On October 28 and 29, our Travel Trends Summit V3: Beyond AI streams to our global travel community, and I wanted to take a moment to share why this year matters so much to me, how to make the most of it, and to thank the people who made it possible.
THREE
SUMMITS IN
When we launched the first AI Summit built exclusively for the travel industry in 2024, the question in every boardroom was how AI was going to impact travel. Last year, more than 2,000 founders, executives and innovators joined us to explore how it was starting to transform our businesses.
This year, the transformation is here. Companies like TourRadar and Railbookers have rebuilt themselves as AI-first businesses. A new generation of AI-native companies like Mindtrip and TravelAI are building from the ground up. And every one of us is figuring out where AI fits in our tech stacks, our distribution plans and our teams.
That’s why we’re going Beyond AI.
HOW WE’VE BUILT
THE TWO DAYS
Day 1, Wednesday, October 28: Beyond the Hype, The New Travel Stack
Day 1 is about how far we’ve come in just two years. The morning focuses on technology and the agentic era, opening with TourRadar CEO Travis Pittman, followed by our 2026 Data Briefing with Phocuswright and a candid look at what’s actually working in production. The afternoon turns to distribution and how travel gets sold now, including Railbookers CEO Frank Marini sharing his playbook and a deep dive into the advisor channel.
Day 2, Thursday, October 29: Beyond the Tools, The Human Advantage
Day 2 asks the question everyone is thinking about: where are humans still essential in the age of AI? The morning focuses on marketing, from the post-search marketer to community and brand as the ultimate moat. The afternoon focuses on leadership, with investors, operators and culture builders sharing what it takes to scale in this era. We close with a keynote from Virtuoso Chairman and CEO Matthew Upchurch.
Across both days you’ll find keynotes, panels, fireside chats, 12 live demos and three hot start-ups making their case. I’ve asked every speaker to bring their point of view, challenge our industry in a positive way, and not play it safe. Expect real debate.
Plan Your Sessions
Because our Summit V3 is fully virtual and streamed globally, you can shape it around your week. Here’s what I’d suggest:
Register now. Everyone needs their own registration to receive the live links and access recordings.
Block your calendar. Sessions run 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET both days. Add both days now and protect the sessions that matter most to your role.
Pick your chapter. Technology and distribution leaders will get the most from Day 1. Marketing and leadership teams should prioritize Day 2. Ideally, catch both.
Host a watch party. Book a meeting room, put a keynote or demo block on the big screen, and spend 20 minutes afterward on what it means for your business. Let us know and we’ll give your team a shout-out live.
Use playback. Every session is available on playback right after it airs, so if you’re in another time zone or double-booked, you won’t miss a thing.
PROMOTE & WIN 🟎
Thanks to our title sponsor TourRadar and our full sponsor roster, the full two-day pass, normally $149, is free for everyone this year. That means the more people who join, the bigger the impact, and I’m asking for your help to spread the word this final week.
Share your attendee badge on LinkedIn or Instagram, tag @TravelTrendsPodcast and use #TravelTrendsSummit
Post your favourite session and tell your network why you’re tuning in
Forward the agenda to your team, colleagues and friends
And yes, there are prizes.
Our friends at Heys Luggage, Flight Centre, Railbookers, Intrepid, Lonely Planet, Bókun and Travelzoo have contributed luggage sets and travel vouchers for our most active attendees, with winners drawn live at the close of each day.
Our speakers are also in a friendly contest for the most-attended sessions, so show up for the voices you want to hear and bring a colleague along to support them.
JOIN US IN TORONTO OCT 29TH
VIP EVENT
If you’re in Toronto, join us Thursday night, October 29, to celebrate in person at our Summit after-party, sponsored by Stay22, Tourism Ireland and Tripian. It’s Halloween week, so we’re going with a costume theme.
THANK
YOU ၊၊||၊
None of this happens without an incredible group of people.
To our speakers: thank you for your time, your preparation and your willingness to share what you’ve learned, including what hasn’t worked. You are the reason people show up.
To our partners: a huge thank you to our title sponsor TourRadar, our Gold Sponsors Aderra, Belvera Partners, Bókun, Fora, Kaptio, Propellic, Railbookers, TProfile, TravelAI and WeTravel, and all of our Silver sponsors, demo partners and media partners. Your support is what made it possible to open the doors to everyone for free.
To our team: Kat, Mell, Melissa, Huan and Zach, thank you for the countless hours behind every badge, email, graphic, agenda update and edit. I’m so proud of what we’ve built together.
And to you, our community: thank you for listening, sharing and showing up year after year.
This is our biggest virtual event yet, and I can’t wait to see you there.
https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/travel-trends-summit-2026
See you on the 28th,
Dan Christian
Founder and Host, Travel Trends Podcast ၊၊||၊-✈