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
244 episodes
Selling Peace of Mind: How Holafly Turned eSIMs into a Global Travel Essential
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...
How the Best Experience Operators Are Winning More Bookings with TripWorks
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 ha...
Event Spotlight: Aviation Festival Americas 2026 - Live from Miami
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 conve...
Why Tour Operators Need More Than Booking Software with TourOptima
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 ...
How Fever Is Changing the Way We Experience Destinations
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 dri...
Event Spotlight: Rendez-vous Canada 2026
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 w...
.jpg)
Why Canada's Travel Industry Is Ready for a Payments Shake-Up with Mint Payments
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 ...
Building Loyalty Through Membership with Unlimited Vacation Club
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, Marketi...
Why Travel Advisors Matter More Than Ever with Host Agency Reviews
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 disruption...
The Hidden Cost of Your Travel Tech Stack with WeTravel
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...
One Loyalty Journey, Sixteen Airlines with oneworld Alliance
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 cus...
Live Event Recording: The Rise of Agentic AI
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 w...
The Evolution of Travel Distribution: 10 Years of Change with RateHawk
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 ...
State of Loyalty in Travel with Loyalty Status Co
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 S...
The Evolution of Timeshare: Exclusive Experiences
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 convers...
Why Tour Operators Matter More In 2026
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 T...
Connecting People to Iconic Places: The Pursuit Approach to Experience-Led Travel
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...
The Rise of Sports Travel
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 ...
The Evolution of Timeshare: Today’s Timeshare Owner
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, an...
The Hidden Problem Costing Travel Companies Millions with Repayd
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 episod...
The Rise of Agentic AI Part 3
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:
The Rise of Rail Part 3: Travel, Tech, and Why Trains Are Back with Frank Marini
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 ...
Sell More Experiences: Why the Best Operators Are Getting Connected with Bokun
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, Sen...
The Rise of Agentic AI Part 2
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 <...
The Rise of Rail Part 2 - Luxury Rail Travel: The New Golden Age
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 ...