Crystal Vinisse Thomas has spent her career building some of hospitality's most recognizable brands—W Hotels at Starwood, Hyatt's lifestyle and luxury portfolio—and she's spent the last year deliberately stepping back from all of it. And now she joins View From Afar as our guest host: Every month, she'll sit down with hospitality leaders to uncover "the people behind the process."

In this first episode, Afar senior deputy editor Jennifer Flowers turns the questions on her. The two longtime friends trace Crystal's path from Starwood to Apple's Beats by Dre and back to Hyatt, unpack why she walked away for a year-long sabbatical at the height of her career, and share a preview of the questions she'll be asking once the mic turns to her guests instead.

This week's guest and host

In this episode

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction

00:03:00 A Career Built on Brands

00:06:00 Why She Stepped Away

00:17:00 Redefining Luxury as Time

00:20:00 Where AI Falls Short

00:25:00 Friday Fellowship

Links & resources

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Welcome to a special IPW 2026 series of View From Afar. In this episode, recorded live from the conference floor, Visit Phoenix⁠ president and CEO Ron Price⁠ sits down with Afar deputy editor Michelle Baran for one of our most surprising travel industry interviews yet: a look at Phoenix tourism, and why so many first-time visitors leave saying, "I had no idea."

Ron has worked in tourism for 30 years, with a career that spans Marriott, Visit San Antonio, and the Arlington Texas Convention and Visitors Bureau. He joined Visit Phoenix in 2021, and under his leadership the city has hosted the Super Bowl, the Women's Final Four, and, next year, the NBA All-Star Game. In 2024 he launched the Phoenix Sports and Events Commission, giving the country's fifth-largest city a coordinated way to compete for major events.

In this episode, Ron and Michelle discuss:

This is one in a series of travel industry interviews and tourism experts interviews recorded live at IPW 2026, part of View From Afar's ongoing look at travel trends 2026, destination highlights, and the changemakers shaping the future of Phoenix tourism and beyond.

Chapters

00:00:00 Welcome to View From Afar

00:01:30 Playing Tourist at the Biltmore

00:03:00 What Surprises Visitors

00:04:30 Building a Sports and Events Engine

00:07:30 The TSMC Effect

00:10:00 Why Canadians Still Matter

00:13:00 New Markets, New Stories

00:15:30 Reframing the Heat

00:18:30 Speakeasies and Indigenous Nations

Stay Connected

This IPW 2026 special series was recorded live. View From Afar is a production of Afar Media and a part of Airwave Media's podcast network (email ⁠[email protected]⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast). The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with assistance from Michelle Baran and Billie Cohen. Music composition from Epidemic Sound.

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Welcome to a special IPW 2026 series of View From Afar. In this episode, recorded live from the conference floor, Visit Austin⁠ president and ⁠CEO Tom Noonan⁠ sits down with Afar editorial director Billie Cohen for one of our most forward-looking travel industry interviews yet: a conversation about Austin travel at the exact moment the city is tearing itself down and rebuilding on purpose.

Tom has led Visit Austin since 2016, capping nearly four decades in destination marketing. Under his watch the city has posted year-over-year visitor gains, record convention bookings, and the launch of the Visit Austin Foundation.

But he is also steering the most disruptive project of any major U.S. destination right now: the $1.6 billion "unconventional ATX" rebuild of the Austin Convention Center, which came down in April 2025 and will not reopen until 2029. That is 40 months of competing for major events without a convention center, a real-world test of destination management under pressure.

In this episode, Tom and Billie discuss:

This is one in a series of travel industry interviews and tourism experts interviews recorded live at IPW 2026, part of View From Afar's ongoing look at travel trends 2026, the hospitality industry leaders and travel changemakers shaping American cities, and the Austin travel story still being written. For destination marketers and travel industry news watchers, it is a front-row look at destination management on the largest possible scale.

Resources

Chapters

0:00 Welcome to Austin, live from IPW

Stay Connected

This IPW 2026 special series was recorded live. View From Afar is a production of Afar Media and a part of Airwave Media's podcast network (email ⁠[email protected]⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast). The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with assistance from Michelle Baran and Billie Cohen. Music composition from Epidemic Sound.

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Welcome to a special IPW 2026 series of View From Afar. In this episode, recorded live from the conference floor, Colorado Tourism Office⁠ director ⁠Timothy Wolfe⁠ sits down with Afar deputy editor Michelle Baran for one of our most instructive travel industry interviews yet: a look at why the smart way to visit Colorado is also the more sustainable one, from a state that has spent years managing tourism rather than just marketing it.

Tim came to the role in 2021 after a long career in Colorado hospitality, including running Denver's historic Brown Palace, and he was inducted into the Colorado Hotel and Lodging Association Hall of Fame in 2015. He now leads a state coming off a record 95.4 million visitors in 2024, and heading into a milestone 2026 that marks both America's 250th anniversary and Colorado's 150th year of statehood.

In this episode, Tim and Michelle discuss:

This is one in a series of travel industry interviews and tourism experts interviews recorded live at IPW 2026, part of View From Afar's ongoing look at travel trends 2026, sustainable tourism, and the destination management lessons other states are borrowing from Colorado.

The takeaway is simple: visit Colorado, but visit Colorado right, and you get a front-row look at a place widely seen as a stewardship leader, told by one of the hospitality industry leaders shaping what comes next.

Resources

Chapters

0:00 Welcome to Colorado, live from IPW

Stay Connected

This IPW 2026 special series was recorded live. View From Afar is a production of Afar Media and a part of Airwave Media's podcast network (email ⁠[email protected]⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast). The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with assistance from Michelle Baran and Billie Cohen. Music composition from Epidemic Sound.

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Welcome to a special IPW 2026 series of View From Afar. In this episode, recorded live from the conference floor, Louisiana Office of Tourism assistant secretary Doug Bourgeois⁠ sits down with Afar editorial director Billie Cohen for one of our most flavorful travel industry interviews yet: a case for Louisiana travel well beyond New Orleans, from bayou to byway.

A Thibodaux native who has spent 26 years in state tourism, Doug leads a Louisiana that finally returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2025, welcoming 45 million visitors and roughly 19 billion dollars in spending. New Orleans alone drew 19 million, even as Canada, the state's top international market, pulled back sharply.

In this episode, Doug and Billie discuss:

This is one in a series of travel industry interviews and tourism experts interviews recorded live at IPW 2026, part of View From Afar's ongoing look at travel trends 2026, destination management, and the travel storytelling that turns a state into a journey. For every reason to plan Louisiana travel past Bourbon Street and deep into the heart of Cajun country, it is a front-row conversation with one of the hospitality industry leaders shaping the future of travel.

Resources

Chapters

00:00:00 Welcome to View From Afar

00:02:00 The Tabasco Test

00:03:00 Growing Up on the Bayou

00:05:00 A Culinary State

00:07:00 Year of the Outdoors

00:09:00 The Roux Spoon Olive Branch

00:11:00 Where Louisiana Is Going Next

00:12:00 The Mississippi as Destination

00:13:30 Beyond New Orleans

00:15:00 Where Joy Begins

00:18:30 Becoming Part of the Story

Stay Connected

This IPW 2026 special series was recorded live. View From Afar is a production of Afar Media and a part of Airwave Media's podcast network (email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast). The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with assistance from Michelle Baran and Billie Cohen. Music composition from Epidemic Sound.

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Welcome to a special IPW 2026 series of View From Afar. In this episode, recorded live from the conference floor, Discover Puerto Rico⁠ CEO ⁠Jorge Perez⁠ sits down with Afar editorial director Billie Cohen for one of our most fascinating travel industry interviews yet: a look at the Bad Bunny Puerto Rico effect, and how one artist's residency rewrote the island's tourism story.

Jorge's history is intertwined with the star. He ran the convention center for Bad Bunny's first major concert in 2018, then the Coliseo de Puerto Rico where the 2025 residency took place. That run brought roughly 420,000 visitors and more than 200 million dollars in economic impact, and his job now is turning a moment into a movement.

In this conversation, Jorge and Billie discuss:

This is one in a series of travel industry interviews and tourism experts interviews recorded live at IPW 2026, part of View From Afar's ongoing look at travel trends 2026, destination management, and travel consumer insights. For the full story of the Bad Bunny Puerto Rico moment and why the island's momentum did not fade when the music stopped, it is a front-row conversation with one of the hospitality industry leaders shaping the future of travel.

Chapters

0:00 Welcome to Puerto Rico, live from IPW

Resources

Stay Connected

This IPW 2026 special series was recorded live. View From Afar is a production of Afar Media and a part of Airwave Media's podcast network (email ⁠[email protected]⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast). The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with assistance from Michelle Baran and Billie Cohen. Music composition from Epidemic Sound.

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Welcome to a special IPW 2026 series of View From Afar. In this episode, recorded live from the conference floor, Visit Detroit⁠⁠ president and CEO ⁠⁠Claude Molinari⁠⁠ sits down with Afar editorial director Billie Cohen for one of our most energizing travel industry interviews yet: a look at how Detroit tourism finally caught up to the reality of a city that has quietly transformed.

Claude has led Visit Detroit since 2021, after a decade running Huntington Place, the city's convention center. He is the person who brought the NFL Draft to town in 2024, and he makes the case that Detroit is not staging a comeback so much as becoming something entirely new.

In this episode, Claude and Billie discuss:

This is one in a series of travel industry interviews and tourism experts interviews recorded live at IPW 2026, part of View From Afar's ongoing look at travel trends 2026, travel marketing strategies, and the destination management behind a city on the rise. For a fresh read on Detroit tourism ahead of the Final Four and IPW 2028, it is a front-row conversation with one of the hospitality industry leaders shaping the future of travel.

Chapters

0:00 Welcome to Detroit, live from IPW

Resources:

Stay Connected

This IPW 2026 special series was recorded live. View From Afar is a production of Afar Media and a part of Airwave Media's podcast network (email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast). The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with assistance from Michelle Baran and Billie Cohen. Music composition from Epidemic Sound.

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Welcome to a special IPW 2026 series of View From Afar. In this episode, recorded live from the conference floor, Discover South Carolina director Duane Parrish sits down with Afar deputy editor Michelle Baran for one of our most revealing travel industry interviews yet: a case for why you should visit South Carolina well beyond its famous beaches.

Duane has led Discover South Carolina for 15 years, and tourism is now one of the state's largest industries. In 2024 it contributed more than 30 billion dollars to the economy and generated 3.2 billion in state and local tax revenue, money that helps hold down residents' property and income taxes.

In this episode, Duane and Michelle discuss:

This is one in a series of travel industry interviews and tourism experts interviews recorded live at IPW 2026, part of View From Afar's ongoing look at travel trends 2026, destination management, and the travel industry insights that help a state grow tourism responsibly. For every reason to visit South Carolina beyond the coast, and a look at why so many already visit South Carolina each year, it is a front-row conversation with one of the hospitality industry leaders shaping the future of travel.

Plus: the four styles of South Carolina barbecue sauce (vinegar, mustard, light tomato, heavy tomato), the 225-restaurant barbecue trail that's color-coded by sauce, and Duane's own loyalty to heavy tomato.

Chapters

00:00:00 Welcome to View From Afar

00:01:30 A Record Year, With Exceptions

00:03:00 Doubling Down on Drive Markets

00:04:30 Find the Undiscovered You

00:06:30 Greenville's Reinvention

00:07:30 Beyond Charleston

00:08:30 How Destination Marketing Has Changed

00:10:30 The Promise and Limits of AI

00:12:30 Telling a Fuller Story

00:16:30 The Barbecue Trail

00:19:00 A South Carolina Itinerary

Resources:

Stay Connected

This IPW 2026 special series was recorded live. View From Afar is a production of Afar Media and a part of Airwave Media's podcast network (email ⁠[email protected]⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast). The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with assistance from Michelle Baran and Billie Cohen. Music composition from Epidemic Sound.

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Welcome to a special IPW 2026 series of View From Afar. In this episode, recorded live from the conference floor, Visit Seattle president and CEO Tammy Canavan sits down with Afar deputy editor Michelle Baran for one of our most timely travel industry interviews yet: a look at the Seattle tourism surge heading into a World Cup summer, and why first-time visitors keep leaving surprised.

Tammy came to Visit Seattle after destination roles in Monterey, Tacoma, and Vancouver, and she has spent the last four years steering a city in the middle of a growth moment. In that time the convention center opened its new Summit building, Sea-Tac expanded its international network, and the downtown waterfront was completely rebuilt.

In this episode, Tammy and Michelle discuss:

Why Seattle tourism is booming, from a record cruise season of two million passengers as the American gateway to Alaska, to a walkable downtown built around transit and nature

What World Cup visitors will find this summer, including a walk-to-the-stadium downtown, a car-free Unity Loop through the neighborhoods, and fan zones spread across the city instead of one

The myth of the rainy city, and why the reality is closer to an Evian mist than a downpour

How regenerative and sustainable tourism became central to the Seattle brand rather than an add-on

Why the city's collaborative, long-term civic culture keeps a mid-size destination punching above its weight

Tammy's message from the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board on inbound travel, the chilling effect of a proposed visa integrity fee, and why restoring Brand USA funding matters for markets like India

This is one in a series of travel industry interviews and tourism experts interviews recorded live at IPW 2026, part of View From Afar's ongoing look at travel trends 2026, sustainable tourism, and the travel industry challenges facing inbound U.S. travel. For a clear read on Seattle tourism at a pivotal moment, it is a front-row conversation with one of the hospitality industry leaders shaping the future of travel.

Resources

Chapters

00:00:00 Welcome to View From Afar

00:01:30 Why Seattle, Why Now

00:04:00 The World Cup Surprise

00:06:30 What Travelers Need to Hear

00:08:00 A Waterfront, Reconnected

00:09:30 Beyond Pike Place

00:11:30 The Perception Problem

00:14:30 A Civic Renewal

00:17:30 Seattle's Quiet Joy

Stay Connected

This IPW 2026 special series was recorded live. View From Afar is a production of Afar Media and a part of Airwave Media's podcast network (email ⁠[email protected]⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast). The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with assistance from Michelle Baran and Billie Cohen. Music composition from Epidemic Sound.

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Welcome to a special IPW 2026 series of View From Afar. In this episode, recorded live from the conference floor, Brightline Holdings CEO Nicolas Petrovic sits down with Afar editorial director Billie Cohen for one of our most future-facing travel industry interviews yet: a real look at whether American train travel can actually work.

Nicolas stepped into the role in February, bringing decades of international rail experience from Eurostar, Siemens, and projects in the UAE. He now leads Brightline, the privately operated passenger rail service connecting Miami to Orlando, with ambitions to bring modern high-speed rail to more of the country.

In this conversation, Nicolas and Billie discuss:

This is one in a series of travel industry interviews and tourism experts interviews recorded live at IPW 2026, part of View From Afar's ongoing look at travel trends 2026, travel innovation, and the destination management questions that come with a new way to move. For an honest read on the future of American train travel, it is a front-row conversation with one of the hospitality industry leaders shaping the future of travel.

Resources

Chapters

00:00:00 Welcome to View From Afar

00:01:50 The Brightline Scent

00:03:00 Convincing People to Leave Their Cars

00:04:30 Lessons From Eurostar

00:07:30 The Right Train Experience

00:11:00 How Florida Travels by Rail

00:12:30 Talking About the Debt

00:14:00 The Vision for Brightline West

Stay Connected

This IPW 2026 special series was recorded live. View From Afar is a production of Afar Media and a part of Airwave Media's podcast network (email ⁠[email protected]⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast). The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with assistance from Michelle Baran and Billie Cohen. Music composition from Epidemic Sound.

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