Political heavyweights lined up for industry event
Aviation Minister Robert Goodwill MP and the Shadow Secretary for Transport Mary Creagh MP will deliver keynote speeches at ABTA’s annual Travel Matters conference in June.
Unde the theme ‘Targeting Growth, 2015 and Beyond’, the event will focus on economic growth and the opportunities that 2015 presents.
With the General Election just a year away, one of the afternoon sessions will examine the electoral priorities and prospects of the main political parties, and the potential implications for the industry.
Expert political analyst Lewis Baston will offer some views and predictions about the 2015 General Election.
This will be followed by a discussion with three parliamentary candidates – Nigel Huddleston, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Mid Worcestershire (head of travel at Google); Luke Pollard, Labour/Cooperative Parliamentary Candidate for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport (formerly head of public affairs at ABTA), and Helen Flynn, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough, a swing constituency where tourism impacts are keenly felt.
"With next year’s general election approaching rapidly, we will hear and discuss the plans that our political representatives have for the travel industry as well as ensuring that the views and needs of all sectors of the travel mix are represented," said ABTA chief executive Mark Tanzer.
The full programme of speakers will be announced shortly.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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