Travel writer, broadcaster and cycling adventurer Simon Parker will be the closing speaker at Abta’s Travel Convention in Bodrum, Turkey, in October.
Abta confirmed Parker’s appearance at the Convention this week as he set off across the US, planning to cycle 4,500 miles to Miami in preparation for writing a forthcoming book, Fractured States.
When he finishes the journey, Parker is due to fly straight from Miami to Turkiye (Turkey) to speak at the Travel Convention where he is scheduled to be the final speaker, addressing how travel can change lives.
A journalist and filmmaker, Parker has reported from more than 120 countries and specialises in epic, overland adventures.
But when international borders were closed by the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, his travel journalism career vanished. So, he set out on a near 3,500-mile cycle journey around Britain and subsequently published his first book, Riding Out: A Journey of Love, Loss and New Beginnings, in April 2022.
Parker had previously sailed and cycled from China to London for a Telegraph series and BBC World TV documentary, and produced an award-winning TV travel series, Earth Cycle.
His book Fractured States is due to be published in summer 2024.
The Travel Convention, Bodrum, Turkey
October 30 to November 1
Details and registration: thetravelconvention.com