ABTA today announced Travel Matters, a one day conference to be held on Thursday 3 June 2010 in Westminster.  It will bring together leading travel personalities and political influencers to debate the most significant policy challenges facing the travel and tourism industry, and to understand how a new Government will approach the issues ahead.

The conference, which will be held at the Riverbank Park Plaza, will be open to 300 delegates from the travel industry, press and Government., As well as plenary sessions, there will be a number of focused discussion groups to allow important issues to be explored and debated. The day will finish with a Diamond Reception, providing an occasion for the industry, political stakeholders and media to connect, as well as an opportunity to mark ABTA’s sixtieth anniversary at the heart of travel.

 

Mark Tanzer, ABTA Chief Executive said: “Travel Matters is part of a family of events organised by ABTA to enable the travel industry to understand, debate and tackle the pressing issues ahead of us. There is a real appetite for an event that brings together industry practitioners and the wider group of stakeholders who are so important to us. This first conference will hold special significance because of the General Election, but I hope and fully expect that Travel Matters will become an established part of the travel industry calendar every year.

 

Luke Pollard, ABTA Head of Public Affairs said: “The way the travel industry will be regulated or taxed will be up for grabs with a new Government, and we need to use the Travel Matters conference to decide how we respond.”

 

Online registration for Travel Matters will open on Monday 8 March. The cost will be £300 plus VAT for ABTA Members, £400 plus VAT for Travel Industry Partners and £500 plus VAT for Non Members.