Spotlight Episodes

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 a smooth arrival and a stressful one.

In this Company Spotlight, Dan sits down with Jo Juliana Turnbull, Senior Growth Marketing Manager at Holafly, to explore why eSIMs are quickly becoming a travel essential. Jo explains how eSIMs work in simple, practical terms, from checking if your phone is compatible and knowing when to activate your plan to answering common questions about keeping your existing phone number and how easy the setup process really is.

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 conversations with the incredible speakers, industry leaders and key attendees that came together to discuss the latest trends shaping aviation and airports.

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 Company Spotlight, Dan sits down with Benjamin Sann, Founder & CEO of TourOptima, and Josh Halpern, Chief Commercial Officer, to explore how technology is helping tour operators simplify operations and deliver a better guest experience. They discuss the everyday challenges operators face, from flight delays and last-minute schedule changes to managing guest communications across emails, text messages, OTAs, and multiple internal systems.

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 why the country continues to stand out as a global destination for nature, culture, and meaningful travel.

In this special episode, Dan speaks with five leaders shaping Canadian tourism today: Meaghan Ferrigno, SVP, Chief Financial Officer & Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Destination Canada; Sébastien Benedict, President and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada; Vincenza Ronaldi, President and CEO of Destination Ontario; Andrew Weir, President and CEO of Destination Toronto; and Marsha Walden, President and CEO of Destination Canada, as she prepares to retire.

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 expands into Canada.

The conversation explores what it means to build a travel-first payment service provider, from collecting customer payments and managing risk to supporting supplier payouts. Philip explains why the payment experience has become a meaningful point of difference, especially when flights, hotels, and packages can look similar across multiple channels.

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 disruptions, personalize experiences, and provide support when it matters most.

In this Company Spotlight, Dan sits down with Shayna Zand, Managing Director of Host Agency Reviews, for an inside look at how the advisor industry really works and what it takes to build a successful travel business today.

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 all live in different places. The result is more than frustration. It creates duplicate work, missed traveler details, messy handoffs, lower conversion, and less time spent on what actually grows a travel company: serving travelers.

In this Spotlight Episode, Dan sits down with Josh Chang, Chief Product Officer at WeTravel, to unpack what tech stack overload looks like for tour operators and why the industry is moving toward more integrated platforms. They explore the hidden leaks that quietly hurt operators, from abandoned checkouts and fragmented payment methods to itinerary changes that never flow cleanly to travelers or suppliers.

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 world.

Co-hosted by Dan Christian, Host of the Travel Trends Podcast, and Christian Wolters, President Canada and GM, North America Marketing at Intrepid Travel, the discussion brings together leaders working at the front lines of AI adoption across the travel industry.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Wright of The Law Office of Chun T. Wright. Together, they unpack what actually protects an adventure travel operator when things go wrong, from serious injuries to partner disputes to fast-moving cross-border complaints.

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 when tour operators say their marketing isn’t working, from wasted Google Ads spend and unclear messaging to missing email automation, weak conversion paths, and websites that fail to answer real traveler questions. We explore what actually works in tourism marketing in 2026, including strong content strategy, SEO fundamentals, earned media, and building trust through clear, accessible storytelling.

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 started as a simple habit of asking travelers a few consistent questions quickly revealed something bigger: no matter where you’re from, people travel for the same reasons—connection, perspective, and stories that stay with them long after the trip ends.

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 scale.

A major focus of the conversation is AI in travel and what AI transformation actually looks like inside leading companies. We explore the types of executives taking the stage in Barcelona and why their perspectives matter across distribution, product, marketing, payments, and partnerships. Expect practical insight into how strategy teams are approaching AI, where the pressure points are, and what is rising to the top of the industry agenda.

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 Commission and General Director of Turespaña, and Barbara Jamison-Woods, President of CityDNA and Head of London and Partners, to discuss what sustainable tourism looks like when destinations measure impact, listen to residents, and rethink how travel experiences are designed. The conversation explores the shift from volume to value through real data, policy pressures, and practical examples that allow residents to benefit while travelers still enjoy meaningful and memorable trips.

We explore the report Driving Sustainable Tourism: GetYourGuide’s Impact in Italy and what the data reveals, including experiences reaching 105 provinces, longer visitor stays, increased traveler spending, and the growing number of travelers choosing destinations because of a specific experience. The discussion then broadens to Spain’s Vision for Tourism 2030, including the rapid surge in arrivals following the pandemic and the reality that overtourism is often shaped by issues such as housing pressures, seasonality, and everyday quality of life for residents. The central theme is clear. The tourism industry must move beyond volume toward value, combining economic growth with social benefit.

From London’s work using high street data to understand visitor flows to practical solutions such as extending opening hours at crowded attractions and sharing guidance that helps travelers visit respectfully, the conversation focuses on ideas destinations can actually implement. We also examine the role of cultural heritage and regenerative tourism, from free museum access and innovative funding models to Spain’s Paradores program, which transforms historic buildings into vibrant and living destinations.

Learn more at getyourguide.com.

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 special.

Lou explains how growing up with a father who worked as a guide for 40 years inspired him to build a platform designed for creators first. Guides can record their stories, routes, music, and recommendations, then share those experiences across different settings including walking tours, rideshares, museums, and attractions. Pintours’ personalization engine then adapts the experience to the traveler. A foodie couple, a family with young kids, or a solo history enthusiast might follow the same route but hear different stories, pacing, and suggestions tailored to their interests. It goes far beyond audio. The platform blends navigation, mood, bookings, and local context into one seamless experience.

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 & CEO Matthew Upchurch to explore what is driving growth in luxury travel and why Canada has become central to Virtuoso’s international strategy.

Karen paints a compelling picture of the Canadian luxury traveler: understated, experience focused, and motivated by meaningful time with family and friends. The data supports the shift. Luxury experiences are now outpacing luxury goods, and Canada’s market is projected for significant growth through 2030. Under her leadership, Canada is not simply participating in Virtuoso’s success, it is helping shape it.

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 replace slow wire transfers, hidden FX costs, and manual reconciliation with a unified, programmable global platform.

We unpack the real challenges tour operators face when pricing trips months in advance while paying suppliers in appreciating currencies. Erich explains how local payment rails, multi currency wallets, and like for like settlement reduce spreads and eliminate unnecessary fees at every stage. We also explore transparent FX with real time fee visibility, automated rules that lock in conversions at target rates, and programmatic execution that removes human delay from critical transactions.

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 multi program success from Washington, DC, this isn’t just a side conversation. It’s a dedicated, strategic stream built specifically for multi-day operators looking to scale distribution, modernize tech, and build stronger partnerships across Europe and beyond.

Our first conversation features Bruce Rosard, Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Arival, who shares why the expansion of the Multi-Day Stream reflects one of the biggest shifts happening in in-destination travel right now: operators moving from fragmented systems and manual processes toward scalable, connected distribution ecosystems.   

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 co-founder Noam Toister, whose company is digitizing ground and sea transport across more than 100 countries and thousands of operators. If flights and hotels have long benefited from seamless booking technology, this remains one of the last major frontiers in travel and it is transforming what is possible when building an itinerary.