ATIA confirms CEO tenure, highlights AI impact at Beyond Borders 2026

ATIA Chair Christian Hunter said CEO Dean Long will remain with the association for at least another three years, and Long criticised the Reserve Bank of Australia for refusing to attend the conference and for its approach to credit‑card surcharging.

Artificial intelligence was presented as a defining theme, with panelists discussing its impact on travel businesses; Cinzia Burnes described AI as “automation implementation,” while James Kavanagh warned it could transform 71 percent of businesses in half the time the internet reshaped industries, and David Goldman stressed the need to preserve human expertise. Flight Centre recorded its strongest July despite a challenging preceding quarter, and Sean Martin highlighted the benefits of CATO’s merger with ATIA for unified industry advocacy.