Four leading cruise executives are among the latest speakers confirmed for Travel Weekly’s Future of Travel Week, which takes place from September 14-18.
Ellen Bettridge, chief executive of Uniworld, Ben Bouldin, vice-president EMEA of Royal Caribbean International, Andy Harmer, director of Clia UK & Ireland and Lucia Rowe, managing director of A-Rosa, will join a panel during a focus on cruise which also includes an interview with Carnival Corporation chief executive Arnold Donald.
The Future of Travel Week takes place in partnership with Google and follows the success of the inaugural Future of Travel Selling Conference in 2019.
Other newly-confirmed speakers for the event include Finnbar Cornwall, Google’s industry leader for travel, Karen Dee, chief executive of the Airport Operators Association, legal expert Joanna Kolatsis, director of Themis Advisory, and Simon McNamara, Iata’s UK & Ireland country manager.
A panel will also focus on the subject of digital transformation in the travel sector, with speakers including Andy Owen-Jones, chief executive of bd4travel, Matthew Parker, chief executive of Babble and Ben Stirling, managing director of Webloyalty.
Previously announced keynote speakers include Johan Lundgren, chief executive of easyJet, Steve Heapy, chief executive of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, and John and Irene Hays, owners of Hays Travel.
Lucy Huxley, editor-in-chief of Travel Weekly Group, said: “The line-up for Future of Travel Week includes some of the travel industry’s biggest names, and we look forward to hearing from all of them as we assess the prospects for the future as part of our Roadmap to Recovery activity.”
She added: “The industry continues to face unprecedented challenges and requires not just support but also a clear vision for how it can rebuild in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. We hope the range of interviews, debates and presentations which form Future of Travel Week offer inspiration and practical advice to assist our readers in that process.”
Registration for Future of Travel Week is free, with registered attendees receiving each day’s sessions in advance of the wider Travel Weekly audience. To register to attend and receive daily links to content, click here.