The Association of Touring and Adventure Suppliers (Atas) has announced its first two keynote conference speakers: Intrepid Travel’s James Thornton and adventurer Saunders Carmichael-Brown.
Thornton, chief executive of Intrepid Travel, will talk about developments in the adventure travel sector, overtourism and how travel can be a force for good.
Broadcaster Carmichael-Brown (pictured) will share his experiences with the 2022 expedition to Antarctica which found Endurance, the shipwreck of famous explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton.
He is being sponsored by Atas member AE Expeditions as he is a guest speaker on cruise line’s ships.
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The annual Atas conference, which has ‘connect’ as its theme, takes place on October 15-16 at the Royal Armouries, Leeds.
Claire Brighton (pictured), Atas director, said: “I am thrilled that James and Saunders will be among our keynote speakers.
“They are both passionate about our sector and sustainability, so it will be fascinating to hear from them.
“James joined Intrepid nearly two decades ago and led the company through the pandemic – and last year saw the strongest year of results in its history.
“He’s also a marathon runner and has a passion for Africa and the outdoors – and his top Intrepid trip is the Mountain Gorillas of Rwanda tour.
“Saunders has more than 100,000 followers across YouTube, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) and has featured on Channel 4, BBC and BT Sport.
“As well as talking about the Shackleton expedition and documentary, he will also talk more widely about expedition cruises and how to best to capture the experiences while on board.”
Thornton and Carmichael-Brown will appear during the full day of conference sessions and networking on October 16.
Further speakers are set to be announced in the coming weeks.
There will also be a Selling Skills workshop which starts at 3pm on the previous day (October 15).
Brighton explained: “Last year we added a ‘New to’ session on the first afternoon and agents loved it. Thanks to their feedback, we have changed this to a Selling Skills workshop so it can cater for all levels of experience.”
She also urged agents to register as soon as possible for the event, as places are filling up quickly.
Agent accommodation will be at The Leonardo Hotel, Leeds, which is about a 10-minute walk from the Royal Armouries.
For details of how to register, click here.