Guests, though, were warned to guard against complacency, with shifts in economic, geopolitical and regulatory frameworks still likely to present challenges.
In the UK, these include the upcoming general election, reforms to the Package Travel Regulations and Atol scheme, and inflation and interest rates remaining higher than at any period during the past 10 to 15 years.
Nevertheless, the forum’s speakers said there were reasons to be optimistic, especially in terms of the UK’s economic outlook.
“The productivity growth outlook for the economy is a little bit brighter than it has been for some time,” said Barclays head of multi-asset wealth Will Hobbs. “And to that extent, the economy should grow faster.”
TravLaw partner Krystene Bousfield, meanwhile, highlighted the positives that have come from the travel industry taking a more robust approach to spurious claims by customers and other businesses.
“I’m not saying the travel industry is litigious and horrible to everyone, but it’s standing up for itself – and that’s something I’m really proud to see,” she added.
