ASATA conference to shine a spotlight on the priorities for travel and tourism

JOHANNESBURG – Southern Africa’s travel industry will gather face-to-face when Association of Southern African Travel Agents And Advisors (ASATA) hosts its 2025 Travel Conference from 20 to 22 August at Arabella Hotel, Golf & Spa near Hermanus. With “Connecting Today’s Trends with Tomorrow’s Possibilities” as its theme, this year’s conference focuses on what matters most right now: a look into the impact and role of NDC and the future of modern airline retailing, secure future payment solutions, cyber risks and payment fraud, real-world AI tools for travel businesses, practical steps to help you scale your business and how to work better together across the industry value chain, for shared success.

“The travel and tourism industry is dynamic and constantly evolving,” said Otto de Vries, ASATA CEO. “This conference is about getting everyone in the same room to tackle the real
challenges we’re facing and figure out what comes next, together. We’ll address challenges like evolving retail models and cyber risk, but more importantly, we’ll explore future-ready solutions: from next-generation payments and AI adoption to strategies that drive growth and build stronger partnerships across our industry.”

What to expect

The event kicks off Wednesday, 20 August with a golf day at Arabella’s championship course, designed for networking before the serious business begins. On Thursday and Friday (21–22 August), delegates can expect a hands-on agenda tackling:

• How New Distribution Capability (NDC) is changing airline bookings
• The future of payments and how secure digital solutions are creating new possibilities
• Practical steps for scaling your business
• Harnessing behavioural economics for smarter decision-making
• Building better partnerships across the industry value chain

“Travel agents and advisors play a crucial role in the tourism value chain by providing expertise and a personal touch that builds traveller trust,” said de Vries. “Embracing new technology, payment innovation and collaboration models to take our businesses further than ever before are key.”

An interactive format for real solutions

This year’s programme goes well beyond traditional presentations. Delegates will take part in collaborative breakout sessions designed around real-world scenarios, from navigating regulatory shifts or adopting new tech platforms through to co-creating practical growth strategies. Scenario-based workshops will give everyone space to problem-solve together and leave with actionable ideas they can use immediately back in their own businesses. Meanwhile, Industry-specific forums encourage honest dialogue about shared challenges as well as opportunities unique to Southern Africa’s marketplace.

Who’s speaking

Confirmed speakers include industry veterans Otto de Vries (ASATA), Timothy O’Neal- Dunne (former Expedia executive and T2Impact Principal), Jason Goldberg, Author: The Art of Scale, Natalia Rosa (Big Ambitions), Amy Hervey, intelligent automation and scale-expert (Architect), Ann Cedarhall, travel strategist, and travel law specialist Sarah Buerger (Novation Consulting), with more experts in retailing innovation, payments technology and business strategy still to be announced.

The article ASATA conference to shine a spotlight on the priorities for travel and tourism first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.