BUSINESS NEWS way forward rather than feel battered from all sides’, chief executive Mark Tanzer tells Ian Taylor


Speakers to focus on consumer trends, tech, security and climate


The Travel Convention will open with an appraisal of the geopolitical situation from political journalist and broadcaster Lewis Goodall, who spoke at the 2022 convention and will look at the forces shaping the political, economic and social currents in turn shaping consumer and business confidence. An industry panel will bring


Tanzer says: ‘There


are people with money to spend on holidays who want expertise and support – the old [travel agency] model is still valid’


Tanzer noted the Spanish


approach is that “the risks are not just environmental, but economic and social”, adding: “And this is very much the way we see it. How do we get all three in harmony? Of course, the environment is going to be top of mind when we have record temperatures again across Europe.” He suggested: “The evidence that it’s hotting up means the


Funchal


industry is going to have to think about when people travel. Does it mean we’re going to spread the seasons or where we travel to? “The industry tends to say,


‘People don’t mind if it’s really hot, the hotter the better.’ But if you take a family on holiday in 40-degree heat, it’s not a great holiday. You can’t sit on the beach. You can’t go out. “I know we come back to


climate change and carbon again and again, but it’s a pressing issue for the industry.” He dismisses the idea of a sudden


The Travel Convention October 12-14, in Funchal, Madeira


Full details: dellardavies-ttc2026. eventsairsite.com


shift by holidaymakers to more northerly destinations, pointing out: “The infrastructure is not there. People say, ‘We’ll move north.’ Well, where? Galicia is lovely and is cooler than Andalusia, but it’s not built for mass tourism. I’m not even sure they want mass tourism [in Galicia]. They’re not suddenly going to build enough hotels to accommodate people moving from the south of Spain. “It’s more likely people will spread


when they go and travel in April and October rather than July and August if avoiding the heat is an issue.”


travelweekly.co.uk


together easyJet holidays chief executive Garry Wilson, Barrhead Travel president Jacqueline Dobson and On the Beach chief executive Sean Morton to discuss ‘Leading through Uncertainty’. Eleanor Winton, founder of


business consultancy Foresightfully and former head of KPMG’s Future Institute, will talk about future trends and business strategies. Robbie Hodges of consumer


intelligence analyst TrendWatching will look at changing consumer behaviour. Cybersecurity expert Jenny


Ratcliffe, who describes herself as a ‘burglar for hire’, will explain why people are a point of vulnerability and how to address that. Tanzer noted: “Our industry is


so tech dependent and connections between booking systems, airports and everything else are so real time, a cyber problem could be a major issue. This has fallen slightly off the radar, but it hasn’t gone away.”


Indeed, if anything,


cybersecurity is back on the agenda following a succession of reports of AI agents hacking businesses. He said: “AI is moving so fast.


We’ve all talked it to death, but I’m constantly surprised how quickly people are picking it up, working with and adapting it. “People are using two [or more]


AI systems to give more security around what is generated. I talked to someone who ran something through Claude, saying ‘Do this’, then ran the same thing through Copilot or ChatGPT saying ‘Verify what Claude has done’, then ran the changes back through Claude to verify the changes.” Technology development will


also feature in a session on AI and future leadership with Natalie Campbell MBE, chair of the Workforce Development Trust. Tanzer explained: “Natalie will


talk about the human capabilities that technology can’t replace [and] how you balance these. Finance people say, ‘We can take this and that out to cut costs.’ But you end up with a desiccated kind of business.” Dr Gabrielle Walker, an expert


on carbon removal from the atmosphere who spoke at the 2019 Travel Convention, has been invited back to provide an update on progress in the past seven years.


Lewis Goodall


Garry Wilson


Jacqueline Dobson


Shaun Morton


Eleanor Winton


Robbie Hodges


Jenny Ratcliffe


Natalie Campbell


13 AUGUST 2026 47


PICTURES: Shutterstock/proslgn; Abta/Dellar Davies; AG Studios


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