Digital Travel 2026 has released its official event brochure ahead of its 12th edition, scheduled for 17-18 November at The Hurlingham Club in London. The conference is expected to draw more than 200 senior executives from airlines, hotels, OTAs, and other travel sectors, focusing on the digital strategies that will define the industry's next phase.
AI moves from experimentation to implementation
The opening keynote on 17 November will tackle the shift from AI pilots to scalable deployment. Rather than dwelling on theoretical potential, the session will address practical questions: how non-technical teams can build AI-powered workflows and agents, what governance and skills are needed to scale, and whether to build in-house or buy external solutions. The discussion will also highlight which AI use cases are already delivering measurable operational efficiencies and customer value.
This focus reflects the pressure on travel businesses to respond to rapid digital disruption and rising customer expectations while pursuing sustainable growth. As FCM Travel's new chief customer officer illustrates, customer-centric leadership is becoming a board-level priority across the sector.
Search and discovery are changing
The agenda includes sessions on the evolving discovery, search, and demand-generation landscape. With customers increasingly finding travel products through new channels, the event will examine how brands can adapt their marketing and technology stacks. The implications extend beyond marketing: changes in discovery influence how customers first encounter a destination, airline, or hotel, while the booking experience depends on how well digital systems and customer data integrate.
Personalisation and profitable growth
Personalisation and omnichannel customer journeys form another major strand, alongside data strategy, integration, and decision-making. The programme then moves into conversion, revenue, and profitable optimisation, adding a commercial dimension to the digital transformation conversation. The emphasis is on using data and technology to understand customers, improve journeys, and make better business decisions.
Content, social, and creator-led marketing are also key themes, reflecting how travel brands now communicate and generate demand. This aligns with broader industry moves, such as Hainan's digital push to attract global travelers.
A cross-section of the travel industry
The speaker line-up spans the sector. Airline representatives include Jean Pascal Amblat (Air France), Markus Bayer (Lufthansa), Kim Wee (IATA), Eduard Savushkin (SkyUp Airlines), Jörn Zerkowski (Swiss Airlines), and Inês G. Oliveira (TAP Air Portugal).
Hotel speakers include Steven Lynch (Parkdean Resorts), Chris Bowling (BWH Hotels GB), Tomas Bäcklund (Elite Hotels of Sweden), Rufino Perez Fernandez (NH Hotels), Elliott Pritchard (Warner Hotels), Ruth Mcmenamin (Canopy and Stars), and Richard De Villa (Club Med).
OTAs and travel platforms are well represented with speakers from Booking.com, TUI, Expedia, Loveholidays, easyJet Holidays, Roberts Travel Group, World2Meet, eDreams ODIGEO, Tripadvisor, and Holiday Pirates. KAYAK represents metasearch, while Costa Crociere and Stena Line cover cruise and ferry. Tourism, airports, and rail are represented by Travel Department, VisitBritain, Fáilte Ireland, Budapest Airport, Avinor, and Trainline.
Practical discussions, not tech for tech's sake
The event format emphasizes peer-to-peer learning, practical case studies, and strategic benchmarking. This approach is particularly relevant to AI, where travel businesses are at different adoption stages. The questions around governance, internal capabilities, and measurable impact suggest a conversation focused on how technology is applied within businesses, not just what it might do.
The same applies to the wider agenda: search, personalisation, data, conversion, revenue, and content are treated as connected parts of the customer and commercial journey. For travel professionals, this integrated perspective is essential as digital disruption continues to reshape the industry.
Digital Travel 2026 takes place on 17-18 November at The Hurlingham Club in London. The brochure provides full details on sessions, speakers, and networking opportunities. The event's European focus makes it a key date for digital leaders across the continent.
Register before the early-bird deadline to save 10% with code [TDM] at the registration page. Explore the official brochure at this link.
