an association is help people associate. We’re part of a bigger enterprise. “We all have an interest


in the health and vitality of the travel industry and in its standards, an interest in ensuring travel is done properly. “The industry can be proud of


the reputation it has with customers. Having a strong association means we’re able to raise standards in a way no one could do on their own.” Tanzer said he hopes everyone


attending the Convention “leaves with a sense of optimism and energy, and a sense that we’re all in this together – whatever the individual challenges – because the next 12 months are unlikely to be less challenging than the last 12 months”.


Funchal, Madeira


i For full details about The Travel Convention, and to register, visit: dellardavies-ttc2026.eventsairsite.com


PICTURES: Shutterstock/Leonid Sorokin, Alexandros Michailidis, Erhan Inga


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