Abta Travel Convention 2026 to take place in Madeira

Abta has announced that the 2026 Travel Convention will take place in Madeira.

The event will take place at the five-star Savoy Palace hotel in Funchal between October 12-14 and will be the first time the island has hosted the event.

The announcement was made today (October 8) in Calvià at the end of the 2025 Travel Convention.

Visit Portugal UK director Celina Tavares said: “It’s a true honour to welcome you and host the very important industry event for the UK. We are very excited to host Abta in 2026.”

As part of the event, the tourist board will also be hosting post-convention tours to wine regions in Madeira, added Tavares.

Mark Tanzer, chief executive of Abta, said: “While we’ve had the pleasure of holding the convention in other parts of Portugal – Lisbon in 2001 and The Azores in 2017 – this is the first time we’ll be heading to Madeira, for what promises to be a standout event.

“The island has such a diverse offering for UK holidaymakers – with something for all ages. The climate means it is a great place to visit all year-round. This makes it appealing to the UK market, particularly given more and more people are travelling throughout the seasons, not just in peak season. We’re pleased to be able to use the Convention to celebrate and showcase all it has to offer.”

Eduardo Jesus, regional secretary for tourism, environment and culture of Madeira, said the decision is “not only a recognition of our island’s quality and excellence as a tourism destination, but also a tribute to the long and historic relationship that unites Madeira and the United Kingdom”.