This year's theme is 'Innovation'. The ABTA will have the opportunity to enjoy first-hand some of the places they recommend to their clients throughout the year. This first-hand experience is likely to spark more interest in booking holidays that really match their clients needs.

ABTA has been providing the best holiday ideas to clients for more than fifty years. Agents belonging to ABTA pride themselves in a job well done, each and every time. Due to an abundance of resources available to ABTA members, they are able to maintain high standards and offer the best choice, value and quality available.

Speaker Martin Broughton

Martin Broughton will be the special guest speaker at the 2008 Association of British Travel Agents Conference in Gran Canaria. Mr. Broughton is the former chairman of British American Tobacco, the current chairman of British Airways and president of the Confederation of British Industry. Mr. Broughton's successes as a businessman have earned him the position as special guest speaker for this year's ABTA Conference. It is highly speculated, and anticipated, that Mr. Broughton will speak on the future of business in Europe as well as current pressures facing British Airways.

2007 Association of British Travel Agents Conference in Tenerife

The 2007 ABTA Conference was held on another of the Canary Islands in November. Tenerife was host to more than 250 travel agents for the event. The number of travel agents was surprisingly low for the 2007 convention. A number of reasons have been cited including a comment from ABTA chief executive, Mark Tanzer. Mr. Tanzer said, 'There are fewer frontline agents out there because of consolidation. We'd like as many ABTA agents as possible but we recognise they can't all make it. There have been large numbers of hosted agents but operators now sell more direct.'

The Canary Islands

The Canary Islands are perhaps the most well-known volcanic islands world-wide. They were formed by the Canary hotspot, a volcanic hotspot northwest of the coast of Africa. The hotspot is believed to have appeared more than 60 million years ago. A series of volcanic eruptions formed the islands we now call the Canary Islands. The rough terrain is often referred to as 'alien' and attracts tourists from all over the world.

Millions of tourists visit the Canaries every year in search of the perfect island vacation. Several low-cost airlines provide less expensive trips from popular points in Europe to the Canaries daily. Cheaper flights to and from the islands help travel agents provide a better travel solution to clients.

The Canaries are comprised of several small islets, one minor island and seven large islands. The capital city of Gran Canaria is Las Palmas. Tenerife, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro, Fuerteventura and La Graciosa are the other islands that form the Canaries. Each island is unique in its own special way. A multitude of caves and tunnels may be found and explored by hikers and divers alike.