On 9 October, David Goldman, Joint Managing Director of Goldman Travel Group, joined the Industry Leaders Panel, Where Travel Goes Next, at the Australian Travel Industry Association’s (ATIA) annual industry summit, Beyond Borders 2026. The event was held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, on the same weekend as the National Travel Industry Awards. ATIA CEO Dean Long moderated the session, and David sat alongside fellow industry leaders as the corporate travel voice, representing the Association of Travel Management Companies (ATMC) as Chairperson.
A full house of industry voices
The panel drew on an audience from across the Australian travel industry, from retail and corporate agencies to independent advisors, tour operators and wholesalers. With those sectors gathered in one venue, a conversation about where travel goes next has a wide frame of reference and plenty of perspective to draw on. The highlight for David was representing ATMC on that stage and seeing the industry come together with one voice.
Four bodies under one strategy
That sense of unity reflects a structural change. Earlier this year a restructure saw the ATMC, Independent Travel Agents Association (ITAA) and the Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO) finally sit all together under ATIA. Each body keeps its own identity while gaining stronger collective representation, and the strategy between the four groups was formalised at the summit. For corporate travel management, that means representation within a larger collective while ATMC continues to speak for its own members.
Practical changes for members
Alongside the restructure, ATIA outlined changes aimed at making membership easier. It has committed to 72-hour accreditation renewals by 2027, which gives members a clear service standard to measure against. A new website and member portal are on the way, along with new data dashboards covering airline sales, destinations and capacity. Data of that kind supports planning across the industry.
Changes like these are visible to its members, but much of what an industry body does is not. Advocacy matters, even when you cannot see it. A good deal of the work done on behalf of the industry happens out of public view, and a summit like this brings some of it into the open. These advocacy efforts flow on to our clients, removing hidden barriers and ensuring the best outcomes for members and travellers alike.
National Travel Industry Awards
The industry stayed in Melbourne for the weekend, and the following day, 10 October, the National Travel Industry Awards took place at Crown Melbourne. Excitingly, Goldman Travel Group was named a finalist for Most Outstanding Australian Owned Travel Management Company. Reaching the finalist list recognises the work of the Goldman Travel Group teams in delivering exceptional travel management to its corporate and leisure clients, and it made for a fitting follow-on to a day spent discussing where the industry is heading.
Corporate travel with a seat at the table
From the panel stage in Melbourne to the awards room at Crown, Goldman Travel Group is part of the conversations that shape the Australian travel industry. David intends to bring what he hears at events like this back to clients and the team, so that the advice they receive reflects where the industry is heading. To find out how Goldman Travel can support your organisation’s travel program, contact your account manager or get in touch with the team to learn more.
