Travel Trends with Dan Christian

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• Why Tour Operators Matter More In 2026 03.06.2026 1t 4min

  Send us Fan Mail 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 integrity and why trust has become a deciding factor for travelers who ca...
• Connecting People to Iconic Places: The Pursuit Approach to Experience-Led Travel 29.05.2026 1t 47min

  Send us Fan Mail 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 portfolio of attractions, lodging, and transportation designed to connect guests to some o...
• The Rise of Sports Travel 27.05.2026 1t 24min

  Send us Fan Mail A jersey can do what a guidebook cannot: it gets you welcomed. That single idea opens the door to a much bigger trend, the rise of sports tourism as one of the most powerful forces in experiential travel today. With the FIFA World Cup 2026 set to take place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and cities like Toronto preparing to take center stage, the momentum behind sports-led travel is only accelerating. In this episode, Dan is joined by co-host Aizaz Sheikh, Seni...
• The Evolution of Timeshare: Today’s Timeshare Owner 26.05.2026 1t 52min

  Send us Fan Mail The “timeshare” stereotype is officially outdated. Recorded live from the Bellagio at ARDA’s Spring Conference in Las Vegas, Dan sits down with the leaders redefining vacation ownership into something far more flexible, digital, and experience-led than most travelers realize. This conversation explores how the category is evolving, what’s driving growth, and what today’s owners expect from modern travel experiences. This is the first episode in our 3-part series exploring the...
• The Hidden Problem Costing Travel Companies Millions with Repayd 22.05.2026 1t 6min

  Send us Fan Mail Payments are where travel brands quietly win or lose trust, often only becoming visible after something goes wrong: a declined card, a messy refund, a spike in chargebacks, or a drop in checkout conversion that’s hard to explain. In this episode, we dig into one of the most overlooked parts of the travel business, even though it directly impacts revenue, cash flow, and the ability to scale globally. Dan sits down with Will Plummer, CEO of Repayd, to unpack why travel payments...
• The Rise of Agentic AI Part 3 20.05.2026 1t 7min

  Send us Fan Mail Agentic AI is quickly becoming the difference between a travel experience that feels generic and one that adapts to you in real time. In the final episode of our Agentic AI Series, Dan sits down with three builders deep in the work: Jeff Kischuk, CEO of Tripian, Jessie Fischer, Founder and CEO of GuestOS, and Marius Nigond, CEO of iWander. Together, they break down what “agentic” really means for travel in 2026, AI that can make decisions, not just generate content, and the i...
• The Rise of Rail Part 3: Travel, Tech, and Why Trains Are Back with Frank Marini 19.05.2026 1t 12min

  Send us Fan Mail Rail is having a real moment, and not for the reasons most people think. The tracks haven’t changed, but how travelers see them has. In 2026, rail is no longer the alternative to flying or driving. It’s becoming the experience itself. To close out our Rise of Rail Series with Railbookers and Rail Month itself, Dan sits down with Railbookers CEO Frank Marini to unpack what’s really driving the rail renaissance and why more travelers are choosing the journey itself, not just th...
• Sell More Experiences: Why the Best Operators Are Getting Connected with Bokun 14.05.2026 56min

  Send us Fan Mail If you’re still managing tours through email threads, spreadsheets, or a “Contact Us to book” form, you’re not just adding admin, you’re likely leaving revenue on the table. In this Company Spotlight, Dan sits down with Sam Jeffries, Senior Growth Marketing Manager at Bokun, to break down what it really takes to sell more tours and activities in 2026: instant booking, smarter distribution, and the connectivity needed to show up wherever travelers are searching and buying. We ...
• The Rise of Agentic AI Part 2 13.05.2026 1t 17min

  Send us Fan Mail Filters, dropdowns, and endless tabs are starting to feel like the old internet, and travel is right at the center of that shift. In the second episode of our Agentic AI Series, Dan speaks with Ben Manzi, Co-founder and COO of Maya, Michelle Denogean, CMO of Mindtrip, and Brianna MacNeil, Director of AI Products and Personalization, TravelAI, to unpack what “agentic AI” really means for both travel companies and travelers, especially now that AI agents can do far more than ch...
• The Rise of Rail Part 2 - Luxury Rail Travel: The New Golden Age 12.05.2026 53min

  Send us Fan Mail Rail is having a moment and not just as a way to travel, but as a way to experience the world differently. As part of Rail Month, we are diving deeper into the category in this second episode of our The Rise of Rail Series with Railbookers, this time focusing on the return of luxury rail. Luxury rail travel is back, and it is no longer just about getting from point A to point B. Dan sits down with Railbookers leaders Gareth Jones, Director of Product Development, and Tyler Wa...
• Event Spotlight: Arival 360 Valencia 2026 08.05.2026 3t 42min

  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, Evaneos, Evan Evans and more. And in this recording these execs share the strategies driving g...
• The Rise of Agentic AI in 2026 06.05.2026 1t 15min

  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 systems of agents that can take real action across your workflows, data, and operations. We also get...
• The Rise of Rail Part 1: The Most Iconic and Scenic Journeys with Railbookers 05.05.2026 1t 2min

  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 Partnerships) and Matt Foy (Senior Director, Rail and Transportation) to unpack why train travel is...
• All-Access on the Slopes: The Future of Luxury Ski Travel with Picabo Street 29.04.2026 1t 3min

  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 an Olympic gold medalist, a defining voice in US ski racing, and someone who has lived the sport f...
• Beyond Airport Transfers: How Daytrip Is Rethinking Travel Between Cities 23.04.2026 1t 10min

  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 Mamrillova, Chief Commercial Officer, Daytrip, to explore how private ground transportation is resha...
• The Evolution of Sun Destinations with TUI with Phillip Iveson 22.04.2026 1t 5min

  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’ve ever wondered why certain beach destinations surge in popularity while others struggle to gain ...
• The New American Road Trip: Blacksford’s Luxury RV Adventures in the National Parks 16.04.2026 1t 15min

  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 sporting events, and record-breaking visits to national parks. They break down what “luxury RV renta...
• How Club Med Created All-Inclusive Holidays and Continues to Lead the Way with Carolyne Doyon 15.04.2026 54min

  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 shaped the modern resort industry. What began as a simple, communal approach to vacationing evolve...
• When Bad Sh*t Happens to Good People on Holiday: Legal Lessons for the Travel Industry 14.04.2026 1t 8min

  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 ATTA, sits down with two leading voices in travel law, Jeff Ment of The Ment Law Group and Chun Wri...
• Trust Your Compass: Leadership, Marketing, and AI in Adventure Tourism with Liquid Spark 09.04.2026 1t 28min

  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 needed both flexibility and purpose. From there, we get practical. Julie breaks down what she sees w...