Melbourne hosted a spirited celebration of the people behind Australian travel, as the MTA National Conference 2026 put personal service, professional expertise, and business confidence firmly in the spotlight.
More than 300 travel advisers, supplier partners and industry representatives gathered in Melbourne for the MTA National Conference 2026, where one message rang louder than any sales pitch: people still make the travel industry tick.
Held from 1 to 3 October under the theme “The Power of You”, the three-day event celebrated the relationships, knowledge and determination behind Mobile Travel Agents’ national network.
Proceedings began with a Taste of Melbourne welcome reception at Aerial, where old colleagues renewed friendships and made new connections. The main conference sessions took place at Crown Promenade Melbourne.
Opening Friday’s business program, Helloworld Travel chief executive and managing director Andrew Burnes AO delivered an upbeat assessment of the business.
“The actual facts are that we are growing,” Burnes told delegates, referring to the flow of cruise, hotel and flight bookings through travel advisers.
That confidence gave the gathering a commercial edge. While booking technology continues to change, MTA’s central argument was refreshingly old-fashioned: travellers want skilled people they can trust when choices become complicated, or plans unravel.
Across business sessions, supplier discussions and networking opportunities, delegates explored how individual expertise strengthens the wider network.
There was, of course, plenty of Melbourne flair. But the takeaway travelled well beyond Victoria: good systems can process a booking; a good adviser can make a holiday work when life has other ideas.
For more information, visit Mobile Travel Agents.
By: Soo James – © 2026.
Read Time: 2 minutes.
Author Bio:
There’s nothing rehearsed about Soo James, and that’s precisely the point. Malaysian by heritage and Sydney-raised, she arrived at UNSW to study Arts, then took a left turn into IT, not out of ambition, but curiosity. Somewhere among systems and schedules, she worked out what really held her attention: people, language, and the quiet spaces between them.
Writing followed naturally. Travel and lifestyle gave her room to observe, to listen, to notice the details others rush past. Soo writes like good travellers: watching the room before admiring the view, catching the gesture before chasing the headline.
At EGT Media, her stories don’t shout or sell. They linger. They slow you down, open a door, and gently suggest there’s more to see if you’re willing to look.
