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.

Book your ticket

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

Joshua Ryan-Saha

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

 

Dan Taylor

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 ROWANEmma Rowan
Black Diamond

Jonah WhitakerJonah 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.

Tom Jenkins ETOA

Adele Youngs
Live Travel And Tours

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
Corné Dijkmans
Breda University of Applied Sciences
Kelly Strong
Kelly Strong
Strong Recruitment
Lobke Elbers
Lobke Elbers
PANTOUR/CELTH
Michael Quinn
Michael Quinn
Fáilte Ireland
Marta Machado
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

Adele Youngs
Live Travel And Tours

Daniele Fanelli

Daniele Fanelli
EF Educational Tours

Brent Imrie

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 GEM conferenceTim Fairhurst
ETOA – European Tourism Association

Alison Atkinson - GEM conferenceAlison 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.

Book your ticket

Choose option 4) GEM 2025 Conference Only

Conference Venue

GEM Conference will take place the Mermaid Theatre.