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MarketHub Americas by HBX Group has become one of the travel industry's premier gatherings, bringing together nearly 600 travel leaders from 16 source markets to explore the trends shaping the future of travel. Recorded live from Punta Cana, this special Travel Trends event spotlight features three conversations with HBX Group executives on AI, travel distribution, luxury travel, and the partnerships driving the industry's next chapter.

The episode begins with Javier Cabrerizo, Chief Strategy, Transformation & AI Officer (3m33s), who explains why fragmentation remains one of travel's biggest challenges and opportunities. Javier shares HBX Group's "Triple A" approach to AI—Automate, Accelerate, and Augment—and discusses how agentic AI, personalization, and intelligent pricing are transforming travel distribution

Next, Una O'Leary, Vice President of Sales for The Luxurist (37m37s), shares how luxury travel is evolving beyond five-star hotels. From immersive experiences and off-season travel to the growing influence of millennials and the enduring value of travel advisors, she shares what today's luxury travelers are looking for.

The episode concludes with Danielle Von Weyhrother, Vice President of Sales, North America (58m17s), who offers a practical look at what travel partners are asking for today: simpler connectivity, richer content, practical AI solutions, and a more seamless way to connect hotels, transportation, and in-destination experiences. 

The #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds. 

https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/

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The Giant's Causeway is one of those places that has to be seen to be believed. With its 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, dramatic coastal setting, and views across the sea to Scotland, it's one of the world's most extraordinary natural wonders. But as Jennifer Michael, Business Development Manager at the National Trust Northern Ireland, explains in the final episode of our In-Destination Experiences Series, it's the stories, history, and sense of place that turn a visit into something truly unforgettable.

Jennifer takes us behind the scenes of managing a UNESCO World Heritage Site that welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. We explore how the National Trust balances conservation with visitor demand through timed entry, thoughtful capacity management, and pricing strategies that encourage guests to visit during quieter times. It's a fascinating look at how one of the world's most iconic attractions protects both the landscape and the visitor experience for generations to come.

We also explore how the Giant's Causeway is encouraging visitors to stay longer and discover more of Northern Ireland. From guided cliff-top walks and local storytelling to experiences like Whiskey on the Rocks with the nearby Old Bushmills Distillery and coastal boat tours, Jennifer shares how partnerships with local businesses are creating richer, more immersive journeys while spreading the economic benefits of tourism throughout the region.

Whether you're planning your own trip to Northern Ireland or looking for inspiration to create more meaningful itineraries, this conversation is full of insights into what it takes to transform a world-famous landmark into an unforgettable destination experience.

Thanks to Pernod Ricard for sponsoring this series!

👉 Listen to How Iconic Natural Attractions Create Unforgettable Visitor Experiences

🔥 Special Thanks to our Season 7 Title Sponsors for their Support: Bokun, Civitatis, Intrepid, Kaptio, Propellic and Protect Group

The #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds. 

https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/

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Our most comprehensive Event Spotlight to date! Recorded live at Phocuswright Europe 2026 in Barcelona.

Over two days at one of the industry's most influential gatherings, Dan sat down with more than 20 founders, CEOs, investors, and analysts to understand what is actually reshaping the future of travel in Europe. The result is over six and a half hours of conversations covering everyting from AI and how it is genuinely being deployed to shifting traveler behavior, evolving business models, and the technologies and companies positioned to define the next chapter of this industry.

What makes this episode special is the range of perspectives in one place. You'll hear where these leaders agree, where they sharply diverge, and which opportunities and challenges they believe will matter most in the year ahead.

A special thank you to Pete, Gene, and the entire Phocuswright team for another exceptional event in Barcelona and for their continued partnership and support of the Travel Trends Podcast.

With this many conversations in one episode, we've made it easy to navigate. Scroll down for full timestamps to jump directly to the guests you'd like to hear from.

5m29m54s -  Siew Hoon Yeoh, Founder, & Managing Director, Web in Travel (Singapore)

29m55s - John Lyotier, CEO, TravelAI

55m13s - Stuart Greif, Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer, Forbes Travel Guide

1hr23m19s - Andreas Spitzer, CEO, Civitatis

1hr42m35s - Brennen Bliss, CEO, Propellic

1hr58m59s - Alex Trimis - CEO, Welcome Pickups

2hr20m27s - Julie Cheetham, CEO, Travalyst

2hr38m29s - Seb Herbranda, CEO , Rail Europe

2hr53m26s - Andy Moss, CEO, Mindtrip

3hr10m28s - Charlotte Lamp Davies, Founder & CEO, A Bright Approach

3hr24m45s - Carolina Castillo, General Manager - EMEA Travel Payments, WEX

3hr39m14s - Erez Bousso, Founder & CEO, Move

3hr55m20s - Carlos Cendra - Chief Marketing and Communication Officer, Data Appeal

4hr13m25s - Brooke Gilbertson, Conference, Events & Experience Leader, WTM

4hr29m27s - CD Lazear, Managing Director, TripAdd

4hr35m51s - Benoit Cerceau, Founder & CEO, OnSpot Travel Group

5hr05m46s - Oz Har Adir, Founder & CEO, Vio.com

5hr20m12s - Eimy Santos, AI Solution Expert, Maya

5hr32m10s - Sebastian Texier, Co-founder & Co-CEO, Jinko

5hr47m42s - Matei Psatta, Chief AI & Growth Officer, Vola.ro

5hr55m42s - Nina Lakatos, Business Development Manager, Message.Help

6hr03m48s - Marius Nigond, iWander, CEO 

The #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds. 

https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/

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Staying connected has become an essential part of modern travel. Whether you're finding your hotel, booking a ride, navigating a new city, or simply letting family know you've arrived safely, reliable mobile data can make the difference between a smooth arrival and a stressful one.

In this Company Spotlight, Dan sits down with Jo Juliana Turnbull, Senior Growth Marketing Manager at Holafly, to explore why eSIMs are quickly becoming a travel essential. Jo explains how eSIMs work in simple, practical terms, from checking if your phone is compatible and knowing when to activate your plan to answering common questions about keeping your existing phone number and how easy the setup process really is.

The conversation also explores what travelers are really looking for when they purchase an eSIM: confidence. From instant connectivity on arrival and unlimited data options to coverage in more than 200 destinations and 24/7 customer support, Jo shares how Holafly is helping remove one of the biggest pain points of international travel.

Beyond the traveler experience, Dan and Jo dive into the business behind one of travel's fastest-growing categories. They discuss how Holafly has built a globally recognized brand through creator-led marketing, why authentic content consistently outperforms traditional advertising, and what changing traveler behavior reveals about our growing reliance on staying connected. They also explore the rise of digital nomads, longer-term travel, and why eSIMs are increasingly being bundled into trips through travel advisors, tour operators, and other travel partners, much like travel insurance has become today.

Learn more at holafly.com.

The #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds. 

https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/

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A lot of conversations about travel stay focused on the booking process, but the real opportunity begins once travelers arrive. What experiences do they choose? How do they discover them? And how is technology changing the way those bookings happen?

In the second episode of our In-Destination Experiences Series, Dan sits down with Aaron Fessler, Founder and CEO of TripWorks. Drawing on his background in enterprise technology and as the founder of the popular Las Vegas attraction Speed Vegas, Aaron shares a unique perspective on where the tours, activities, and attractions industry is headed.

Together, they explore the consumer trends shaping travel in 2026, from the growing demand for personalized experiences and flexible booking options to why more travelers are planning their activities before they even leave home. Aaron explains why operators need to think beyond simply managing bookings and instead focus on growing revenue through better customer journeys, smarter marketing, and direct bookings.

The conversation also takes a deep dive into distribution, the evolving role of OTAs, and why striking the right balance between third-party channels and direct sales has never been more important. Looking ahead, Dan and Aaron discuss how AI-powered discovery, chat-based trip planning, and agentic commerce could fundamentally reshape how travelers find, book, and experience activities in the years ahead.

Thanks to Pernod Ricard for sponsoring this series!

👉 Listen to How the Best Experience Operators Are Winning More Bookings Now

🔥 Special Thanks to our Season 7 Title Sponsors for their Support: Bokun, Civitatis, Intrepid, Kaptio, Propellic and Protect Group

The #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds. 

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We were invited back to Miami for our second year as the Official Podcast Partner of Aviation Festival Americas and this one is special: it's our largest Event Spotlight episode to date, featuring 20+ interviews and over 5 hours of conversations with the incredible speakers, industry leaders and key attendees that came together to discuss the latest trends shaping aviation and airports.

Our host Dan Christian was joined by his son Oliver, who is currently training to become a pilot and was mentioned several times on last year's episode. He had the chance to meet many of those amazing people and some of the most influential leaders in the airline industry while helping manage the recording schedule. A huge thank you to him and everyone who joined us at the booth and made this episode possible.

Across these conversations, you'll get a remarkably complete picture of where the industry is headed. We start off with how global alliances are rethinking the digital experience so travelers can move seamlessly across carriers and why modern airline retailing and NDC are finally reshaping how flights are sold and distributed. You'll hear how airlines are navigating fleet capacity, fuel price pressure, alongside a candid look at what it takes to grow a premium transatlantic brand in the Americas. Our guests also discuss the parts of the journey that still break down in real life - baggage, disruption, interline connections, and multimodal ground links and they share the innovations designed to fix them, from off-airport bag check to AI-powered door-to-door itineraries.

Accessibility emerges as one of the strongest themes of the episode, with leaders explaining why inclusive design at kiosks, websites, and airports isn't just the right thing to do, it's a massive underserved market. And throughout, founders and operators share what they're seeing on the front lines of agentic AI: conversational interfaces and AI concierges, trust and guardrails, the science of passenger wellbeing like jet lag management, sustainability and emissions tracking, and the coming moment when travelers finally let AI handle bookings end to end.

Whether you're an airline executive, a travel tech founder, an investor, or simply trying to understand where the opportunities lie in the next chapter of aviation, these conversations offer a clear signal through the noise: the winners will be the teams who modernize legacy systems, earn traveler trust, and remove friction without losing the human touch.

With so many valuable insights packed into one episode, we've time-stamped every conversation below so you can jump straight to the people and topics you want to hear most. 

Highlights & Timestamps

0m54s – Guido van Til, Vice President, Digital, oneworld 

20m0s – Mickey Beyer-Clausen, Co-Founder & CEO, Timeshifter

37m23s – Tedd Evers, Global Partner Leader, Travel & Hospitality, AWS 

52m15s – Roberto Held, Head of Business Development – Americas, Avion Express 

1hr11m39s – David Hodges, Vice President, Americas, Virgin Atlantic 

1hr27m49s – Emilie Gazeau, CEO & Founder, alltheway 

1hr49m39s – Dr. Yvette Pegues, Co-Founder & CEO, Your Invisible Disability Group (Accessibility Leader) 

2hr11m5s – Ryan Jones, SVP, Global Accessibility Strategy and Advocacy, Vispero

2hr35m38s – Christopher Brown, CEO & Founder, Bonafide 

2hr55m9s – Samar Khan, Founder & Chief Sustainability Officer, TripAI Technologies 

3hr5m56s – Matthew Wade, Co-Founder, Toggle Travel

3hr21m34s – Charles Studt, CMO, delight.ai

3hr42m24s – Chris Russo, Associate Director, Publicis Sapient

4hr1m53s – Judy McMurtry, Founder and CEO, JM Excel Consultant LLC 

4hr14m8s – Chloe Dyett, T7 International Group 

4hr31m56s – Oscar Mejia, Sales Director, North America, JR Technologies 

4hr44m55s – Kaleb Neal, Transportation Systems Analyst, AeroLink Systems & Gregg Langston, CTO, AeroLink Systems 

4hr57m44s – David Pfister, Strategic Alliances Manager, ZS and Judy Pitchford, Worldwide Head of Travel, AWS Travel and Hospitality

The #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds. 

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Tour operators aren't just competing on the experiences they sell, they're competing on the experience they deliver behind the scenes. From the moment a traveler books to the moment they leave a review, every interaction matters.

In this Company Spotlight, Dan sits down with Benjamin Sann, Founder & CEO of TourOptima, and Josh Halpern, Chief Commercial Officer, to explore how technology is helping tour operators simplify operations and deliver a better guest experience. They discuss the everyday challenges operators face, from flight delays and last-minute schedule changes to managing guest communications across emails, text messages, OTAs, and multiple internal systems.

Ben and Josh explain how TourOptima brings these moving parts together into a single platform, helping office teams, guides, drivers, and coordinators stay connected while giving travelers timely, personalized communication. They also share how operators are using data and automation to reduce no-shows, improve customer satisfaction, and make day-to-day operations more efficient.

The conversation also explores the growing role of AI in tour operations from smarter customer support and multilingual communication to sentiment analysis and operational insights. Along the way, Ben and Josh explain why the best technology doesn't replace people, it gives them the tools to deliver exceptional service when it matters most.

Learn more at touroptima.com.

The #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds. 

https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/

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Today's travelers aren't just choosing where to go, they're choosing what they'll experience once they get there. From immersive exhibitions and live music to unique cultural events, in-destination experiences have become one of the biggest drivers of how people choose, remember, and share their travels.

In the first episode of our In-Destination Experiences Series, Dan sits down with Rocío Trujillo, Regional General Manager for Southern Europe at Fever, one of the world's leading platforms for discovering live experiences. Rocío shares how Fever has grown by combining technology, data, and local market expertise to help people discover everything from intimate Candlelight concerts to immersive exhibitions and one-of-a-kind events.

The conversation explores how Fever identifies emerging demand, scales successful experiences around the world while adapting them to local audiences, and uses its Secret Media network to inspire millions of people to discover what's happening in their own cities. Rocío also shares her perspective on the future of experience discovery, including how AI is making recommendations more personalized and how emerging technologies could soon help travelers build complete itineraries in real time.

Whether you work in travel, tourism, or hospitality, this episode offers a fascinating look at why experiences have become one of the industry's most powerful competitive advantages and why they're increasingly the reason people choose a destination in the first place.

Thanks to Pernod Ricard for sponsoring this series!

👉 Listen to How Fever Is Changing the Way We Experience Destinations Now

🔥 Special Thanks to our Season 7 Title Sponsors for their Support: Bokun, Civitatis, Intrepid, Kaptio, Propellic and Protect Group

The #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds. 

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Sixty thousand meetings. More than 500 international buyers. Over $100 million in future tourism business.

Dan recorded live from Rendez-vous Canada 2026 in downtown Toronto to explore what is driving Canada’s visitor economy and why the country continues to stand out as a global destination for nature, culture, and meaningful travel.

In this special episode, Dan speaks with five leaders shaping Canadian tourism today: Meaghan Ferrigno, SVP, Chief Financial Officer & Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Destination Canada; Sébastien Benedict, President and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada; Vincenza Ronaldi, President and CEO of Destination Ontario; Andrew Weir, President and CEO of Destination Toronto; and Marsha Walden, President and CEO of Destination Canada, as she prepares to retire.

Together, they discuss how tourism acts as export revenue, which markets are growing fastest, and why safety, welcome, and authentic community connection are becoming more important than ever.

The conversation also looks at the future of travel marketing, including Destination Canada’s Canadian Tourism Data Collective and Aurora AI, with its Traveler Twin concept helping tourism businesses test messaging, reach the right audiences, and make smarter decisions without needing a massive analytics team.

From Ontario itineraries beyond Toronto to Toronto’s event-driven demand and the runway to FIFA, one message comes through clearly: Canada’s tourism growth will be powered by partnerships, product, and data.

For more information to learn about these organizations, check out destinationcanada.com and destinationontario.com.

To learn more about Rendez-vous Canada, future host destinations and other opportunities to participate in upcoming events, visit rendezvouscanada.ca

The #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds. 

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Payments can make or break a travel sale, yet much of the industry still treats them as behind-the-scenes infrastructure. In Company Spotlight, Dan sits down with Philip Hancock, Chief Commercial Officer at Mint Payments, as the company expands into Canada.

The conversation explores what it means to build a travel-first payment service provider, from collecting customer payments and managing risk to supporting supplier payouts. Philip explains why the payment experience has become a meaningful point of difference, especially when flights, hotels, and packages can look similar across multiple channels.

They also discuss what makes the Canadian market unique, including its mix of Commonwealth roots and U.S.-influenced payment habits. One of the biggest questions is who should act as merchant of record. Philip breaks down how controlling the payment can improve cash flow, simplify the customer journey, and strengthen the agency relationship, while also bringing greater responsibility when disputes arise.

From there, the episode turns to one of the industry's most painful topics: chargebacks, fraud, and the growing ease of one-click disputes. Philip shares how Mint Protect is designed to help agencies respond to claims, manage risk, and reduce potential losses.

The discussion also covers fast-moving payment trends, including pay by bank and buy now pay later, along with the importance of offering flexibility without overwhelming travelers at checkout. Finally, Dan and Philip look ahead to the future of AI in travel payments, proactive risk detection, and how payment data can reveal deeper insights into booking windows, demand shifts, and customer behavior.

Learn more at mintpayments.com.

The #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds. 

https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/