Executives from tour operators Tauck and Regent Holidays will join travel agency, hotel and airline chiefs as keynote speakers at Balkan tourism showcase New Deal Europe.
The virtual event will take place on October 5, with buyers from 20 countries holding around 1,500 meetings with tourism providers from 11 Balkan countries.
In addition to business meetings, the event will also include sessions with keynote speakers including Jennifer Tombaugh, president, Tauck; Andrea Godfrey, brand manager, Regent Holidays; Dominic Burke, managing director of Irish consortium Travel Centres; Antonia Urlić, executive director of Croatian luxury hotel brand Stories Hotel; and Alp Ozaman, US-based regional marketing manager of Turkish Airlines.
Announcing the theme of the event – Supporting Each Other – co-founder Robert Dee said: “If there is one thing I have learned over my years in tourism it’s that in this industry we are all interdependent. Every company has a part to play, whether that is sourcing guests, transporting them, accommodating them or giving them great experiences.
“In this time of global crisis it has never been more important to understand each other’s business, and to support each other to get through to the other side.”
New Deal Europe will also include country presentations and a seminar on UK travellers’ attitudes to the region based on commissioned research and presented by Tom Scott, head of travel sales at News UK.