LATA ANNOUNCES CONFERENCE LINE UP FOR LATA EXPO 2025
LATA is delighted to announce further details of this year’s LATA Conference taking place during LATA Expo.
Broadcaster and journalist Simon Calder will host a variety of keynote speakers and panels throughout the LATA Conference to elevate the discussion around the challenges and opportunities in the travel and tourism sector.
Opening the morning’s line up on Monday 2 June, will be a presentation of consumer travel trends and data from Wanderlust Magazine’s Lyn Hughes followed by an overview of the global financial picture by Deloitte. Calder will then lead a discussion with Hughes and Deloitte looking at how the current situation might impact consumer spend on travel.
A representative of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) will then share insights into understanding the advisories of the FCDO and their purpose. They will explain how the information is gathered and updated and why the UK advice can differ to other countries and to the country in question.
Calder will lead a discussion with BAR-UK (Board of Airline Representatives in the UK) aiming to demystify aviation route planning. The tourism industry sees routes launch and cancel, or frequencies change, without any real understanding of how the decisions are made. The session will shed light on the commercial or operational considerations behind these changes.
Closing the Monday conference, television presenter, biologist and former Royal Marine Monty Halls, will share his personal stories and experience of living on the Galapagos Islands with his family for the Channel 4 series “My Family and the Galapagos”. His relationship with the islands goes back many years, and as President of the Galapagos Conservation Trust he remains very much involved in the fight for their preservation.
This year’s Sustainability Summit, taking place on Wednesday 4 June, is guided by one core message that collaboration is key. The journey towards responsible and impactful tourism demands a collective effort. From grassroots communities and government entities to local businesses and global enterprises, every voice and every action matters. This summit will celebrate the strength of the LATA community and highlight the power of shared goals in driving meaningful change.
Megan Parkinson, head of sustainability and impact at LATA will host two panel discussion as well as present the winners of this year’s Latin American regional Responsible Tourism awards. The first panel will discuss how to transform tourism through public-private collaboration, joined by representatives from Visit Costa Rica, explora, the Spanish Tourist Office and the Galapagos Conservation Trust. The second panel will look at some of the issues around the collection and reporting of sustainability data along with providing practical streamlining solutions. Joining Parkinson will be Travalyst, Travelopia, CREES Manu and The Long Run, LATA’s sustainability training partner.
Martin Johnson, Chairman of LATA, says: “We are delighted to share the line up for this year’s LATA Conference offering real insight into elements of the industry that will be unfamiliar to our members, as well as topical discussions on the current outlook for tourism from a global perspective. I’m particularly interested to hear more on the dark art of aviation route planning. Wednesday’s Sustainability Summit will offer tangible takeaways for delegates wherever they are on their sustainability journey giving useful case studies and practical advice. I look forward to celebrating the successes of all our members with the return of the LATA Excellence Awards as well as the region’s champions of sustainability with the Responsible Tourism Awards.”
Since the first edition of LATA Expo in 2014, then Experience Latin America, the event has grown year-on-year to become Europe’s largest and most significant B2B show focused on travel to and around Latin America. In 2024, LATA Expo became a fully hosted residential conference, taking place at The Beaumont Estate, Windsor. Once again in 2025, it will welcome exhibitors from across the region, including tourism boards, tour operators, accommodation providers, lodges, cruise, and airlines partners, as well as travel trade and media from the UK and Europe.
Following LATA Expo, the third edition of the LATA Roadshow will take place between 9 -11 June 2025 in Brighton, Cardiff and Oxford. The roadshow will welcome travel designers interested in selling Latin America for a special evening programme which aims to showcase the region and provide agents with key contacts, information and the tools needed to confidently sell the diverse range of destinations. Each event will bring Latin America’s culture to life with food, drink and Latin American entertainment, as well as a prize draw.
For more information on LATA Expo and to apply as a buyer delegate please visit https://lataexpo.travel/