Travel Trends with Dan Christian
Welcome to our Travel Trends Podcast, the #1 B2B global travel podcast for professionals shaping the future of travel.Hosted by Dan Christian, this show features candid conversations with global travel leaders, startup founders, tourism boards, hospitality executives, and technology innovators. Together they explore the ideas, innovations, and strategies driving the next era of travel.Whether you're building a travel startup, leading a destination, scaling a hospitality brand, or new to the industry, you’ll gain actionable insights and real-world perspectives from the leaders redefining the global travel economy.
The New American Road Trip: Blacksford’s Luxury RV Adventures in the National Parks
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The American road trip is getting a luxury upgrade, and it’s happening faster than most travelers realize. In this Company Spotlight episode, Dan sits down with David Greenberg and Becky Goodell of Blacksford to explore why premium RV travel is emerging as one of the most compelling ways to experience the United States in 2026, especially as demand grows around Route 66, major sporting events, and record-breaking visits to national parks.
They break down what “luxury RV rental” really means today, from brand-new high-end vehicles and white...
How Club Med Created All-Inclusive Holidays and Continues to Lead the Way with Carolyne Doyon
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Club Med is one of those travel brands people think they understand until they hear the full story. In the second episode of our Sun Destinations Series, Carolyne Doyon, President and CEO of Club Med North America and the Caribbean, shares how a bold idea launched in 1950 built around sport, nature, and human connection went on to pioneer the all-inclusive concept that has since shaped the modern resort industry. What began as a simple, communal approach to vacationing evolved into a seamless experience where everything is taken care of...
When Bad Sh*t Happens to Good People on Holiday: Legal Lessons for the Travel Industry
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A single incident can turn a “dream trip” into a legal and operational nightmare, and most travel businesses don’t realize where they’re exposed until it’s too late.
We kick off the 2026 Travel Trends and Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) Adventure Travel Series with an honest look at the legal risks behind every itinerary. Dan, alongside co-host Shannon Stowell, CEO of ATTA, sits down with two leading voices in travel law, Jeff Ment of The Ment Law Group and Chun Wright of The Law Office of Chun T. Wright. Together...
Trust Your Compass: Leadership, Marketing, and AI in Adventure Tourism with Liquid Spark
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A career that starts on Wall Street and shifts into whitewater guiding sounds like a movie plot, but for Julie Thorner it became the foundation for building Liquid Spark, one of the most trusted names in adventure travel marketing. We talk about the moment she realized life is short, why she chose to walk away from “safe” roles, and how she built her agency as a single mom who needed both flexibility and purpose.
From there, we get practical. Julie breaks down what she sees when tour oper...
Beyond The Beach with St. Maarten
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A Caribbean sun holiday becomes something truly unforgettable when it includes two countries on one island, world-class cuisine on both sides, and an airport runway so iconic travelers plan entire trips just to experience it.
In the first episode of our Sun Destinations Series, we’re joined by May-Ling Chun, Director of Tourism for St. Maarten, to explore what makes this destination one of the most dynamic and talked-about in the northeastern Caribbean and why it continues to turn first-time visitors into lifelong fans.
We di...
How HotelPORT is Streamlining Hospitality with Fred Bean, CEO
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Hotel listings are supposed to be the easy part of distribution. Then you look closer and realize how often the basics are wrong: amenities, room details, policies, photos, outlet hours, phone numbers, and even where that information appears across OTAs, GDSs, maps, and review platforms. In this Captains of Industry episode, we’re joined by Fred Bean, CEO and founder of HotelPORT, to explore why content accuracy became a blind spot in hospitality technology and what it really takes to fix it at scale.
We unpack how HotelPORT built Property View to...
Travel with Meaning: Rethinking Purpose-Driven Travel with Mike Schibel
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He got fired, bought a one-way ticket to Australia, and accidentally built a travel media brand. In this episode, we’re joined by Mike Schibel, founder and host of Travel With Meaning and one of the early voices in travel podcasting.
Mike shares how his background in Los Angeles and a decade in the entertainment industry shaped his approach to storytelling and interviewing. What started as a simple habit of asking travelers a few consistent questions quickly revealed something bigger: no matter where you’re from, people trav...
Global Luxury Hotel Trends Part 3 with Stuart Greif
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Five-star luxury has a secret most travelers never see. It’s not the lobby, the suite, or the amenities. It’s the consistency behind the scenes, delivered by teams who feel supported enough to show up with genuine warmth every single time. That’s what we explore in the last episode of our Luxury Hotel Series with Stuart Greif, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at Forbes Travel Guide, and one of the leading voices at the intersection of hospitality, technology, and guest experience.
We break down how Forbes...
Event Preview: Phocuswright Europe 2026
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Barcelona is calling, and not just for the beaches. From the floor of ITB Berlin, we sit down with Pete Comeau and Florence Kaci to preview Phocuswright Europe 2026 and why it has become a must attend event for travel leaders who are driving real decisions. We break down what sets it apart, from the venue and energy to its focus on meaningful insights and dealmaking over sheer scale.
A major focus of the conversation is AI in travel and what AI transformation actually looks like inside leading companies. We explore the...
Global Luxury Hotel Trends Part 2 with Emily Goldfischer and Marlene Poynder
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Luxury hotels don’t win by doing more. They win by noticing more and by building teams with the time and confidence to act on what they see.
In this episode, we’re joined by Emily Goldfischer, founder of Hertelier, and Marlene Poynder, Managing Director of The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel in New York City. Emily shares the inspiration behind Hertelier, a platform dedicated to elevating women in hospitality leadership, and highlights a striking industry reality: just 19% of Forbes Travel Guide hotels and rela...
Shaping the Future of Urban Tourism with GetYourGuide
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Seventy five percent of travelers visit just four percent of Italy. That statistic alone explains why Europe is rethinking tourism and why simply attracting more visitors can no longer be the only goal. Following a live panel at GetYourGuide headquarters, Dan sat down with Francesca de Falco, Regional Manager Italy at GetYourGuide, Miguel Sanz, President of the European Travel Commission and General Director of Turespaña, and Barbara Jamison-Woods, President of CityDNA and Head of London and Partners, to discuss what sustainable tourism looks like w...
Luxury Hotel Trends in 2026 with Jonathan Raggett, CEO, Red Carnation Hotels
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Luxury travelers are becoming harder to impress, not because they want more “stuff,” but because they expect less friction and more recognition. In the first episode of our Luxury Hotel Series, Jonathan Raggett, CEO of Red Carnation Hotels, joins us to explore the trends shaping luxury hospitality in 2026. From deeper personalization and emotional service to the growing expectation of fast, accurate responses at every guest touchpoint, we discuss how leading luxury hotels are evolving to meet the changing demands of today’s travelers.
We discuss what i...
Guided, Personal, Anywhere: How Pintours Is Creating Experiences Worldwide by Empowering Guides
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What if your best friend in every city could design your perfect day and get paid for it whether they are with you or not? That is the idea behind Pintours. In this episode, Dan speaks with founder and CEO Lou Chatta about how human storytelling combined with AI can scale the magic of a great guide while preserving the personality and authenticity that make guided experiences special.
Lou explains how growing up with a father who worked as a guide for 40 years inspired him to build...
How the Art of Mentalism Can Elevate Travel Experiences with David Stryker
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We're incredible thrilled to launch Season 7 with a full video interview featuring an LA Based Celebrity Mentalist and Magician, David Stryker, who show us how to apply his techniques to enhance our travel experiences. We wanted to try something a little different and have some fun with our season opener. Both Katherine and Zach from Travel Trends join the discussion with Dan and David to try out a little experiment. You have to watch our amazement. Join us as we explore how the craft of mentalism, rooted in attention...
Event Spotlight: Optimizing and Innovating Canadian Luxury at Virtuoso Forum Canada 2026
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Luxury travel is evolving quickly, and Virtuoso is leading that transformation with Canada playing a pivotal role in its global expansion.
At Virtuoso’s Canada Forum in Calgary, Dan sat down with GM, Canada Karen Hardie, Senior VP Global Markets Michael Londregan, Senior VP Global Events Jennifer Campbell, Executive VP Strategic Communications David Kolner, and Chairman & CEO Matthew Upchurch to explore what is driving growth in luxury travel and why Canada has become central to Virtuoso’s international strategy.
Solving Global Payments in Travel with Airwallex with Erich Ko, Senior GTM Partnerships Manager
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Money movement is the hidden engine powering travel and too often the root cause of stalled bookings, compressed margins, and delayed supplier payouts. In this episode, we sit down with Erich Ko, Senior GTM Partnerships Manager at Airwallex, to break down the full financial journey from traveler checkout to final supplier settlement and outline practical ways travel brands can replace slow wire transfers, hidden FX costs, and manual reconciliation with a unified, programmable global platform.
We unpack the real challenges tour operators face when pricing trips months...
Event Preview: Arival 360 Valencia with Bruce Rosard
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Ready to meet the leaders driving the next phase of multi-day tour growth?
In this Event Preview Episode we’re taking you inside the plans for Arival 360 Valencia, a focused three-day gathering where operators, distributors, and travel tech leaders come together to talk tours, activities, attractions and this year, a significantly expanded Multi-Day Tour Program.
Building on the multi program success from Washington, DC, this isn’t just a side conversation. It’s a dedicated, strategic stream built specifically for multi-day operators looking to sca...
Rethinking Travel Distribution: How Travelier Is Connecting the World
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Most travel stories skip the middle. The ferries, buses, and trains that actually move us between major gateways and the places we are dreaming about rarely get the spotlight. In this episode, we focus on that overlooked backbone of the travel ecosystem with Travelier CEO and cofounder Noam Toister, whose company is digitizing ground and sea transport across more than 100 countries and thousands of operators. If flights and hotels have long benefited from seamless booking technology, this remains one of the last major frontiers in travel and it is transforming what...
Travelzoo Best Bets: Where to Go in 2026 with Susan Catto
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Ready for a clear eyed look at how to travel smarter in 2026? Dan and Travelzoo’s Senior Editor and co-host Gabe Saglie close our 10-part Best Bets series with Susan Catto, Head of Publishing and Production at Travelzoo Canada, for a forward looking conversation on the future of travel deals and the trends shaping how we book.
This episode connects the dots between destinations, member behavior, and the offers that truly deliver value. We explore how Canadians and Americans are traveling differently this year, from longer international jo...
Why Experiences Are the New Currency of Gifting with Spur Experiences
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People don’t just want to go somewhere anymore, they want to feel something. That emotional shift is powering the experience economy and changing how we celebrate love, milestones, and meaningful moments. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we sit down with Cody Sudmeier, co founder and CEO of Spur Experiences, to explore why gifting moments is quickly overtaking gifting things and how shared experiences create connection, joy, and memories that last far longer than anything wrapped in a box.
We trace Spur’s origin story back t...
Travelzoo Best Bets: Where to Go in 2026 with Chile Travel
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A country this slender shouldn’t hold so much, yet Chile layers entire worlds end to end: a cosmopolitan capital set against the Andes, a desert where the night sky feels close enough to touch, vast Patagonian parks that safeguard wild silence, and a Pacific island where living tradition matters more than spectacle. In episode nine of our 10-part Travelzoo Best Bets Series, Dan and Travelzoo Senior Editor and co-host Gabe Saglie sit down with Jessica Canelo, Marketing Director at Chile Travel, to map a clear, inspiring path for tr...
Event Preview: ITB Berlin 2026 with Deborah Rothe
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Big rooms. Bigger ideas. And a roadmap for what’s next in global tourism. In this event preview episode, we’re joined once again by Deborah Rothe, Director of ITB Berlin, to unpack what’s coming when more than 100,000 travel professionals from 170 countries converge in Berlin this March. From Angola’s host-country spotlight to Thailand’s major presence, we highlight the regions gaining momentum and the early signals that often shape the year ahead.
At the heart of ITB Berlin 2026 is a powerful guiding theme: leading...
Why 2026 Is the Year of Transformative Travel with Jake Haupert and Joe Pine
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The moment a guide stops narrating a place and starts guiding a person, everything changes. That idea anchors this season finale with Joe Pine, the visionary behind The Experience Economy and his latest book The Transformation Economy, alongside Jake Haupert, Co-founder of the Transformational Travel Council (TTC). Together, they lay out a clear and practical roadmap for turning great trips into identity shaping journeys that deliver true return on time invested.
We explore encapsulation, the four part process of prepare, experience, reflect, and...
Travelzoo Best Bets: Where to Go in 2026 with Niagara-on-the-Lake
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History lovers, wine enthusiasts, and weekend escape artists will feel right at home in Niagara on the Lake. In episode eight of our 10-part Travelzoo Best Bets Series, Dan and Travelzoo Senior Editor and co-host Gabe Saglie travel to Niagara-on-the-Lake, selected as part of Travelzoo’s Canada Best Bets for 2026, alongside Brianne Hawley from Tourism Niagara-on-the-Lake to explore why this lakeside town deserves a spot at the top of your 2026 travel list. Set where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario, the de...
Making the Modern Travel Agency: Humans, Hospitality & AI with Jake Peters, Fora
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The biggest surprise in travel tech right now isn’t a model, it’s a movement. From a 20 page memo to a Series C and $1.5B in annual sales, Fora’s rise has been powered by a community of 11,000 advisors, a product organization that ships fast, and a deep belief that hospitality is fundamentally human. Dan sat down with Co-founder and Chief Product & Technology Officer, Jake Peters at Fora’s NYC headquarters to trace how a modern travel agency evolved into a full stack platform that blends e-commerce speed with the...
The Next Generation of Flight with Oliver Christian
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A 14-hour flight with nothing but coloring books sparked a lifelong fascination. In a special episode closing out our Aviation Series, Dan sits down with his son Oliver Christian, the kid who once built LAX in the garage and could identify aircraft by silhouette, to trace the path from childhood plane-spotting to future pilot, and to explore where aviation is headed next.
We break down the pilot pipeline in plain language, from student permit and first solo to PPL, CPL, instrument and night ratings, multi-engine time, and the road to an...
Travelzoo Best Bets: Where to Go in 2026 with ProColombia
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What if one trip could deliver six different adventures without crossing a border? In episode seven of our 10-part Travelzoo Best Bets Series, Dan and Travelzoo Senior Editor and co-host Gabe Saglie head to Colombia - selected as part of Travelzoo’s Canada Best Bets for 2026 - with ProColombia’s, Leisure Tourism Manager, MarĂa JosĂ© Silvato unpack why 2026 is the right moment to go and how to plan a journey that blends value, connection, and real discovery.
We start with the big shifts driving Colomb...
A New Era for High-end Travel: National Geographic Signature with G Adventures
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Luxury is changing fast and we wanted to know what it looks like when comfort, curiosity, and real local impact meet. Luxury is entering a new era, one defined less by thread counts and more by access, education, and meaningful impact. In this episode, we sit down with Yves Marceau, VP of Product at G Adventures, to explore the launch of National Geographic Signature with G Adventures and why it represents a fundamental shift in what high-end travel can be.
Built on a decade-long partnership and officially...
Why Flexibility Is the New Fare: Inside Airline Innovation with Hopper
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Flight canceled, heart rate rising, clock ticking. Now imagine a single tap that rebooks you on any airline in minutes or delivers a full refund without lines, calls, or frustration. In this episode, we sit down with Patrick Steadman, VP of Disruption at Hopper and Hopper Technology Solutions (HTS), to unpack the new playbook for certainty in an increasingly unpredictable sky.
We break down how cancel-for-any-reason, disruption assistance, and price freeze actually work in the real world, why they’re typically priced at 10–15% of trip cost, and how AI models balance risk...
Travelzoo Best Bets: Where to Go in 2026 with Choose Chicago
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Chicago isn’t just back, it’s surging. In episode six of our 10-part Travelzoo Best Bets Series, Dan and Travelzoo Senior Editor and co-host Gabe Saglie sit down with Lisa Nucci of Choose Chicago to map out the experiences and local insights that turn a short visit into a lasting memory.
We explore the South Side’s moment in the spotlight, from the Obama Presidential Center as a powerful new cultural anchor to Hyde Park’s renewed energy, Pullman’s rail legacy, and the Du...
How Heys Luggage Became a Global Travel Icon with Emran Sheikh, CEO, Heys
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A family basement isn't where you’d expect a global luggage brand to begin, but that’s exactly where the Heys story took flight. In this episode, we sit down with CEO Emran Sheikh to unpack four decades of innovation, bold design choices, and a proudly Canadian identity that now spans 75 countries. From candy-coloured hard shells that broke up a sea of black bags to Bluetooth-enabled smart locks powered by simple AA batteries, Heys has grown by solving real traveler problems rather than chasing trends that can’t survive airport rules.
E...
How oneworld Is Shaping the Future of Global Aviation with Roger Blackburn
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The aviation story is bigger than fares and aircraft, it’s about how global alliances quietly choreograph your entire journey. In the our kickoff episode of our Aviation series, we sit down with Roger Blackburn, VP Commercial & Loyalty at oneworld Alliance, to reveal how 15+ member airlines coordinate routes, lounges, data, and service so travelers can move across continents with fewer frustrations and better perks. If you’ve ever wondered why your status unlocks priority lanes, lounge access, and smoother transfers across multiple carriers, or how alliances choose new members, Roger takes us behind the...
Travelzoo Best Bets: Where to Go in 2026 with Visit Savannah
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Savannah never makes you choose between ease and depth; it delivers both the moment you start exploring. In episode five of our 10-part Travelzoo Best Bets Series, Dan and Travelzoo Senior Editor and co-host Gabe Saglie sit down with Supriya Christopher of Visit Savannah to map out how America’s first planned city blends oak-shaded squares, layered history, and a surprisingly modern creative pulse that feels made for 2026. With the 250th anniversary of the United States and one of the nation’s largest St. Patrick’s Day...
The Mind Behind Investing in the Experience Economy With Michael Zeisser, FMZ Ventures
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Experiences - not things - are becoming the world’s most powerful growth market, and investor Michael Zeisser, Managing Partner, FMZ Ventures joins us to explain why. In this Captains of Industry episode, we explore how the shift from goods to meaning is reshaping the entire travel and experiences economy and what it means to play the long game in a world where travelers increasingly seek connection, transformation, and purpose. We look at where travel is headed next as new ecosystems of creators, distribution platforms, and enablement tools emerge. Michael breaks down why co...
Travelzoo Best Bets: Where to Go in 2026 with Visit Finland
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Ready to trade crowds for clarity and noise for nature? In episode four of our 10-part Travelzoo Best Bets Series, Dan and Travelzoo Senior Editor (and co-host) Gabe Saglie head to Finland with Visit Finland’s Tarja Koivisto to map out a year-round escape shaped by wellness, design, and wild beauty. Think 188,000 lakes, 3 million saunas, and four regions that make trip-planning effortless: Helsinki for architecture and food, Lakeland for serene, water-lined landscapes, the Coast and Archipelago for island-hopping freedom, and Lapland for snow-soft winters and glowing summer ni...
Climate Leadership in Action: Inside Intrepid’s Decarbonization Journey with Dr. Susanne Etti
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Start the new year with a clear-eyed plan for transformational travel. In the final episode of our Sustainability Series, we sit down with Dr. Susanne Etti, Intrepid’s Global Environmental Impact Manager, to explore how one of the world’s leading adventure brands is moving sustainability from promises to proof-phasing out offsets, investing directly in decarbonization, and expanding carbon measurement to include the full customer lifecycle, even flights they don’t sell.
Dr. Etti breaks down Intrepid’s three-pillar approach. First: rigorous measurement and transparent reporting that capture everything from on-trip transpor...
Where Sustainable Travel Meets Impact Investing with Jonathan Coleman, CEO, UnTours
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Imagine a travel company where the business itself fuels impact, not just through donations but through ownership. That is the UnTours story. In this episode, CEO Jonathan Coleman shares how the world’s first certified B Corp tour operator became part of a foundation that invests every dollar into small businesses creating meaningful change in destinations.
Jonathan walks us through Hal and Norma Taussig’s remarkable origin story, beginning with apartment-based, slow travel in the 1970s and evolving into a vow of poverty that redirected profits into a foundation, eventually transferring comp...
Travelzoo Best Bets: Where to Go in 2026 with Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona
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A century-old highway is about to steal the spotlight again. In episode three of our 10-part Travelzoo Best Bets Series, Dan and Travelzoo Senior Editor (and co-host) Gabe Saglie head to Arizona’s storied stretch of Route 66 with guest Nikki Terlesky, Director of Operations for the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona. Together, they explore why the Mother Road still embodies freedom, spontaneity, and Americana—especially as the U.S. approaches its 250th birthday. From neon-lit motor lodges to desert bends that test your steering, this is r...
The RenAIssance of Rail with Railbookers
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The rails are buzzing for a reason: travelers want flexible journeys, city-center convenience, and window-seat scenery without the stress. At the Railbookers Global Summit, we sat down with CEO Frank Marini and three of his senior leaders to explore how a remote-first culture, deep trade partnerships, and an ambitious AI strategy are powering the renaissance of rail travel.
Frank breaks down a record year—27% growth overall and 39% in luxury rail—and why small groups and pre- and post-cruise extensions are surging. VP of Marketing Kaitlyn Birkinshaw r...
Leadership Lessons in Sustainability that Matter with Shannon Guihan
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The rules of “green travel” have changed. We’re moving beyond feel-good labels to a world where travelers, advisors, and investors expect real proof, data, targets, and measurable benefits for the places we visit. To open our Sustainability Series, Shannon Guihan, Chief Sustainability Officer at The Travel Corporation, joins us to unpack what credible impact looks like in 2026 and how operators of any size can demonstrate it.
We trace an origin story from Newfoundland’s cod collapse to the surge of unplanned tourism that followed, illuminating why sustainability is really destination quality...
