WTM London 2025 is setting the stage for one of its most dynamic Technology Summits yet, with artificial intelligence (AI), data-driven insights, and airline innovation taking center stage. The world’s most influential travel event, organised by RX, will host the summit on Wednesday, 5 November, at the Purple Stage, beginning at 10:45 a.m.
This year’s summit will explore how technology can support travel businesses navigating disruption and emerging challenges across the global tourism landscape. Over a three-hour session, attendees will hear from a diverse panel of experts. From C-suite executives and tech entrepreneurs to lawyers, investors and researchers, offering an immersive look at how technology is reshaping the future of travel.
The 2025 agenda aligns with WTM London’s overarching theme, Reimagining Travel in a Changing World, and has been carefully curated by Timothy O’Neil-Dunne, WTM’s Technology Advisor and a veteran industry strategist. A founding member of Expedia’s original management team, O’Neil-Dunne currently leads global consulting firm T2Impact Ltd, known for its work across aviation, travel and tourism innovation.
WTM’s official Technology Partner, Holafly, will feature prominently with CEO Pablo Gómez Fernandez-Quintanilla joining O’Neil-Dunne for a 20-minute session titled “Connected Futures: Tech, Data and the Power of eSIMs.” The conversation will delve into how connectivity innovations are transforming the traveller experience.
One of the most anticipated sessions is a debate on whether artificial intelligence, despite the hype, could become travel’s biggest challenge. Stephen Joyce from Prospect Group and Christian Watts from Magpie Travel will join O’Neil-Dunne to unpack this provocative question.
AI will feature heavily throughout the summit, with legal experts Rhys Griffiths and Farina Azam from Fox Williams exploring the regulatory implications of AI adoption, while investors Andreas Nau (Ennea Capital Partners) and Min Liu (Cambon Partners) discuss how funding strategies are evolving in response to AI-led disruption.
Other sessions will dive into AI’s transformative impact on travel agents, trip planning and content creation. James Lever (DataArt) and Gulce Rozenveld (Oojo.com) will examine the changing role of travel advisors, while Sally Bunnell (NaviSavi) will explain how video-driven storytelling is shaping travel inspiration in the digital age.
Data will also take the spotlight, with Dave Goodger (Tourism Economics) showing how travel insights combined with macroeconomic data can guide smarter business decisions. Meanwhile, Thomas Dillon (A3M) and James Spalding (Trip.com Group) will discuss balancing personalization with privacy in the age of data regulation.
Payments, another cornerstone of travel technology, will be addressed by an expert panel including James Lemon (Stripe), Will Plummer (Trust My Group), Livia Vite (actuary.aero) and Qais Amori (Almosafer), who will explore innovations driving both B2B and B2C transactions.
For the first time, airlines will have a stronger voice at the summit. Filip Filipov (OAG) will share insights on key airline data trends, followed by Amanda Campbell (T2RL) and Nadine Wood, formerly of Qantas, who will analyze how low-cost carriers are reshaping the aviation landscape and what legacy airlines can learn.
To round out the event, Roman Townsend (Belvera Partners) will demonstrate the latest applications of augmented and virtual reality in travel marketing and experience design.
Reflecting on the program, O’Neil-Dunne said, “Attendees will hear from an eclectic mix of experts with bold and sometimes opposing views on the technologies shaping today’s travel conversations. We’ll take a wide-angle look at AI, data, payments, airlines and more — before closing with the defining question: is AI good or bad for travel?”
The WTM London 2025 Technology Summit promises to be an unmissable deep dive into the innovations transforming global travel — offering insight, debate and inspiration for an industry on the edge of its next evolution.
