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.
“He knows he wasn’t the most popular minister in the travel industry during the pandemic and he knows there will be some forensic questioning of the decisions he made," Freudmann continued. "There will be a huge Q&A session – he’s agreed to it both from the audience and the moderator.”
Freudmann said he had told Shapps the industry was disappointed by the lack of communication and involvement in decision-making during his time at the Department for Transport, and urged him “to come back and explain why there was an apparent lack of transparency at that time”.
Joining Shapps will be BBC security correspondent and Middle East expert Frank Gardner, who makes a reappearance at the event. Also on the bill is easyJet Holidays’ chief executive Garry Wilson. “There will be others to come,” said Freudmann.
Sell-out event
The 2023 conference takes place at the Waldorf Astoria Lusail in Doha from 5-7 June. Qatar previously hosted the event in 2004, and next year’s will come in the wake of the Fifa World Cup taking place in the country in November and December this year.
The Waldorf is a new property that will open in time for the football tournament. "We’re taking the entire hotel and non-members are very welcome,” said Freudmann. “We’ve always capped our conference at 400 and the last couple of years have fallen slightly below that. This time we are already past 100 so it’s clear it will be a sell-out.”
The event is supported by Qatar Airways, which is offering delegates a 90% discount on economy fares and 40% on business class rates.
