CATO, ETC to host webinar on responsible travel trends for tour operators

The Canadian Association of Tour Operators (CATO), in partnership with the European Travel Commission (ETC), will host a webinar next month focused on responsible travel and product development.

Scheduled for April 21, 2026, at 11 a.m. EST, the online session is geared toward product development teams within member tour operator organizations, though partner agents are also invited to attend.

The webinar will introduce participants to ETC’s global responsible travel initiative, “Unlock an Unexpected Upgrade,” and look at how changing traveller expectations can be translated into market-ready tourism products.

According to CATO, the session will draw on ETC’s latest research to examine the motivations shaping consumer behaviour and travel expectations, while offering practical tools that product teams can use to refine their development strategies.

Attendees will be invited to explore the “Unlock an Unexpected Upgrade” concept and how it can be applied to modern travel experiences, review key research on shifting travel intent and consumer expectations, and look at examples from destinations already putting the approach into practice.

The session will also examine ways those insights can be adapted into commercially attractive tour products.

CATO said newly developed tours inspired by the framework may be considered for inclusion in future ETC campaign initiatives.

Featured speakers include Jean Hébert, executive director of CATO; Sandra Moffat, Canada chapter chair, ETC; and Miguel Gallego, head of marketing, ETC.

CATO and ETC are encouraging early registration.

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