The Irish Travel Agents Association’s (ITAA ) 2026 Annual Conference brought together travel professionals from across Ireland for four days of networking, learning and industry insight on Spain’s beautiful Costa Dorada.
Held in Salou from October 1 to 4 under the theme “Innovate. Transform. Adapt. Accelerate,” the conference explored the opportunities and challenges facing the travel industry, with technology and artificial intelligence (AI ) among the key topics discussed.
Maura Fahy, managing director of Fahy Travel and a member of the ITAA board of directors, represented travel agents on a panel examining the growing role of AI within the industry.
Ms Fahy highlighted the opportunities AI can provide to travel agents, reassuring members that the technology should be viewed as a valuable tool to support their businesses rather than a threat to the profession.
She emphasised that AI has the potential to take care of many of the labour-intensive and time-consuming tasks involved in running a travel business, allowing agents to spend more time doing what they do best – looking after their customers.
“AI can help take some of the pressure away from the more repetitive and labour-intensive aspects of our work,” Maura Fahy explained. “Giving us more time to focus on what really matters – engaging with our customers, understanding what they want and using our knowledge and expertise to help them choose their perfect holiday.”
The conference also recognised the growing importance of sustainability within the travel industry. Discussions around future-proofing travel highlighted climate change, overtourism and changing traveller behaviour as issues that will increasingly influence the industry. The host destination itself showcased its commitment to developing a more sustainable, diversified and year-round tourism model, demonstrating how travel can evolve while protecting the destinations and experiences that customers value.
The conference reinforced the importance of combining new technology with the personal service and expertise that remain at the heart of the travel agent’s role.
For Fahy Travel, the message from ITAA 2026 was clear: embracing innovation can help travel agents work smarter, while giving them more time to do what they love most – looking after their customers and creating memorable holidays.
Fahy Travel is open by appointment only, if you would like to discuss your holiday in person. Appointments can be made on https://fahytravel.simplybook.it/v2.
