Gazing into the future at the 2024 ABTA Travel Convention
Written by Karen King
In early October, I had the pleasure of attending the 2024 ABTA Travel Convention along with 300 other members. Held from 7th to 9th October, the convention brought together travel industry professionals to network and discuss what the future holds for the industry we all know and love.
This year’s convention took me to Costa Navarino in Messinia, Greece, known for its impressive selection of luxury hotels, golf courses, relaxing spas and stunning beaches. I stayed at the idyllic Westin Resort, which was amazing enough to be awarded the prestigious Condé Nast Traveller’s 2022 Readers’ Choice Award. In addition to its luxurious rooms, the hotel offered an aqua park, golf courses, a tennis centre, watersports, a tranquil spa, several pools and a spectacular beach.
Exploring Costa Navarino
It wasn’t all work, work, work. On Monday 7th October, I experienced Costa Navarino’s dramatic scenery and mesmerising blue waters up close when I hiked the beautiful Gialova Lagoon, a coastal wetland a short drive from the hotel. The lagoon is known for its wildlife, as it is an important migration route for birds travelling over the Sahara and the Mediterranean.
But the fun didn’t stop there. On Monday night, the other delegates and I were welcomed to the convention by Olympic synchronised swimmers performing an incredible water ballet, followed by an energetic set from a popular DJ. It was an experience I won’t soon forget!
Gazing into the future of travel
After a day of exploration on Monday, Tuesday was all about getting down to business. The event's theme was ‘shaping our future,’ with many sessions focusing on the industry's bright future, exploring everything from sustainability to technology to the power of sport. In his inspiring speech, ABTA’s Chief Executive, Mark Tanzer, explained that we have the responsibility and power to shape the future of the travel industry, not just as travel professionals but as customers and citizens.
He noted that while the industry faces challenges, we are moving forward in a position of strength. For example, the sector is currently outperforming every other consumer product and service, even as consumers tighten their belts and members’ aggregate sales exceed pre-Covid levels.
One of my favourite sessions was about the future of consumers, which was run by delegates from Deloitte. The session explored the six forces shaping the future: the changing consumer, an evolving society and culture, exponential tech, radical industry upheaval, extreme climate and planet and shifting economics, policy and power.
It touched on population growth, the ageing population, the rise of purpose, declining trust (one of my favourite words), AI, climate events, immigration, cybercrime and much, much more. I came away feeling blown away at just how much the world has changed in a short period of time, but I also felt reassured of just how integral trust is when consumers make buying decisions. The power of trust cannot be understated!
The trust imperative
Expanding on the power of trust, as a Trust My Travel team member, my ears always prick up when I hear the word "trust.” Across sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday, the word trust was mentioned repeatedly.
In one presentation, the speaker explained what it takes for travellers to trust a business or brand. That trust has to be earned rather than assumed (and that, coincidentally, is where Trust My Travel comes into the picture). Our pay-as-you-process travel payment solution, which combines a merchant account, financial failure insurance and supplier payments, requires no bond. Essentially, we manage the complex stuff for travel providers so they can do what brought them to the industry in the first place: deliver unforgettable travel experiences.
Networking with travel industry peers
It was fantastic to meet so many lovely people. Hundreds of travel businesses attended the event, including British Airways, Celebrity Cruises, easyJet holidays, Hays Travel, Holidaypirates Group, Intrepid Travel, Travel Weekly, and, of course, our friends at TMU Management.
I talked to my travel industry peers about Trust My Travel’s offering and explained how we differ from other trust accounts and bonding schemes. Delegates seemed particularly interested in how our solutions allow approved users to pay suppliers before departure and how they require no upfront bond. Our complimentary solution, which merges a merchant account and financial protection into one, certainly captured people’s attention!
Key takeaways from the 2024 ABTA Travel Convention
I learned a lot from this year’s fantastic convention. For consumers, the appetite for travel is strong. Despite a challenging economic environment, customers want to spend their money on travel. However, they also want to be sure their hard-earned money is protected.
Travel providers, on the other hand, are keen to evolve. They want to adapt to their customers' changing habits to meet them where they are. The key is being the most trusted travel company to stand out from competitors. The great news is that Trust My Travel meets all these needs and more, and getting our brand out there was truly invigorating.
If I had to summarise my experience in just three words, they’d be energised, excited and overate (because Greek food is simply too good to pass up). The convention gave me time to reflect on what Trust My Travel is doing to help the travel industry instil trust, and it’s given me positive thoughts and ideas to take back to the office. I can’t wait for the next one!
