From tango to techno, the travel industry ups its tempo this week in Berlin

Last week the travel industry’s elite were dancing to the tune of tango at the WTTC Global Summit in Buenos Aires; but this week the pace has increased a notch or two as the travelati attend Skift Forum Europe and descend on the home of techno, Berlin. 

This quick change of tempo can also be noticed in the modern choice of venue and liberal dress code requirements, with guest speakers expressly told to leave their ties at home.

Noteworthy podium appearances will include Ryanair’s Kenny Jacobs, Thomas Cook’s Peter Fankhauser, and Accor’s Sébastien Bazin. Financial analysts Bernstein are sending in their very own Richard Clarke to speak about investing in future travel trends. Contentious but fascinating topics that will keep everyone on the edges of their seats will include Brexit and ‘digital fatigue’.

Our Executive Chairman, Joan Vilà, will be interviewed on stage by Skift’s European Correspondent, Patrick Whyte, to discuss ‘Business to business at scale’. Joan will be explaining more about the bedbank ecosystem and answering questions about our Group’s new strategy, following Tourico Holidays and GTA joining us last year.

Amongst the many highly quotable insights supposedly made by the wise sage of baseball, Yogi Berra, is the gem “I never make predictions, especially about the future”. But some people believe that the future is not something to predict, it’s something to be made. For our sector at least, this Thursday most of those people will be in Berlin. How long will it take for the future to catch-up with those who aren’t present? Whenever it is, it will almost certainly be too late.