This year, for the first time, seminars will be staged in the main hall alongside the exhibition. The seminar programme is designed to highlight issues and innovations relevant to the Spanish tourism market; the new layout will make it easier for visitors to participate in all of the show's features.

Simon Calder, Travel Editor of The Independent, will be returning as moderator by popular demand!

Wednesday 26 March
10.30-11.30	Cultural Tourism Carmen Hernández, Market Analyst, Spanish National Tourist Office Richard Cope, Senior Tourism Analyst, Mintel The first seminar will address the current situation of UK outbound tourism. It will start by looking into the main facts and figures in 2007 and at the main trends over the past few years. One of those is the way British people now appreciate having a different experience during their holidays and relaxing is no longer the main goal. The film ‘City Breaks’, by Ed Knight, portrays the journey of a British couple from Santiago de Compostela to Avila and Seville. The session will also look at consumer attitudes and behaviour, specifically what’s changed and how best to reach your customers.
12.00-12.30	Gran Canaria - A Top Quality Sun Destination Cristina del Río, General Manager, Gran Canaria Tourist Board Katerina Bomshtein, UK Representative, Gran Canaria Tourist Board Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive, ABTA Ltd ABTA's 2008 Travel Convention will take place in Gran Canaria. In this session Cristina del Rio will focus on the island's great beaches, landscapes, cultural traditions and micro climate - which altogether position Gran Canaria as a top quality sun destination. Mark Tanzer will also highlight the reasons why ABTA's Board choose Gran Canaria as this year's Travel Convention destination. After the presentation there will be wine and local delicacies to taste.
13.00-13.30	Aquatic Sports, Hot Springs and Wine in the Heart of Galicia Rubén Lois González, General Director, Tourism of Galicia An interesting presentation on this charming wine producing area in the North West of Spain with a lot to offer. After the presentation you will have the chance to taste exquisite local wines, and gastronomic treats.
14.30–15.30	Face To Face - The Train & The New Age of Transport in Spain Abelardo Carrillo, General Director High Speed Trains and Long Distance Operations RENFE Ignacio Vasallo, Director, Spanish National Tourist Office This session will look at the growth and sophistication of rail travel across Spain which offers a serious alternative to flying. It will also look at the ‘environmental’ advantages of rail travel vs. flying. As Spain's major railway operator, RENFE has an annual turnover of over $2 billion and offers every level of rail service, from local destinations to high-speed intercity links. The network is constantly being updated and travelling times between major cities is coming down all of the time. RENFE operates 15,000 km of Spanish railways and their network is a good way to get around Spain.

Thursday 27 March
10.30-11.30	Face To Face - Higher and higher? Where are the limits to UK-Spain aviation Tim Jeans, Managing Director, Monarch Airlines Ignacio Vasallo, Director, Spanish National Tourist Office Simon Calder will be talking to Tim Jeans about Monarch’s philosophy of value and service, the airline’s continued expansion into the Southern Mediterranean and Canaries, the consolidation of routes and the future of no frills airlines. Tim has worked in the aviation industry for nearly 20 years, joining Monarch in 2004 and promoted to his current post at the beginning of 2007. Previously, he has been Commercial Director for Ryanair where he was responsible for driving its European expansion, MD of MyTravelLite at MyTravel, and had a spell as Chief Operating Officer at MyTravel Airways which preceded his appointment at Monarch.