Travel Trends with Dan Christian

Send us Fan Mail Recorded live from Valencia, Spain, this episode brings together insights from 14 industry leaders across technology, distribution and marketing, capturing what’s actually working in travel in 2026 at Arival 360 . Multi-day tours take center stage with Dan moderating sessions with leaders from TourRadar, G Adventures, WeRoad, Contiki, The Travel Corporation, Exoticca, kimkim, Evan...

Send us Fan Mail AI that writes is no longer the headline. AI that acts is. In the first episode of our Agentic AI Series , we sit down with Gilad Berenstein of Brook Bay Capital, Tahnee Perry , AI Expert Consultant, and Christian Watts of Magpie to break down agentic AI in plain terms. We unpack how it differs from generative AI, and why this next phase is less about single tools and more about s...

Send us Fan Mail May marks Rail Month , a celebration of train travel and the growing demand for more relaxed, immersive ways to explore the world. With 31 days of festivities, including Rail Week (May 11–17) , there’s no better time to spotlight why rail is having a global resurgence. In this first episode of our 3-part Rail series , we sit down with Railbookers leaders Jim Marini (SVP, Strategic...

Send us Fan Mail This Captains of Industry episode explores what really goes into elite alpine skiing, beyond what you see on TV. You can watch the sport for years and still miss what actually decides a race: the travel grind, the equipment rituals, the recovery work, and the mental tunnel vision it takes to deliver one perfect run. That’s why getting time with Picabo Street feels so rare. She’s a...

Send us Fan Mail The most stressful part of a trip often isn’t the flight or the hotel, it’s everything in between. After a long journey, you arrive tired, navigating a new place, juggling luggage, and trying to figure out how to get from point A to point B. That “simple transfer” can quickly become overwhelming and often sets the tone for the entire trip. That’s why we sat down with Alexandra Mam...

Send us Fan Mail A sun holiday may look simple on the surface, but the best ones are carefully engineered. In this episode, we’re joined by Phillip Iveson , Director of Accommodation Product and Sourcing at TUI Group , to unpack how one of the world’s most vertically integrated travel companies designs package holidays that seamlessly connect flights, resorts, experiences, and distribution. If you...

Send us Fan Mail 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 spo...

Send us Fan Mail 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...

Send us Fan Mail 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 AT...

Send us Fan Mail 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 ne...

Send us Fan Mail 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 destin...

Send us Fan Mail 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,...

Send us Fan Mail 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...

Send us Fan Mail 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 Trave...

Send us Fan Mail 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 sca...

Send us Fan Mail 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 elev...

Send us Fan Mail 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 C...

Send us Fan Mail 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 expecta...

Send us Fan Mail 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 spe...

Send us Fan Mail 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 Da...

Send us Fan Mail 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 &...

Send us Fan Mail 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 r...

Send us Fan Mail 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...

Send us Fan Mail 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 countri...

Send us Fan Mail 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,...