Travel Trends with Dan Christian

Send us a textIn this second episode - part of a 3-part mini-series with Mindtrip exploring how AI is transforming destination marketing - we sit down with Lynn Carpenter, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Visit California, to unpack how a how a $157.3B tourism economy is being reimagined through AI, data, and human storytelling. Lynn shares why engagement now matters more than traffic, taking us from the dot-com era to today’s AI surge and revealing how her team built an advanced content platform designed for both humans and machines. Think California industry led RAG architecture, a massive digital content library, and editorial processes that add what the web can’t know yet: local nuance, future packages, and timely insights.The results are eye-opening. Visit California’s new road trip hub offered three planning paths - quiz, human-curated, and AI-assisted - and the AI option has now surpassed curated links in click-throughs. Visitors entering via AI spend an average of nine minutes on site, a strong signal of intent for a property designed to hand off to California travel partners for booking. Lynn breaks down how international offices inform market strategy, how multilingual search became a hidden growth lever, and how her team draws a direct line from owned content to more than a billion dollars in incremental tourism impact. For more information, please visit industry.visitcalifornia.com.Join us next week for the final episode in this mini-series, featuring Discover Puerto Rico CMO Storm Tussey and Mindtrip CMO Michelle Denogean, as we explore what’s next for destination marketing in the age of AI.The #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds. https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/

Send us a textPurposeful travel is having a moment—and we’re getting to the heart of what’s driving it. From a windswept opening in Patagonia to an inside look at EF’s new active brand, this "Captains of Industry," conversation with Heidi Durflinger, CEO of EF World Journeys USA, explores how learning, community, and movement are reshaping multi-day travel for every generation.We unpack EF’s expansive global footprint - spanning educational travel, cultural exchange, language schools, and higher-ed pathways - and how EF World Journeys bridges three distinct audiences: Gen Z through EF Ultimate Break, all-ages travelers with EF Go Ahead Tours, and active explorers via EF Adventures. Expect data-backed insights. We explore the rise of AI in trip discovery, the solo-travel boom, and why responsible tourism has shifted from nice-to-have to must-have - 89% of travelers now prioritize sustainability, and over half are willing to pay more for it.If you care about where travel is heading - community-driven, responsibly designed, and joyfully active - you’ll come away with practical ideas and a renewed sense of why we go. For more information on EF World Journeys, please visit efworldjourneys.com.👉 Listen to Leading the Future of Educational Travel & More Now🔥 Special Thanks to our Season 6 Title Sponsors for their Support: Holafly, Propellic, PayCompass, Kaptio, Civitatis and WeRoadThe #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds. https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/

Send us a textWe're so fascinated on how Destination Marketing is being transformed by AI that we partnered with Mindtrip to bring together this 3-part mini series.  We have an incredible line-up of speakers joining us in advance of our AI Summit to exploring how AI is transforming the way travelers dream, plan, and book their journeys.In our first episode, we sit down with Janette Roush, SVP of Innovation & Chief AI Officer at Brand USA, to talk about how destination marketing is evolving as trip planning moves from search boxes to chat interfaces and AI-generated itineraries.Janette shares how Brand USA is reimagining engagement - from building smarter, more conversational tools that inspire travel to creating frameworks that help DMOs and industry partners use AI responsibly and effectively. We discuss what it means to shift focus from clicks to intent, how automation can free teams to focus on creativity, and why data quality matters more than ever.Janette is one of the sharpest minds in this space and is the perfect guest to kick off this series with.  We will have 2 more episodes ready to released each Thursday which will feature Lynn Carpenter, the SVP of Global Marketing for Visit California and Discover Puerto Rico CMO Storm Tussey. We will also be joined by Mindtrip's CMO Michelle Denogean in our final episode to talk about where this technology is heading.   We hope you really enjoy this series. Don't forget to register to join our AI Summit to listen to these leaders directly.The #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds. https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/

Send us a textA misbooked flight, a lost day in Beijing, and a spark that reshaped how millions discover what to do when they land. In this Captains of Industry episode, we sit down with Tao Tao, Co-Founder and COO of GetYourGuide, to unpack what it really takes to build a global marketplace for experiences—from cold-calling suppliers before the website even existed to mastering SEO when organic growth still compounded, and designing a company around work, not titles or ego.Tao explains why execution - not a single “big idea” - wins in travel. We explore how GetYourGuide scaled city by city, managed operator tensions with radical clarity, and made UX choices - like 24-hour cancellation - that boost conversion without breaking trust. He shares lessons on timing, luck, and how culture - anchored in curiosity, high standards, and follow-through - turns principles into performance.Looking ahead, Asia is roaring back, with Japan leading both demand and creative supply. Learning-led experiences - from cooking classes to knife-making workshops are surging as travelers seek skill and story over stuff. As GetYourGuide expands into multi-day trips, shows, and events, Tao envisions owning more of the traveler’s journey from “What should we do tonight?” to “How do we make this trip unforgettable?” He even welcomes Airbnb’s return to experiences, noting that a rising tide of awareness lifts every boat.If you care about the future of travel, marketplaces, or simply making great things easier to find, this conversation delivers sharp insights and practical takeaways. For more information on GetYourGuide, please visit getyourguide.com.👉 Listen to Inside GetYourGuide's Journey Now🔥 Special Thanks to our Season 6 Title Sponsors for their Support: Holafly, Propellic, PayCompass, Kaptio, Civitatis and WeRoadThe #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds. https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/

Send us a textTickets are booked, slides are brewing, and Seville is calling. The Tourism Innovation Summit is a three-day, five-stage gathering where tech, innovation, and sustainability meet the real reasons we travel: culture, connection, and stories that last.In this event preview episode, we sit down with Congress Director Brigitte Hidalgo to unpack how TIS scaled to 8,000+ attendees and 400 speakers while staying sharp and useful. Expect candid sessions on AI that go beyond buzzwords, insights on “travel tribes” from group adventures to city-scale experiences, and case studies on influencer campaigns, cultural stewardship, and designing authentic moments that resonate.If you’re weighing where to spend conference time, here’s the upside: affordable passes, a walkable city, engineered networking, and a lineup that spans Microsoft and Amadeus to bold AI startups. Can’t make it? Sessions are recorded and translated for replay back home.Bottom line: the future belongs to organizations that blend smart tech with human-centered travel. Join us in Seville, Oct 22–24 → tisglobalsummit.com.The #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds. https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/

Shaon Talukder, founder and CEO of GeoTourist and a key innovator in immersive travel experiences, shares his journey from pharmacy to travel tech. He unveils how GeoTourist transforms storytelling in tourism through community-driven tours and cutting-edge AR holograms. The discussion also touches on the importance of human voices in storytelling, the future of AI in travel with real-time translation and personalized recommendations, and the exciting trends shaping the travel industry. It's a must-listen for those intrigued by the evolution of travel experiences!

Laurel Greatrix, VP of Marketing at Viator and a travel industry veteran, shares insights into transforming travel experiences. She discusses the impact of Viator's acquisition by TripAdvisor, which sparked a remarkable 200% growth post-pandemic. Laurel highlights the enduring popularity of offline bookings and trends like food tours and outdoor adventures. She explores AI's role in enhancing the traveler journey and emphasizes India's potential as a booming market. Expect a fascinating glimpse into how technology is revolutionizing travel!

Send us a textStep into the wonderfully weird world of Meow Wolf as founder Vince Kadlubek takes us behind the refrigerator door to reveal the journey from a dumpster-diving art collective to a multimillion-dollar immersive empire.In this episode, Vince shares how a scrappy group of twenty-something artists in Santa Fe - working restaurant jobs and transforming recycled materials into fantastical realms - grew into one of the most talked-about immersive experiences in the world. A chance connection with Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin secured their first permanent home in an abandoned bowling alley, setting the stage for Meow Wolf’s meteoric rise.We explore how Meow Wolf taps into what modern travelers crave: physical spaces as surprising and addictive as the digital worlds we scroll through. From Omega Mart’s surreal grocery aisles in Las Vegas to exhibitions that captivate kids and grandparents alike, Vince explains how they create discovery, agency, and adventure for every visitor.For anyone fascinated by the business of creativity, Vince also shares hard-won wisdom on prioritizing vision over logistics - a mindset that’s helped Meow Wolf evolve from a DIY art collective into an entertainment powerhouse with global ambitions.Ready to find out why millions are stepping through refrigerators and into parallel worlds? This episode offers an inside look at the future of immersive experiences - and what they reveal about our deepest desire for wonder. For more information on Meow Wolf, please visit meowwolf.com.👉 Listen to The Future of Immersive Art & Experience Now🔥 Special Thanks to our Season 6 Title Sponsors for their Support: Holafly, Propellic, PayCompass, Kaptio, Civitatis and WeRoadThe #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds. https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/

Send us a textIntroducing the First Captain of Season 6!We’re thrilled to kick off Season 6 of Travel Trends and our Captain of Industry series with Chris Hemmeter, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Thayer Ventures, for a powerhouse conversation on the future of travel and tech investment.Chris opens the black box of venture capital, revealing what investors really look for in founders, how to stand out when raising funds, and why 2026 is set to be a defining year for travel entrepreneurs. With a proven track record as both a founder and an investor in industry-shaping companies like Sonder, Muse, and Canary Technologies, he brings hard-won insights every innovator needs to know.This fascinating conversation also explores the game-changing role of AI —how it’s exposing critical technical gaps at major suppliers, reinventing consumer search through conversational recommendations, and unlocking vast opportunities for startups and established companies.Chris shares his insights on key investment areas: hospitality tech, connected commerce, influencer-driven social commerce, and frictionless payments. His optimistic outlook for 2026 highlights the opportunities available for those willing to embrace risk and innovation. This discussion sets an excellent tone for our Captains of Industry series. We appreciate Chris joining us and hope you find it informative. For more information, please visit ThayerVentures.com.👉 Listen to Investing in Travel in 2026 Now🔥 Special Thanks to our Season 6 Title Sponsors for their Support: Holafly, Propellic, PayCompass, Kaptio, Civitatis and WeRoadThe #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds. https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/

Send us a textDiscover Colombia like never before - a country where music, nature, and community transformation redefine travel. In this Destination Spotlight episode, Dan explores this vibrant destination with Impulse Travel and their inspiring local guides.Our journey begins with Juliana Medina (CEO) and Rodrigo Atuesta (Co-Founder), the visionaries behind Impulse Travel, who are redefining tourism as a force for good. They’ll show you a Colombia that shatters outdated stereotypes – a country brimming with warmth, creativity, and breathtaking diversity, now one of the world’s most exciting travel destinations. Stroll Bogota’s colorful markets with Raul, uncover Medellin’s remarkable urban renewal with Carolina, and feel the soul of Cartagena through Oralis’ passion for Afro-Colombian culture and coastal beauty.World-class food, culture, and experiences - all at incredible value. Ready to see Colombia in a whole new light? Connect with Impulse Travel and mention this episode for a complimentary day tour.The #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds. https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/