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.
Episodes
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 ind...
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...
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 i...
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 q...
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 te...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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 suppli...
Points and miles may dominate the loyalty conversation, but they’re far from the only way to build lasting customer relationships. In the final episode of our Loyalty Series, Dan sits down with Nicolas Friend, Head of Brand, Marketing and Customer Experience at Unlimited Vacation Club, to explore a different model, one built around membership, belonging, and exclusive access across Hyatt’s Inclusive Coll...
Travel advisors are experiencing a resurgence, but the story goes far beyond increased bookings. As travel becomes more complex and consumers seek expert guidance, advisors are proving their value as trusted partners who can navigate disruptions, personalize experiences, and provide support when it matters most.
In this Company Spotlight, Dan sits down with Shayna Zand, Managing Director of Host Agency Reviews, for a...
Your tour business probably doesn’t have a technology problem. It has a complexity problem.
Over time, many multi-day operators add tool after tool until marketing, CRM, itineraries, payments, supplier payouts, and traveler communications all live in different places. The result is more than frustration. It creates duplicate work, missed traveler details, messy handoffs, lower conversion, and less time spent on...
Loyalty has become one of the most powerful forces in travel and one of the most misunderstood. For travelers, it's about perks, upgrades, and lounge access. For airlines, it's a multi-billion-dollar business that influences everything from customer retention to revenue growth. But what happens when loyalty extends beyond a single airline and into a global alliance?
In this episode, Dan sits down with Gilbert Ott, Di...
Recorded live at Intrepid Travel’s Toronto headquarters during Toronto Tech Week, this special Travel Trends episode moves beyond AI hype to explore what agentic AI in travel actually looks like when it meets the complexity of the real world.
Co-hosted by Dan Christian, Host of the Travel Trends Podcast, and Christian Wolters, President Canada and GM, North America Marketing at Intrepid Travel, the discussion b...
The travel industry loves to talk about innovation, but Felix Shpilman brings a sharper lens: what has actually changed in travel distribution over the past decade, and what challenges still remain unsolved.
Felix is the President and CEO of Emerging Travel Group and the driving force behind RateHawk. Joining Dan from Dubai, he shares an inside look at what it takes to build and scale one of the world's leading B2B t...
Price used to win bookings. In 2026, elite status is quietly winning loyalty and it may be the most underleveraged ancillary revenue opportunity in travel.
In the first episode of our Loyalty Series, Dan is joined by Loyalty Status Co. CEO Mark Ross-Smith and CTO Stuart Melim to unpack why “status currency” is emotional, identity-driven, and far more powerful than traditional points and miles strategies. ...
Recorded live from the Bellagio at ARDA’s Spring Conference in Las Vegas, Dan sits down with the leaders reshaping vacation ownership into something far more flexible, experience-led, and dynamic than most travelers realize. This conversation explores why the industry is having a real moment and how shifting traveler priorities around access, identity, and unforgettable experiences are redefining what ownershi...
Travel feels more unpredictable than it did a few years ago, and that’s exactly why guided travel is winning again. In this Captains of Industry episode, Dan sits down with Terry Dale, President and CEO of the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), to unpack what’s really driving the surge in tour operators, packaged tours, and high-touch planning in 2026. Terry explains how USTOA is built on ...
Travel is being rewritten in real time, and it’s not being led by hotels or airlines. It’s being led by experiences that create real connection to place.
Dan sits down with David Barry, President and CEO of Pursuit, to unpack how a true “category of one” company gets built. With a 40-year career across hospitality, aviation, and travel, David shares how Pursuit has evolved into a global portfo...
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