Travel professionals are advised to act quickly to secure their place at the Beyond Borders Travel Summit.
The Australian travel industry’s premier thought leadership event will take place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on October 9.
Presented by the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA), Beyond Borders gives attendees a clear picture of the major issues facing travel businesses today and those emerging on the horizon.
Across a single day, attendees hear directly from the people who make the key decisions in the industry – regulators, policymakers, industry leaders and their peers, and leave with the must-dos and practical information to lift their business performance.
The summit has been curated for the full breadth of Australia’s travel industry, from retail travel agents and independent advisors to tour operators, wholesalers and travel management companies.
Christian Hunter, ATIA Chair, and Dean Long, Chief Executive Officer, open the day on what 2026 has taught the industry and where it is heading in 2027, followed by a leaders’ panel on traveller expectations, distribution, technology and talent.
David Cranston and Anthony Hilton from The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission cover airfares, delays, cancellations and new airline entry.
Julie White, Accommodation Travel Agents’ Association of New Zealand Chief Executive, will join Mr Long on the policy outlook from Canberra.
Touring and wholesale has its own panel, moderated by Mira Yates, ATIA’s Director of CATO & Education.
Practical sessions run alongside them. Nina Hedges, ATIA Director of Compliance and Membership, leads a masterclass on turning complaints into better business, and Nicole O’Sullivan, Birds Eye View Consulting Managing Director, covers how to introduce non credit card payment options without losing the sale, timely with new surcharging rules taking effect from October 1.
Accredited members also get exclusive access to a closed session on ATIA’s aviation advocacy.
“This is a room you need to be part of,” commented Mr Long. “The regulators, the people shaping policy in Canberra, the leaders setting the industry’s direction and the peers dealing with the same challenges you are will all be there. If you miss it, you’re hearing about it second-hand.
“You’ll walk out knowing what’s coming, what you need to act on and how to lift your business performance. Bring the whole team.
“Your people will get more out of the complaints and payments sessions than any training course and your decision makers will be in the room with the ACCC and the people shaping policy in Canberra.”
Tickets to Beyond Borders are available now at https://atia.eventsair.com/atia-premier-events/.
# Meanwhile David Whitehill has been announced as Master of Ceremonies for the 2026 National Travel Industry Awards (NTIA).
“I’ve spent 20 years telling travel stories and every one of them has been made possible by the people in this industry: the travel advisors, tour operators, airline crews and suppliers who get Australians where they want to go,” said Mr Whitehill.
“The NTIAs are their night and I’m thrilled to be hosting it. It’s a sold-out room, so it’s going to be a big one.”
