kabarsula AI, aviation and a swipe at the RBA: Inside ATIA Beyond Borders 2026 bandar SLOT INDONESIA

From the future of AI (nicknamed super intelligence) to airline competition and the growing threat of climate change, Australian travel industry leaders tackled some of the sector’s biggest challenges at ATIA’s Beyond Borders 2026 summit in Melbourne on Friday.

Held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on 9 October, Beyond Borders brought together senior executives, regulators and travel professionals to examine the forces shaping the industry in 2027 and beyond.

The event also delivered a major leadership announcement, with ATIA Chair Christian Hunter confirming CEO Dean Long would remain with the association for at least another three years.

“We’ve just entered into the new agreement that should see him connected to the association for at least the next three years,” Hunter told delegates.

Hunter used his opening address to outline progress on Project A30, ATIA’s five-year strategic framework through to 2030, highlighting the importance of unified advocacy, accreditation and data-led decision-making.

Long, meanwhile, took aim at the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) over its approach to credit-card surcharging and its refusal to attend the conference.

“We did invite the RBA to come here today. They declined. Not sure why,” Long said, later quipping that the regulator “won’t come and talk to anybody”.

AI set to reshape the travel industry

Artificial intelligence emerged as one of the day’s defining themes, particularly during the Industry Leaders Panel: Where Travel Goes Next.

Moderated by Long, the discussion brought together Helloworld Travel executive director Cinzia Burnes, Flight Centre Travel Group global leisure CEO James Kavanagh, G Adventures managing director Australia, New Zealand and Asia Sean Martin, and Goldman Travel Group joint managing director David Goldman.

Kavanagh warned that AI could transform 71 per cent of businesses in half the time it took the internet to reshape industries, citing industry research and urging travel businesses to rethink their competitive advantage.

Burnes described AI as “automation implementation” rather than artificial intelligence, highlighting its ability to dramatically reduce time spent on routine tasks, while Goldman emphasised the importance of preserving human expertise.

The panel also explored the resilience of leisure travel, with Kavanagh revealing Flight Centre had recorded its strongest July despite a challenging preceding quarter. Martin highlighted the benefits of CATO’s merger with ATIA, particularly the industry’s ability to advocate with a unified voice.

The panel also prompted a slightly pointed clarification from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Clare Walsh, who noted that changes to Australia’s Middle East travel advice were not made in response to ATIA’s advocacy campaign.

“We definitely do not bring our travel advice levels down because you ask us to,” she said, while praising the campaign’s timing and effectiveness and commending Long’s advocacy.

ACCC puts airline competition under the microscope

Aviation competition was another major focus, with ACCC executive director David Cranston and director of enforcement Tony Hilton joining Long for the Aviation Outlook: Competition, Capacity and What Comes Next session.

The regulator highlighted that domestic airline seat capacity had remained virtually flat since 2015, despite Australia’s population growing by almost 20 per cent over the same period.

The discussion also exposed the limits of the ACCC’s powers to intervene in airline pricing. Long cited an example in which a one-way Melbourne–Hobart business class fare cost as much as a return economy flight to Paris.

The ACCC representatives explained that high prices were not necessarily unlawful, even where limited competition allowed airlines to charge substantial fares.

Airline alliances, including Qantas–Emirates and Virgin Australia–Qatar Airways, were also examined, alongside Sydney Airport slot reforms intended to improve transparency, oversight and competition.

Climate change emerges as Intrepid’s biggest risk

The From Research to Reality: What the Industry Is Seeing Next panel, moderated by ATIA director of communications and media LJ Loch, explored how changing consumer behaviour, climate disruption and technology are affecting travel businesses.

Intrepid Travel managing director ANZ Brett Mitchell revealed that climate change had become the company’s number one business risk.

“Our fastest growing P&L line item is the salaries and wages for crisis management,” Mitchell said.

“It’s getting worse. It’s our number one risk for our business, climate change.”

Mitchell said increasingly frequent and severe disruptions reinforced the value of trusted travel professionals who could support customers when things went wrong.

BCD Travel managing director, Australia & Singapore Danielle Russom highlighted AI’s potential to improve customer servicing and back-end operations, while Signature Travel Network’s Damian Borg encouraged advisors to scrutinise customers’ AI-generated itineraries rather than accept them at face value.

An Allianz representative also highlighted research indicating that 68 per cent of travellers surveyed in the Northern Hemisphere now consider extreme weather when planning holidays.