15 Best Travel Conferences to Attend in 2025
Travel conferences across are a goldmine for hotel managers and travel professionals alike. Attending these events is not just about exploring new destinations; it's a strategic move to network, learn about the latest hotel industry trends, and gain insights into customer expectations. With the inclusion of expos and sponsorship opportunities, these gatherings offer unparalleled access to the pulse of that travel market.
Here's a list of the best travel and hotel conferences to attend in 2025 that are sure to provide value to anyone in the travel industry, highlighting the diversity and dynamism of the tourism landscape.
Why Attend Travel Conferences?
Here are 10 reasons a hotelier should keep up with travel conferences online and in-person:
- Learn new hotel management tips and tricks – Discover actionable insights to improve operations and guest satisfaction.
- Stay informed on industry trends – Understand travel patterns and hospitality innovations shaping the market.
- Expand professional networks – Meet industry leaders, peers, and potential partners for collaboration.
- Discover cutting-edge technology – Explore tools and solutions designed to streamline hotel operations.
- Enhance marketing strategies – Gain ideas to attract more guests through targeted campaigns.
- Gain global industry perspectives – Understand trends and practices from different regions to diversify your approach.
- Learn from expert panels and workshops – Benefit from firsthand insights shared by experienced professionals.
- Explore investment and growth opportunities – Identify ways to expand your business or enhance your offerings.
- Showcase your brand or services – Promote your hotel to a wider audience through exhibitions or sponsorships.
Best Travel Conferences 2025 Shortlist
My greatest tip for hotel management is: Look to experts to learn about new trends, technologies, and techniques. Attending travel conferences are a great way to do this. Here's my shortlist of the best travel conferences I think are worth attending in 2025:
- The Travel & Adventure Shows - Multiple locations and dates
- International Inbound Travel Association Summit (IITA Summit) - Salt Lake City, UT (February 9-12, 2025)
- TravelCon - Tucson, AZ (March 14-16, 2025)
- Destination Australia Conference 2025 - Sydney, Australia (March 19, 2025)
- Las Vegas Travel Agent Forum (LVTAF) - Las Vegas, NV (March 30-April 2, 2025)
- GBTA Canada Conference - Toronto, Canada (April 28-30, 2025)
- Australian Tourism Exchange 2025 (ATE25) - Brisbane, Australia (April 27-May 1, 2025)
- Luxury Travel Advisor's ULTRA Summit - Braselton, GA (May 5-7, 2025)
- The ASTA Travel Advisor Conference 2025 - Salt Lake City, UT (May 20-22, 2025)
- IPW 2025 - Chicago, Il (June 14-18, 2025)
- Global Travel Marketplace West - Palm Springs, CA (June 17-19, 2025)
- Destinations Annual Convention - Chicago, IL (July 9-11, 2025)
- Global Travel Marketplace - Hollywood, FL (July 10-12, 2025)
- Skift Global Forum 2025 - New York, NY (September 16-18, 2025)
- ETOA’s Global European Marketplace (GEM) - London, UK (October 31-November 3, 2025)
Attending a travel conference can help you network and develop a hotel manager skill set through shared experiences and workshops. Find more details about each conference below.
Best Travel Conferences of 2025
1. The Travel & Adventure Shows - Multiple locations and dates
- Dates: Multiple dates (see table below)
- Location: Multiple locations (see table below)
- Pricing: From $20-$28
- Website: The Travel & Adventure Shows
- Social Media: Facebook, X, Instagram
The Travel & Adventure Shows: Conferences Locations and Dates
| Locations | Dates |
| Atlanta Travel Show | Georgia International Convention Center, GA | January 11-12, 2025 |
| New York Travel Show | Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, NY | January 25-26, 2025 |
| Chicago Travel Show | Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, IL | February 1-2, 2025 |
| Phoenix Travel Show | Phoenix Convention Center, TX | February 15-16, 2025 |
| Los Angeles Travel Show | Los Angeles Convention Center, CA | February 22-23, 2025 |
| Denver Travel Show | Colorado Convention Center, CO | March 8-9, 2025 |
| Bay Area Travel Show | Santa Clara Convention Center, CA | March 15-16, 2025 |
| Dallas Travel Show | Dallas Market Hall, TX | March 22-23, 2025 |
| Washington DC Travel Show | Washington Convention Center, WA | March 29-30, 2025 |
Overview:
The Travel & Adventure Show is a series of travel expos across the United States to connect travelers with various destinations, tour operators, and travel experts. Spanning nine major cities, each event offers the opportunity to explore thousands of vacation options, gain insights from industry leaders, and access exclusive travel deals.
Why you should attend:
The conference will connect you to over 1,500 top travel providers to help you discover your next adventure. You can gain insights from renowned travel personalities who share tips and experiences to enhance your travel planning and access show-only specials and promotions. It will provide live demonstrations of traditions and arts of various cultures, flavors through cooking presentations, virtual reality tours, and adventure simulations.
Some keynote speakers include Peter Greenberg, Emmy Award-Winning Investigative Reporter & Producer & CBS News Travel Editor; V. Sheree Williams, Editor at Cuisine Noir; and Tamara Mallin, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Fresh Tracks Canada.
2. International Inbound Travel Association Summit (IITA Summit) - Salt Lake City, UT (February 9-12, 2025)
- Dates: February 9-12, 2025
- Location: Hilton Salt Lake City Center, Salt Lake City, UT
- Pricing: From $250-$2,195
- Website: International Inbound Travel Association Summit
- Social Media: Facebook, LinkedIn
Overview:
The International Inbound Travel Association (IITA) hosts its annual summit, featuring education, business appointments, and connections. It is a premier platform for fostering relationships among inbound operators, DMOs, and suppliers through personalized networking meetings and industry-specific educational sessions.
Why you should attend:
This conference on tourism will offer opportunities to connect with key players in the inbound travel industry and exchange ideas and best practices with industry peers, as well as industry-focused education from travel and tourism professionals. Its educational sessions will cover the National Travel and Tourism Strategy, visa processing, entry experience updates, and insights into current industry trends and policies. Last year’s conference featured Power Hours, a unique activity that allows inbound operators to meet with DMO and supplier partners to learn about their travel products and services.
3. TravelCon - Tucson, AZ (March 14-16, 2025)
- Dates: March 14-16, 2025
- Location: Tucson Convention Center, Tucson, AZ
- Pricing: From $99-$699
- Website: TravelCon
- Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, X
Overview:
TravelCon 2025 is an event that aims to elevate a travel creator’s craft and influence. Its comprehensive agenda enhances content creation skills, cutting-edge SEO strategies, and effective monetization methods by successful peers and travel industry experts.
Why you should attend:
The travel summit will discuss strategies for business expansion, diverse revenue streams, and the best practices for producing engaging travel content. You can engage with brands and destination marketing organizations that showcase offers, partnerships, and products and participate in one-on-one meetings and niche-specific gatherings to connect with creators with the same interests.
TravelCon 2025 will feature Amanda Brown, a travel content creator with over 500,000 followers on Instagram, and Mark Wolters, a multi-award-winning PhD professor of marketing and a travel content creator.
4. Destination Australia Conference 2025 - Sydney, Australia (March 19, 2025)
- Dates: March 19, 2025
- Location: International Convention Centre Sydney, Australia
- Pricing: From AUD $60-$330
- Website: Destination Australia Conference 2025
Overview:
The Destination Australia 2025 will center around the theme “We are the Australian Tourism Industry” and concentrate on the sector’s future evolution and growth. It recognizes tourism as a vital component of numerous communities and a significant contributor to the national economy.
Why you should attend:
The conference is a comprehensive program that covers the latest developments and future trends in air travel, emerging marketing initiatives to attract and engage travelers, and the opportunities to expand tourism offerings through agricultural experiences. It is a platform to engage with industry leaders and gain insights into the tourism sector’s evolution, growth, and strategies to enhance Australia’s tourism offerings.
Last year’s conference featured excellent speakers including executives from Tourism Australia, sustainability experts, and representatives from leading Australian tourism businesses.
5. Las Vegas Travel Agent Forum (LVTAF) - Las Vegas, NV (March 30-April 2, 2025)
- Dates: March 30-April 2, 2025
- Location: Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, NV
- Pricing: From $100-$179
- Website: Las Vegas Travel Agent Forum (LVTAF)
- Social Media: Facebook, Instagram
Overview:
The Las Vegas Travel Agent Forum is a 4-day event featuring networking, education, and business opportunities. It connects North American travel sellers with various vacation experiences and resources, highlights select products and destinations and offers educational sessions that support growth.
Why you should attend:
The seminar will offer targeted educational sessions, a networking event to engage with suppliers worldwide, and immersive Las Vegas experiences. Its special activities include supplier roundtable discussions for insights into products and destinations, trade show exhibits with direct access to industry suppliers, and insights into travel trends, marketing strategies, and sustainable tourism.
Last year’s forum featured speakers Debbi Bass, owner of Hooked On Travel; Nicholas Boekdrukker, owner of LGT Golf; and Maile Brown, Director of Marketing at the Kauaʻi Visitors Bureau.
6. GBTA Canada Conference - Toronto, Canada (April 28-30, 2025)
- Dates: April 28-30, 2025
- Location: Beanfield Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Pricing: From CAD $350-$1,845
- Website: GBTA Canada Conference
- Social Media: LinkedIn, X, Facebook
Overview:
The GBTA Canada Conference 2025 brings together tourism professionals from the global business travel community to build long-term connections and advocate for the industry’s future. It provides tools, research, and resources to help explore the latest trends in business travel.
Why you should attend:
The conference will offer insights into the latest developments in consumer preferences and effective approaches to prompt travel services. You can engage in learning and training sessions for your professional development and participate in discussions addressing challenges and opportunities in the business travel industry.
The event will also feature main-stage sessions with industry leaders and innovators, an expo hall exhibiting new services and products, and Big Night Out, a relaxing networking event for socializing and building connections.
7. Australian Tourism Exchange 2025 (ATE25) - Brisbane, Australia (April 27-May 1, 2025)
- Dates: April 27-May 1, 2025
- Location: Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Brisbane, Australia
- Website: Australian Tourism Exchange 2025 (ATE25)
- Social Media: LinkedIn, X
Overview:
The 45th Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE25) connects Australian tourism businesses with global distribution partners through appointments and networking opportunities. It allows international buyers to experience Australia’s tourism offerings via pre- and post-event familiarization trips.
Why you should attend:
The ATE25 allows you to participate in key networking events to build relationships within the tourism industry, including showcasing your tourism offerings to international buyers from over 30 countries. It will offer pre- and post-event familiarization where you can experience Australia's tourism, as well as the developments in aviation and innovative technological solutions for the tourism industry.
Last year’s conference addressed sustainable tourism practices, market and travel trends, consumer behaviors, and online strategies to enhance global reach.
8. Luxury Travel Advisor's ULTRA Summit - Braselton, GA (May 5-7, 2025)
- Dates: May 5-7, 2025
- Location: Chateau Elan, Braselton, GA
- Pricing: Invitation only
- Website: Luxury Travel Advisor's ULTRA Summit
- Social Media: Facebook, X, LinkedIn
Overview:
The Luxury Travel Advisor’s ULTRA Summit is an exclusive, invitation-only event focused on the luxury travel market. It brings together world-class travel agency owners, managers, and independent contractors for one-to-one meetings with ultra-luxury suppliers to collaborate and share insights.
Why you should attend:
The summit will allow you to participate in sessions on the latest travel trends to help you move your business forward and engage in meetings to foster valuable collaborations. It will also dedicate a day to exploring hospitality and travel with thought leaders discussing global politics, travel policies, leisure, and the demand for authentic travel experiences.
The anticipated topics for this year’s summit are the impact of international relations on travel advisories and client safety, the exploration of business and leisure travel, and the rising demand for genuine and immersive travel opportunities.
9. The ASTA Travel Advisor Conference 2025 - Salt Lake City, UT (May 20-22, 2025)
- Dates: May 20-22, 2025
- Location: Hyatt Regency, Salt Lake City, Utah
- Pricing: Starts at $569
- Website: The ASTA Travel Advisor Conference 2025
- Social Media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram
Overview:
The ASTA Travel Advisor Conference 2025 is a premier event for travel professionals to enhance their business acumen and industry knowledge. It offers educational content, on-site certification, and an evening of networking opportunities.
Why you should attend:
The conference will offer educational content across three tracks: CULTIVATE for newcomers in the industry, ACCELERATE for those focused on growth, and INNOVATE for mid to large agency owners and managers. This comprehensive education will address the most critical business issues facing travel advisors. It will also feature an on-site Verified Travel Advisor certification to boost your professional credentials, and repeated education sessions on anticipated topics like innovative sales techniques, operational efficiency, and market trend analysis.
10. IPW 2025 - Chicago, IL (June 14-18, 2025)
- Dates: June 14-18, 2025
- Location: McCormick Place Convention Center. Chicago, IL
- Pricing: Starts at $450
- Website: IPW 2025
- Social Media: Facebook, X, Instagram
Overview:
IPW, organized by the U.S. Travel Association, is a premier inbound travel trade show dedicated to promoting travel to the country. This event convenes U.S. travel organizations and international and domestic buyers for pre-scheduled appointments and networking opportunities, as well as exhibitors showcasing the best U.S. travel offerings.
Why you should attend:
The event is a platform to partner with hundreds of U.S. travel organizations, international buyers, and media representatives worldwide. It will include highly organized business appointments, exclusive destination showcases, and live cultural performances to highlight the diversity of U.S. tourism. The conference will host panel discussions and workshops on sustainable tourism practices, technology in travel, strategies for attracting travelers, and the impact of geopolitical trends on the industry. Additionally, IPW 2025 will also serve as a launchpad for innovative tourism campaigns.
11. Global Travel Marketplace West - Palm Springs, CA (June 17-19, 2025)
- Dates: June 17-19, 2025
- Location: La Quinta Resort & Club, Palm Springs, CA
- Pricing: Appointment-only
- Website: Global Travel Marketplace West
Overview:
This Global Travel Marketplace West is a premium networking and professional development platform for connecting with the travel industry’s most influential advisors and global suppliers. The boutique-style conference fosters supplier networks and the growth of international business portfolios.
Why you should attend:
Last year’s event featured discussions on emerging travel trends, innovative marketing strategies, and effective client engagement techniques. It also included topics on technology in travel planning, exploring niche markets, and adapting to changing consumer behaviors. The GTM West 2025 is expected to have pre-scheduled appointments for direct engagement between advisors and suppliers and boardroom presentations for suppliers to showcase their offerings.
12. Destinations Annual Convention - Chicago, IL (July 9-11, 2025)
- Dates: July 9-11, 2025
- Location: Chicago, IL
- Pricing: TBA
- Website: Destinations Annual Convention
- Social Media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram
Overview:
The Destinations International Annual Convention is an integrated approach to learning, offering an event to connect with peers and gain knowledge to tackle future challenges. It offers relationship-based exchanges among industry providers and destination organizations.
Why you should attend:
The convention will give you the experience of various activities, including interactive workshops and collaborative sessions to create actionable insights and solutions for organizational needs. It emphasizes practical learning and innovation and offers discussions on sustainable tourism, advanced marketing technologies, and inclusivity in destination branding. It will also feature dedicated spaces like solution zones and innovation showcases for you to explore tools and services that can transform operational efficiency and community engagement strategies.
13. Global Travel Marketplace - Hollywood, FL (July 10-12, 2025)
- Dates: July 10-12, 2025
- Location: The Diplomat Beach Resort, Hollywood, FL
- Pricing: Appointment-only
- Website: Global Travel Marketplace
- Social Media: Facebook, LinkedIn
Overview:
The Global Travel Marketplace (GTM) Flagship is a premier event for influential travel advisors and global suppliers to create business connections and expand professional networks. It’s a blend of business meetings, networking opportunities, and professional growth sessions that focuses on quality over quantity.
Why you should attend:
Last year’s event discussed emerging travel trends and exploring new destinations, traveler behaviors, and market demands. It also detailed through supplier offerings, including accommodations, tours, and experiences, as well as best practices for sales and client management. GTM will allow you to engage in one-on-one meetings and boardroom sessions with suppliers for personalized discussions and in-depth presentations on products and services.
14. Skift Global Forum 2025 - New York, NY (September 16-18, 2025)
- Dates: September 16-18, 2025
- Location: The Glasshouse, New York, NY
- Pricing: From $2,095-$2,295
- Website: Skift Global Forum 2025
- Social Media: Facebook, LinkedIn, X
Overview:
The Skift Global Forum is a thought leadership conference in the travel industry. It promises an immersive experience, networking opportunities with professionals from various travel industry sectors, and exclusive interviews and talks with top executives and innovators.
Why you should attend:
The forum will explore the latest industry developments, strategies, and visions for the future of travel. You can participate in sessions and share your ideas, best practices, and knowledge on innovation. Last year’s forum covered the analysis of current and future trends, how technology transformed travel experiences and operations, and sustainable practices and their impact on industry. It also featured prominent keynote speakers like Brian Chesky, Co-founder and CEO at Airbnb; Anthony Capuano, President and CEO at Marriott International; Joanna Geraghty, CEO of JetBlue; and Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta.
15. ETOA’s Global European Marketplace (GEM) - London, UK (October 31-November 3, 2025)
- Dates: October 31-November 3, 2025
- Location: InterContinental London - The O2, London, UK
- Pricing: Exclusive to ETOA’s members (Membership fees start at €1,290)
- Website: ETOA’s Global European Marketplace (GEM)
- Social Media: LinkedIn, X
Overview:
The Global European Marketplace (GEM) 2025 is an ETOA-member exclusive event and facilitates connections among over 800 industry professionals. It is a 2-day program filled with B2B meetings, an expert tourism briefing, and a social agenda featuring networking lunches and a drinks reception.
Why you should attend:
The conference will feature expert-led sessions that provide insights into current tourism trends and market developments, as well as structured appointments to introduce you to new leads and strengthen your existing business contacts. It will also offer the GEM Directory where you will receive a detailed event directory for effective follow-up and continuous engagement with contacts.
Last year’s event focused on analyzing the patterns of European and global tourism, approaches for market expansions and client engagement, and exploration of new technologies and services enhancing the travel experience.
Other Hotel Management Resources
Don't stop there! Here are some other great strategic resources for hoteliers:
- You can read hotel management books and hospitality management books to gain insights into running successful operations.
- Listening to hospitality podcasts or hotel podcasts lets you hear real-world tips and stories from industry experts.
- Presenting or showcasing at hospitality conferences or hotel industry conferences helps you share your expertise and gain visibility.
- Joining hotel communities provides a platform to learn, network, and grow alongside other hoteliers.
- Subscribing to hotel newsletters and hospitality magazines ensures you never miss important updates or resources in the hospitality world.
Summary
In conclusion, the conferences listed above represent some of the most valuable opportunities for travel professionals to network, learn, and grow their businesses. Your recommendations can help create a more comprehensive resource for everyone looking to advance in this exciting field.
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