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 and CEO of Emerging Travel Group and the driving force behind RateHawk. Joining Dan from Dubai, he shares an inside look at what it takes to build and scale one of the world's leading B2B travel platforms.

We begin with Felix’s journey into travel technology, from investing in high-growth companies to becoming an operator in one of the most complex industries in the world. From there, we explore how RateHawk emerged from ETG’s experience competing in the B2C space, revealing a much larger opportunity: helping travel advisors navigate fragmented hotel supply through a faster, more intuitive booking experience.

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 Status Co. CEO Mark Ross-Smith and CFO Stuart Melim to unpack why “status currency” is emotional, identity-driven, and far more powerful than traditional points and miles strategies. If you’ve ever felt the sting of losing status or gone out of your way to avoid being treated like a base member, you already understand the behavior this creates.

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 conversation explores why the industry is having a real moment and how shifting traveler priorities around access, identity, and unforgettable experiences are redefining what ownership looks like today.

This is the second episode in our 3-part series exploring the evolution of timeshare.

We begin with Louis Acosta (SVP, Sports, Entertainment, Event Marketing & Sales, Travel + Leisure Co.), who shares how building an ecosystem of experiential brands, from Margaritaville Vacation Club to Sports Illustrated Resorts, is unlocking “money-can’t-buy” moments and turning owners into true insiders.

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 can’t afford to waste their money or their limited vacation time.

We break down what makes a USTOA member different, including the unique $1 million Traveler’s Assistance Program that helps protect consumer deposits, along with the rigorous vetting and industry references required for membership. Terry also shares why travel advisors are experiencing a true renaissance, and how the certainty of expert guidance is outperforming endless DIY planning, even for travelers who begin their journey with AI tools.

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 of the world’s most iconic destinations.

We break down Pursuit’s concept of experiential infrastructure, why owning access to extraordinary places, and building the systems around them, is becoming one of the most valuable strategies in travel. From Banff and Jasper to Alaska, Iceland, and Costa Rica, David explains the criteria behind expansion: iconic, hard-to-replicate locations paired with strong local teams and long-term demand.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 are uniquely complex. From high booking values and long lead times to cancellations, multiple suppliers, FX exposure, and unclear merchant of record structures, the challenges run deep. Will explains how merchant of record models work in practice, why localized acquiring can improve authorization rates, and how trust accounts and insurance-backed protection can help build confidence for travelers paying months in advance.

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, Senior Marketing Leader in Adventure Travel and a lifelong soccer fan, bringing both an operator’s perspective and a genuine passion for the game to the conversation. Together, they sit down with Brandon Ehrhardt, VP of Marketing at Expedia Group, and Daniel Velásquez, Founder and COO of Homefans, to unpack what both the data and on-the-ground experience are revealing. Brandon shares the true scale of sports travel, why it’s a structural shift rather than a seasonal spike, and how travelers are increasingly extending their trips well beyond match day. We also explore the “spillover effect,” where demand expands into nearby cities as fans optimize for price, stay longer, and explore more.

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 evolution of timeshare.

We begin with ARDA President and CEO Jason Gamel, who breaks down ARDA’s role in shaping the industry, from advocacy and research to elevating its global story.

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 are uniquely complex. From high booking values and long lead times to cancellations, multiple suppliers, FX exposure, and unclear merchant of record structures, the challenges run deep. Will explains how merchant of record models work in practice, why localized acquiring can improve authorization rates, and how trust accounts and insurance-backed protection can help build confidence for travelers paying months in advance.

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 infrastructure required to make it work reliably and at scale.

We get into tangible use cases you can immediately picture, from iWander creating dynamic, in-destination audio tours and recommendations, to GuestOS running hotel phone lines with AI teammates that capture conversations and turn guest needs into action. We also explore Tripian’s role as the critical data layer, structuring and connecting travel data so AI agents can deliver relevant, contextual, and dependable experiences. For anyone in tours and activities, hospitality tech, or travel startups, this conversation shows how agentic AI can reduce friction while still preserving what travelers value most, meaningful human moments.

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 the destination.

We also get practical about the misconceptions that hold first-timers back, from “can you even get there by train?” to the real anxieties around luggage, station timing, and transfers. Frank explains how Railbookers packages rail, hotels, sightseeing, and logistics into one seamless journey, whether it’s a scenic route through Switzerland, high-speed travel in Italy, a North American classic like The Canadian, or a future-forward itinerary in Japan.

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 Jefferies, Senior Growth Marketing Manager at Bókun, 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 start with Bókun’s origin story during Iceland’s tourism boom and how it has evolved into a global booking platform used by both independent operators and major attractions. From there, we get practical. Sam explains why expanding your reseller network can unlock step-change growth, how to choose the right mix of local, niche, regional, and global partners, and how to ease into OTAs by allocating only a portion of your inventory. He also shares what the data shows when operators move from direct-only to a multi-channel strategy, and what realistic performance gains look like.

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 chat. They can pull real-time pricing, generate quotes, draft emails, build itineraries, and increasingly help solve the hardest part of travel, making decisions.

We get concrete on where the value shows up first, eliminating repetitive, low judgment work across email and messaging, accelerating internal workflows, and helping smaller travel brands punch above their weight. We also dig into what needs to go right for trust, including grounding agents in real data, cleaning up outdated content, and selecting the right models so costs and latency stay under control. For destinations and marketers, we explore the emergence of a new “listening layer” within conversational planning, and why AI SEO and generative engine optimization now depend on answering real traveler questions, not just publishing evergreen content.

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 Wallinger, Director of Virtual Events, to unpack what “luxury” really looks like on rails today, from elevated service and spacious suites to curated off train excursions that feel private, personal, and unforgettable. Along the way, we spotlight some of the world’s most iconic journeys, including the Venice Simplon Orient Express, Glacier Express Excellence Class, Rovos Rail in Southern Africa, and India’s Maharaja Express.

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 growth today, from gateway products that introduce travelers to the category, to smarter tech stack decisions that enhance the customer journey.

AI that writes is no longer the headline. AI that acts is.

In the first episode of our Agentic AI Series, Dan sits 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 candid about what this shift means for the travel industry right now. Gilad explains how agentic AI is reshaping startup economics, where technical moats are shrinking and advantages are shifting toward trust, distribution, customer lock in, and proprietary data. Christian challenges how travel tech teams think about capability, arguing that leaders need to understand what’s possible with today’s tools, not what was true even a year ago. Tahnee brings it down to reality with practical, field tested use cases, from data analysis and market research to automations that remove friction without losing the human touch.

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, Dan sits down with Railbookers leaders Jim Marini (SVP, Strategic Partnerships) and Matt Foy (Senior Director, Rail and Transportation) to unpack why train travel is booming again—and why the best rail vacations make the journey just as meaningful as the destination. The clouds may look the same on every flight, but rail offers a front-row seat to the world. If you’ve ever wanted a trip that feels smoother, more scenic, and less rushed, this conversation is your roadmap.

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 from the inside for decades.

We talk about how travel shaped her from the start, from childhood passport trips to Mexico to chasing snow across continents as a teen on the US Ski Team. Peekaboo shares the unglamorous truth behind World Cup travel: moving fast between resorts, setting up ski rooms, managing physio and cross-training, obsessing over sleep and food, and trying to stay comfortable enough to perform. If you’ve ever wondered what viewers never see when the camera cuts away, this conversation fills in the blanks.

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 reshaping the travel experience.

We look at what sets Daytrip apart in the global mobility and private transfer space, from door to door service in over 130 countries to vetted, English speaking drivers, GPS tracked journeys, and strict quality controls. Having already transferred around 2 million travelers, the company has built a strong foundation of trust and reliability. The real differentiator is the ability to transform transfers into experiences. With customizable sightseeing stops, travelers can turn a logistical necessity into an opportunity to explore, discover smaller towns, and access destinations that traditional transport options often miss.

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 traction, this conversation reveals how airlift, hotel partnerships, and customer demand all work together.

We explore TUI’s core sun destinations for European markets and why places like Spain, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, and Mexico continue to perform year after year. We also dive into the “create demand” playbook, using Cape Verde as a standout example of how strategic investment, education, and access can transform an emerging destination into a year-round favorite. Phil also highlights rising long-haul demand, including Zanzibar, where travelers are increasingly combining beach stays with safari experiences.

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 rental” really means today, from brand-new high-end vehicles and white-glove airport pickup to fully equipped interiors, optional grocery delivery, and 24/7 human support. What started as a personal RV trip during COVID in 2020 has evolved into a business built on a simple idea: creating customers for life. If your perception of RV travel feels outdated, this conversation will completely reframe it.