Shapps has been confirmed as keynote speaker for the event in Qatar next summer. ITT chair Steven Freudmann told TTG: “I was very pleased he accepted; he’s willing to put his head on the line.”
Shapps was transport secretary from 2019 and oversaw the government’s transport strategy during the pandemic, but was sacked by Liz Truss when she became prime minister.
The pandemic saw the travel industry frustrated by stop-start of Covid policy, including frequent changes to the travel corridors and traffic light regimes – changes that dissuaded consumers from travelling. The industry was also angered by the lack of financial support.
