GEM Conference | Keeping tourism competitive
As a key feature of the GEM 2025 programme, the conference on Monday, 3rd November will equip members with practical insights into the most pressing issues shaping the future of inbound European tourism.
Choose option 4) GEM 2025 Conference Only or contact us at events@etoa.org
09:00-09:30
REGISTRATION & WELCOME REFRESHMENTS
09:30-10:15
Keynote – Navigating Hype Versus Hope | Joshua Ryan-Saha, Edinburgh Futures Institute

AI is already transforming tourism. Everyone has a prediction, but none of us can be certain (or even close to it) when thinking about the future of AI in tourism.
What if AI isn’t the revolution we are led to believe? Are we on the path to all-powerful artificial general intelligence or have AI capabilities started to plateau? As we decode today’s signals, from chatbot proliferation to data breaches, from algorithmic bias to authentic human moments, deeper questions have started to emerge about trust and reality in tomorrow’s tourism landscape.
This talk studies what’s happening right now. Through a series of examples and case studies, Joshua will explore the exciting, the mundane and the weird AI experiments taking place in our sector. He will delve into crucial questions: How do we bring vital context into AI tools? Will we all become software builders? What are the quiet market signals that may be more consequential than the hype?
Joshua will explore the critical uncertainties about AI in shaping tourism’s future and he will share a ‘futures framework’ to help us all make sense of our uncertainty.
10:30-11:15
Interactive Stream Choice | Tourism Quick Toolkits – Practical updates on key topics to help you stay ahead and informed:
1. Travel Transformed: Harnessing AI to Understand and Engage today’s traveller | Dan Taylor, SALT.agency

In this hands-on workshop, discover how AI can help you better understand your audience, create smarter campaigns, and unlock growth in today’s dynamic travel landscape.
SEO and AI expert Dan Taylor will guide you through how artificial intelligence is reshaping marketing in the travel sector – and how you can harness it today to drive real business impact.
- How consumer expectations in travel are evolving — and what that means for your brand
- How travel businesses are responding to this evolution
- How marketing and SEO are being reshaped by AI, with practical tools and approaches
- Real-world AI use cases in travel marketing — from search and content to personalization and automation
You will leave with actionable takeaways, tools, and strategies to implement immediately, regardless of your business size or budget. Whatever sector of travel you’re in, this workshop will equip you with the knowledge and skills to stay ahead in a fast-moving industry.
10:30-11:15
Interactive Stream:
2. What DMOs Really Want: Getting Partnership-Ready for WTM
 Emma Rowan
Emma Rowan
Black Diamond
 Jonah Whitaker
Jonah Whitaker
Black Diamond
11:15-11:45
BREAK
11:45-12:30
ETOA Briefing & Insights
ETOA’s CEO and President will share the latest updates and developments.
|  |  | |
| Adele Youngs | Tom Jenkins ETOA | 
12:30-14:00
DESTINATION LUNCH
14:00-15:00
Will my job exist in 5 years? The changing landscape in tourism careers employment and skills.
Keynote & Panel:
- The changing landscape in tourism careers, employment and skills
- Link across social, digital and green skills – will my job exist in 5 years and if so, how will it be different?
Confirmed Speakers:

Corné Dijkmans
Breda University of Applied Sciences

Kelly Strong
Strong Recruitment

Lobke Elbers
PANTOUR/CELTH

Michael Quinn
Fáilte Ireland

Marta Machado
HOTREC – Hotels, Restaurants, Bars & Cafés in Europe
15:00-15:30
Keeping the Human Touch: Social Intelligence in a Global Digital Economy
In an increasingly digital world, human connection remains at the heart of tourism. Adele Youngs will open this session with a scene-setting introduction, followed by a discussion on how tourism professionals can nurture and apply social intelligence in their daily work. The session will explore how to balance technology with empathy, cultural awareness, and intergenerational understanding to deliver exceptional service.

Adele Youngs
Live Travel And Tours

Daniele Fanelli
EF Educational Tours

Brent Imrie
TourTime NZ
- Preserving customer-focused service in a digital-first economy
- Applying cultural intelligence when working with international clients and colleagues
- Meeting and managing expectations across different generations of clients and co-workers
This interactive discussion will highlight the essential social skills that keep tourism both people-centred and globally relevant.
15:30-16:00
NETWORKING BREAK
16:00-16:30
Day-to-day Green skills for all Tourism Professionals
Embedding sustainable practice should also make commercial sense, but is there a gap between rhetoric and reality when it comes to turning commitment into organisational change? From awareness of new reporting requirements to accreditation options, communication of ESG metrics within the value-chain to new decision-support tools, this session will explore what in-house skills and knowledge we need to succeed.
 Tim Fairhurst
Tim Fairhurst
ETOA – European Tourism Association
 Alison Atkinson
Alison Atkinson
Avanti Destinations
16:30-17:00
Future-Proofing Tourism: Solving the Digital Skills Challenge | Professor Dimitrios Buhalis, Bournemouth University Business School

The accelerating adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in travel and tourism is transforming how destinations, organisations, and consumers interact. For managers, this shift creates both opportunities and challenges, requiring a new set of skills to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape. Tourism professionals need to operate within smart ecosystems by adopting network optimisation and real time strategies. We urgently need to address the digital competence gap and position organisations to thrive in an AI-driven marketplace by prioritising:
- Building Data Competence
- AI-Powered Personalisation
- Smart Operations
- Sustainability Intelligence
- Ethical and Responsible Leadership
- Continuous Upskilling and Partnerships
Those who invest in these competencies in the next five years will not only protect market share but will also establish their organisations as leaders in the sustainable and human-centric tourism ecosystem of the future.
Choose option 4) GEM 2025 Conference Only
 
						

 
					