2023 Market Insights & Adventure Travel Trends
As businesses start to accelerate into 2023 we kick off our conference with a market insights panel based around a number of adventure travel surveys, to gain an understanding of how 2023 is shaping up in our sector of the industry.

Includes; Roy Barker, SPIKE Insight; Gergana Nikolova, Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA); Joe Ponte, CEO of HotelPlan Group

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Driving Community Value

As we know, experiential travel is an increasingly popular trend now with more travellers seeking authentic immersive experiences with local people, rather than passive tourism. In this panel we discuss how businesses can go beyond standard tourism with stakeholders to create community tourism product, creating a resilient economy for locals.

Includes: Elen Thomas, Tourism Western Australia; Tom Armitt, Planeterra; Tony Thorne, Wilderness Explorers 

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How To Use Artificial Intelligence In Adventure Travel 

We are at the start of a new technology era. It has been a long time coming since AI started in the 1950s. The impact on society will be similar to the mobile phone revolution. Adventure travel has both threats and opportunities from AI, which need to be understood.

Presentation with Q&A from Peter Syme. Peter has been involved with the travel industry extensively since the 1980's and is now a consultant for the travel industry, focusing on technology for tour operators & DMCs. 

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The B-Corp Journey - answering the hows, whats and whys
With an eye on impact and sustainability, many UK travel companies are aiming for B Corps Certification, the ultimate achievement for businesses committed to meeting high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. We are privileged to have a member from B Lab UK take the stage to give us a short presentation covering the value of becoming B Corps Certified as well as outlining the process involved and answering the hows, whats and whys for the B-Curious! 

Overview Presentation from Joanna Adjetey, B Lab UK  - followed by a panel discussion with Hazel McGuire, Intrepid Travel; Thomas Power, Pura Aventura; Michael Hughes, Wild Dog Design and a Q&A

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Pricing & Surcharges

With prices right across the supply chain on the rise, the velocity of currency and suppliers reluctant to negotiate certainty of terms due to pricing, aviation & marine fuel costs going through the roof, how do businesses future proof their profits and are we looking at the return of surcharges? In this panel session we discuss the difficulties around forward pricing, who is absorbing these relentless price increases and what the UK legalities are around surcharging. 

Includes: Becky Cackett, mb Law; Fiona Marshall, Macs Adventure; Sam Seward, Exodus Travels

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Derek Moore; The Man And His Legacy  

ATN is a firm supporter of the Derek Moore Foundation and all the good work it does to promote sustainable economic growth and empowerment in socially and economically disadvantaged communities. With the very recent and sad passing of Derek, we take the opportunity to reflect on how our industry has changed since the initial set up days of Explore, of which Derek Moore was a co-founder, and we discuss the evolution of adventure travel over the last 40-years. Derek, due to his passion for all things ‘travel’, remained engaged, committed and ever-involved in the adventure and experiential sector of our travel industry, with an emphasis on positive impact and social responsibility.

Includes: Jono Vernon-Powell, Lyn Hughes, John Telfer and friends of DM

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Destination Roundup

Led by Jono Vernon-Powell, our ATN Moderator, we invite a combination of ATN Destination Partners to the stage to help set the scene in each destination, giving us the opportunity to find out what is new and trending for 2023, as we bounce around the globe with a lively and informal discussion. 

Moderated by Jono Vernon-Powell

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Net Zero - what will it look like?
The purpose of this panel session is to discuss what tourism might look like in the industry's quest to reach the goal of 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030. Is it achievable? Factor flights into any tourism experience and the task becomes considerably more challenging. What do we need to focus on within our businesses to get there, what can't we control and what can we control? 

Includes: Paul Easto, Wilderness Scotland; Hannah Methven, Explore; Alex Narracott, Much Better Adventures

Selling Abroad - What Do You Need to Know?

Where are we now? 
What are the current trends we are seeing in this area?
How is that likely to pan out in the future?
What are the critical points to consider if you are looking to sell to consumers outside of the UK?
What else do you need to think about?

A discussion with Matt Gatenby, TravLaw and Julie Jones, ABTOT

 

Is Sustainability Enough?

We learn about the new global agreement for nature, and the implications for Travel & Tourism businesses. While everyone is responsible, our sector is particularly reliant on nature (over 80% of its goods and services) and implicit in all five drivers of biodiversity loss. But when managed sustainably, Travel & Tourism has the potential to become a “Guardian of Nature”, and for individual companies that adopt this mandate quickly it provides the opportunity for them to shine! This session will provide a snapshot on the COP15 business obligations, a step-by-step Nature Positive approach and insight to harnessing opportunities to leverage effective action and business benefits (that include achieving Net Zero).

Presentation from Helen Usher, ANIMONDIAL & co-author of WTTC’s Nature Positive Travel & Tourism report

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NB: This was the conference agenda for 2023 and the agenda for ATN24 will be released in due course

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