Building climate resilience in 2026... and beyond

Tom Beagent, Partner, Sustainability & Climate Change, PwC UK:

• Map your exposure – which products/destinations are "losers" with climate change? Where is the upside.
   
• Develop a resilience roadmap - considering short term impacts (e.g. insurance, emergency, water), and longer term (diversify, relocate, reinvest).
   
• Embed resilience into strategy and products. This should be part of your destination DNA.
   
• Measure and be transparent - ensure honest customer communications about the local positive and negative social, environmental and economic impacts of your strategy.

The power of purpose: keeping travel as a force for good on track

Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive, Abta

Matt Callaghan, Chief Operating Officer, easyJet holidays

Rochelle Turner, Head of Impact EMEA, Intrepid and Co-chair, Travel by B Corp

Pedro Medina Asensio, Deputy Director, Spanish Tourist Office in the UK

• Treat purpose as non-negotiable, especially under pressure. Don’t dilute your standards when sales are down. Instead, protect product/service quality and values and find savings elsewhere (e.g., overheads or discretionary spend).
   
• Build purpose into core business decisions, not side initiatives. Purpose should shape what you sell, how you price, and who you partner with – not sit siloed in a sustainability function. Impact is everyone’s responsibility.
   
• Be willing to walk away from profitable but misaligned revenue. Real commitment means making hard calls like exiting products or revenue streams that don’t align with your impact goals. Purpose needs to be credible.
   
• Start by using the data you already have. Most businesses already track relevant metrics. The gap is using that data to drive decisions and accountability. Integrate existing data into strategy, KPIs and customer value propositions.
   
• Shift your metrics: Don’t measure success only by volume – include impact, quality, and sustainability indicators.
   
• Embed sustainability into decisions, not messaging: It should influence product design, partnerships, and operations – not just marketing.

Widening the field: rethinking running and representation

Hamid Vaghefian, Communities & DEI Director, London Marathon Events

• Commit to authentic representation
   
• Invest in long-term community presence
   
• Listen to community leaders and your target audience
   
• Share power in how stories, products and experiences are shaped
   
• Build trust before the campaign starts

Telling your responsible travel story with confidence

Hazel McGuire, Chief Marketing Officer, Intrepid

• Purpose matters so do the work. And work with local communities to identify the right solutions.

• Find the right stories and tell them in a way that’s honest, engaging, and easy to understand.

• Test and refine your messaging. Adapt it until it’s right.

• Talk about the work and be proud of it. 

A fairer workplace for all: what travel can learn from The Assembly

Michelle Singer, Director of Production, Rockerdale Studios

• When printing out materials/documents, print onto yellow paper. It makes no difference to most of us but, if you are neurodivergent – particularly dyslexic – it can make all the difference.
   
• Consult an Access Coordinator. If you're responsible for an office environment or any kind of event (from conferences to away days to parties), an Access Coordinator will offer a thoughtful take on how best to cater for everyone in the group (and any disabled, deaf, or neurodivergent invitees).
  
• If possible, provide a 'quiet room' in offices and off-site events – a space in which lights can be dimmed and where people can remove themselves to recalibrate when in sensory overload.

The future of inclusive leadership

Jo Rzymowska MBE, Founder, Jovolution

Bart Quinton Smith, Sales and Marketing Director, Tui UK & Ireland

Jess Dennison, Co-founder & Director, Latin Routes and Polar Routes

Tia Ghai, Strategic Account Manager, Attraction World Group

• Build inclusion into leadership accountability. It’s not an HR Programme. Inclusive cultures are created by leaders, not initiatives. Make inclusive leadership a measurable leadership competency alongside commercial performance. Assess leaders on how they recruit, develop, promote and retain diverse talent, how they create psychological safety, and whether teams feel heard and valued.
   
• Design career pathways for potential, not just experience. Remove unnecessary barriers to entry, widen recruitment channels, invest in mentoring and sponsorship, and create clear pathways for people from underrepresented and non-traditional backgrounds. If talented people cannot see someone like themselves succeeding in your organisation, they are less likely to join and more likely to leave.
   
• Create a culture of belonging where people can bring their whole selves to work. Talent today is choosing cultures, not just companies. Employees want flexibility, authenticity, wellbeing support, and leaders who genuinely care about inclusion. They expect organisations to create environments where differences are respected and diverse perspectives are welcomed.
   
• Belonging isn't about everyone fitting in; it's about everyone feeling they matter. In an industry built on connecting people and cultures around the world, organisations that foster belonging will be more innovative, more relevant to customers, and more attractive to the talent needed for the future.
   
• The organisations that will lead the future of travel won't simply be the most digital, the most sustainable, or the most profitable. They will be the ones that best reflect, understand and empower the diverse world they serve. Inclusive leadership is no longer a nice-to-have, it is a competitive advantage.

Delivering the exceptional experience disabled travellers deserve

Steve Wilson, Accessibility and Assisted Travel Manager, Jet2.com & Jet2holidays and Co-Chair, Aviation Accessibility Implementation Group

Harry Wales, Accessible Travel Creator, Travel With Harry (part of Travelosophers)

Paula Hansen, Managing Director, World Accessible Holidays

• Stop asking “can we do accessible travel?” and start asking “what information do we need to get this right?” Build access needs into the enquiry process from the start, including mobility equipment, room layout, transfers, airport assistance, bathroom needs and what has gone wrong on previous trips.
   
• Treat accessibility as an operational process, not a goodwill gesture. Good intentions are not enough. Teams need clear checklists, supplier confirmation points, escalation routes and ownership.
   
• Move beyond basic awareness training. Staff need scenario-based training: what to do when a wheelchair does not fit the aircraft hold; when a hotel cannot accept a profiling bed; when an adapted room is not as described, or when assistance fails.
   
• Verify, do not assume. Accessible does not mean the same thing everywhere. A hotel may say it has an adapted room, but that does not confirm a roll-in shower, transfer space, grab rails, pool access, step-free routes or equipment compatibility. The industry needs to normalise asking detailed questions.
   
• Listen to disabled travellers as experts in their own experience. Disabled travellers are not “difficult customers”. They are often giving the information needed to avoid a service failure.

Climate anxiety: supporting colleagues and customers

Dr Angela Huston Gold, Chief Executive, The Resilience Project

• Climate worry is already in your business, whether you name it or not. Travellers feel it when they book, and your staff feel it at work. Naming it openly is the first step to responding well.
   
• Eco-anxiety isn't a problem to fix, it's a signal that people care.
   
• Engaging honestly and openly with eco-anxiety can already help reduce it. It can become a source of loyalty, a route for connection, and a motivator of commitment and care.
   
• With the right space and a few simple practices, teams can move from private worry to shared purpose.

Selling sustainability: what agents need from suppliers

Matt Callaghan, Chief Operating Officer, easyJet holidays

Carla Murdoch, Branch Manager, Murray Travel

Kiri Dulay, Marketing & Social Media Manager, Midcounties Co-operative Travel

Lourdes Huelgas, Personal Travel Consultant, Not Just Travel

Backing it up: a new era of sustainability marketing

Abigail Best, Managing Director, Lemongrass Marketing

Miles Lockwood, Director, Advertising Standards Authority

Alex Murray, Head of Advocacy, Conscious Advertising Network

• Say what you can prove. Have proof to back up what you say.
   
• Be precise and conditional in your claims. Not broad and absolute. Avoid sweeping absolute claims like sustainable or eco-friendly. You probably can’t prove you are either.
   
• Talk about what you’ve just done, are doing now or are doing next. Keep your green claims grounded in the relatable now, not the vague far off.
   
• Make full use of all the wealth of guidance and help the Advertising Standards Authority, the Competition and Markets Authority and others have produced so you know how to make compliant advertising claims.
   
• Ask to see your supply chain – both log level data and the creators you're funding. It is your money, you should know how it's being spent.

Lessons learned from creating our animal welfare policy

Charlie Darlington, Sustainability and Nature Positive Tourism Lead, Scott Dunn

• Challenge the status quo. If you can touch it, feed it, bath it, ride it or have a photo taken with it, question how and why. 
   
• Don't take terms such as 'sanctuary', 'rescue-centre' or 'refuge' at face value. Look for certifications, veterinary plans, connections to recognised third-party organisations (ie. conservation organisations or universities).
   
• Work with local-people and experts. In low-income countries, local economies and livelihoods are often dependent on animal tourism. Supporting a sustainable transition can be complex and hinges on collaboration.

Rewriting limitations: creating more opportunities for disabled talent

Grant Logan, Founder, Ability Today and The Academy for Disabled Journalists

Matt Dennis, Travel Journalist and Graduate, The Academy For Disabled Journalists

• Review recruitment processes
   
• Train managers on disability confidence
   
• Learn about Access to Work
   
• Include disabled voices in decisions
   
• Don't ask whether a disabled person can do the job. Ask what support would allow them to do it brilliantly.

Dismantling gender inequality in tourism ecosystems

Stroma Cole, Professor of Tourism & Human Rights, University of Westminster and Director, Equality in Tourism

• Champion – promote women entrepreneurs across your supply chain
   
• Invest - help us replicate proven models like Wamboma (a co-operative in Tanzania which empowers local women farmers).
   
• Influence - shape the future by engaging with FUTOURWORK (a Horizon Europe-funded research project, dedicated to improving the representation of workers and creating more effective dialogue among employers, unions and governments).
   
• Recognise - nominate organisations for the Gender Equality Champion Award

Making authenticity your advantage

Andrew Kyte, DEI Champion and Travel Agent, Tui

Megan O'Leary, TTG LGBT+ Ambassador and Travel Counsellor

Alex Liste, PR Director of Nature, Lemongrass Marketing

• Understand the LGBTQ+ consumer – avoid generalisations and take time to understand the diversity within the community. Just like any other audience, LGBTQ+ travellers have a wide range of identities, interests and travel motivations, from queer families and solo adventurers to cultural explorers and luxury seekers. Tailoring your messaging accordingly shows respect and earns trust.
   
• Inclusion starts at home – consider joining a workplace inclusion programme that champions diversity. It sends a clear signal to staff and clients alike that your brand values diversity not just externally, but from within.
   
• Stay on top of news and legislation – assign someone on your team to stay informed on LGBTQ+ travel trends and policy changes. This could involve subscribing to updates from trusted sources and using platforms such as Equaldex to track legal and cultural climates, as well as setting up alerts for changes in LGBTQ+ safety or rights.
   
• When in doubt – cross reference the world maps of "gay marriage being legal", "gay marriage being recognised", and "gender reassignment legally recognised". The remaining countries are a good benchmark for safe travel.
   
• Don't shy away from complex needs. nine times out of 10, customers just want to know they're being cared for and not navigating the world alone
   
• Actively listen first and act on what support you need to provide for your colleagues. 
   
• The most meaningful actions often come from listening to my colleagues and customers, understanding their experiences and turning feedback into action - you can make a difference no matter your role or title in a business.
   
• Never underestimate the impact of small, meaningful actions; they can make a real difference.

Being a woman in travel in 2026: solutions beyond the statistics

Atlyn Forde, Founder, Inclusive Travel Forum

Debbie O'Neill, Managing Director, Jules Verne and Chair, AWTE

Nicky Lyle, Group HR Director, Hotelplan and Co-founder, HR in Travel

• Always consider intersectionality: we talk about women in travel as if we're one group. A white woman and a Black woman, a non-disabled woman and a disabled woman, a secular woman and a visibly Muslim woman – their experiences of this industry are not the same. When we design policies, programmes, and pipelines without asking which women we mean, we solve the problem for some and leave the rest behind. The action here is simple: disaggregate your data. Ask: whose experience does this actually reflect?
   
• Narrow the leadership gap: Women typically hold more lower-level roles in the sector but less senior-level positions. That gap widens further when you factor in race, disability, or religion. Look at what's happening at the point of promotion, at the point of return from maternity leave, at the informal networks that decisions actually get made through. 
   
• Work-life balance in travel: Travel is an industry that often treats availability as commitment. Fam trips, late events, international travel – these are career-building opportunities, but they're not equally accessible. Only 48% of women feel the travel industry is family-friendly. The action: audit your professional development opportunities and ask whether they systematically exclude certain groups.
   
• Consider safety at events and on work trips: Too many women still feel uncomfortable – even unsafe – at events and on work trips. And they’re the ones carrying the burden: adjusting behaviour, planning exits, staying vigilant. That’s not acceptable. Safety isn’t personal – it’s organisational.
   
• The role of networks and support systems: One of the most positive insights from the research is the power of women supporting each other – through networks, mentoring and peer communities. That tells us something important. This isn’t just about individual organisations, it’s about a wider system still catching up. And in response, women have created spaces to share experiences, build confidence and move forward together. That’s where communities like AWTE really matter – not just as networks, but as engines for connection and growth.
   
• Use AI as a career co-pilot, not a competitor: Make HR and tech a joined up force for inclusion and skill development. Consider how AI can positively help employees on maternity leave to stay connected, close skill-gaps and summarise industry developments. It's time to rethink "keeping in touch" days on maternity leave so they include digital learning and career development, not just a return to the workplace.
   
• Remove the mystery from pay and progression: Pay gaps thrive in silence. Take small steps to bring about changes, it doesn't all need to happen overnight – or need big budgets. Support career conversations that include different life stages and ambitions; don't avoid an uncomfortable chat that might really matter.