A host of travel trade identities packed Level 2 of the Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park for the 2024 Council of Australian Tour Operators Christmas lunch in celebration of an eventful and successful year.

As wine flowed at the pre-event networking drinks, tour operators, wholesalers, retail travel agents, product and service suppliers, plus cruise, airline, hotel representatives, tourism boards and technology partners then made their way into the main dining room.

As they entered, the CATO 25 illuminated sign was a reminder that the Council of Australian Tour Operators was marking its 25th anniversary in 2024.

The event opened with Taiko drumming and a presentation by Alison Roberts-Brown representing sponsor Tokyo Tourism, Japan enjoying a record number of Australian tourists visiting the country so far this year, with ski season still to come. Other speakers included CATO chair Dennis Bunnik and Sustainability Partner Reforest’s Daniel Walsh who announced that a tree would be planted for each of those in attendance. Reforest has partnerships with Flight Centre Travel Group and Intrepid.

In the main speech, CATO managing director Brett Jardine said membership of the organisation reached had hit a record level and enjoyed its largest-ever surplus. This year, CATO had also launched its enhanced independent financial assessment process and contributed to the Federal Government RITG grant program, in support of tour operators and wholesalers. Jardine also mentioned the success of CATO Touring Academy, launched earlier this year, which had certified more than 300 agents with over 5,400 course completions to date. CATO also held its International Women’s Day luncheon in Brisbane in March, attended by more than 200 people. Next year’s IWD event is in Melbourne, with tickets now available.

“In May we re-launched the ‘Australians Abroad’ annual report that showed outbound leisure travel was well on the road to recovery, with 2023 travel just 12 per cent down on record 2019 levels,” he told the 420-plus guests in attendance. The room included many of those who flew into Sydney for this week’s hugely successful Travel Weekly Women in Travel Awards held on Wednesday night.

Relive the glitz and glamour of Women in Travel with the 2024 photo gallery

Tracking data from 2024 showed that outbound leisure travel is sitting at 23 per cent up on 2023 numbers for the nine months to 30 September, he said.

“This is obviously a very strong indication that 2024 will surpass record pre-COVID levels of 2019 – and I’m sure that every one of you in the room is seeing that yourself in your own business,” he said.

CATO managing director Brett Jardine at the Christmas lunch.

There were also giveaways with TravelPay and Mastercard offering prizes, plus there was a four-night Viking Nile River Cruise, a trip for two to Manila, Egypt Cruise and a Meet & Greet Italy rail jourey won. Other sponsors included Lockton Pulse, Stuba, Philippine Airlines, Mayfair Cruises, and G Adventures.

Talking of which, G Adventures’ managing director ANZ Sean Martin had a fireside chat – and a glass of red wine – with his old boss, Flight Centre Travel Group CEO Graham ‘Skroo’ Turner.

Martin, who considered ‘Skroo’ a mentor in his 15 years with FCTG, asked ‘Skroo’ about the early days, travelling Europe and the Middle East in a second-hand first double-decker bus, plus his recent first travel experience – cruising. In addition to plenty of Skroo-isms in the discussion, the former bus driver, mechanic, tour guide and beer organiser admitted he couldn’t do now what he did then, back in the 1970s and ’80s.

Merry Christmas to all the CATO crew, and thanks for keeping us informed here at Travel Weekly.

Flight Centre’s Graham ‘Skroo’ Turner with G Adventures’ MD ANZ Sean Martin. Photo: Grant Jones