View From Afar | Travel Industry News

Crystal Vinisse Thomas has spent her career building some of hospitality's most recognizable brands—W Hotels at Starwood, Hyatt's lifestyle and luxury portfolio—and she's spent the last year deliberately stepping back from all of it. And now she joins View From Afar as our guest host: Every month, she'll sit down with hospitality leaders to uncover "the people behind the process." In this first episode, Afar senior deputy editor Jennifer Flowers turns the questions on her. The two longtime friends trace Crystal's path from Starwood to Apple's Beats by Dre and back to Hyatt, unpack why she walked away for a year-long sabbatical at the height of her career, and share a preview of the questions she'll be asking once the mic turns to her guests instead. This week's guest and host Crystal Vinisse Thomas is a brand-builder and one of the more original travel changemakers to join a microphone this year, with a résumé spanning hospitality, consumer tech, and sport: luxury and lifestyle brands at Starwood (including W Hotels) and Hyatt, where she built what's now Caption by Hyatt, plus a run at Apple working on Beats by Dre. Her travel industry insights come from nearly five years leading Hyatt's lifestyle and luxury portfolio before she took a full year away from the business entirely, returning as View From Afar's newest host. Find her at crystalvinisse.com and on LinkedIn. Jennifer Flowers is Afar's senior deputy editor, overseeing the magazine's hotel coverage, and a regular contributor to View From Afar. In this episode Crystal's path from Starwood and W Hotels to Apple's Beats by Dre and back to Hyatt, where she spent nearly five years building the brand now known as Caption by Hyatt Why she stepped away from hospitality entirely for a year-long sabbatical, including signing off LinkedIn and asking her network not to reach out with job opportunities Her definition of luxury, shaped by a consumer study she led at Hyatt: not a hotel, a product, or a price point, but time Where she thinks AI genuinely helps travelers (discovery) and where it still falls short (taste and judgment, like recommending a coffee shop that closed months ago) The origin of "Friday Fellowship," the standing gathering she started during the pandemic, and how it shaped her approach to interviewing travel's leaders on View From Afar Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:03:00 A Career Built on Brands 00:06:00 Why She Stepped Away 00:17:00 Redefining Luxury as Time 00:20:00 Where AI Falls Short 00:25:00 Friday Fellowship Links & resources Crystal Vinisse Thomas's website Crystal on LinkedIn Watch this episode on YouTube [TK: link] More from View From Afar Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a special IPW 2026 series of View From Afar. In this episode, recorded live from the conference floor, Visit Phoenix⁠ president and CEO Ron Price⁠ sits down with Afar deputy editor Michelle Baran for one of our most surprising travel industry interviews yet: a look at Phoenix tourism, and why so many first-time visitors leave saying, "I had no idea." Ron has worked in tourism for 30 years, with a career that spans Marriott, Visit San Antonio, and the Arlington Texas Convention and Visitors Bureau. He joined Visit Phoenix in 2021, and under his leadership the city has hosted the Super Bowl, the Women's Final Four, and, next year, the NBA All-Star Game. In 2024 he launched the Phoenix Sports and Events Commission, giving the country's fifth-largest city a coordinated way to compete for major events. In this episode, Ron and Michelle discuss: Why the Sonoran is the wettest desert in the world, and how the lushness keeps surprising visitors who arrived expecting Wile E. Coyote The Phoenix Sports and Events Commission, the return of the Viva PHX culture festival⁠, and the strategy of growing youth and amateur sports alongside championship events The TSMC effect⁠, the largest international investment in American history, and what $165 billion in semiconductor manufacturing means for international flights, including two new direct routes from Taiwan How Waymo made Phoenix the only American city where an autonomous vehicle picks you up at the airport, a case study in the destination management and travel innovation now reshaping Phoenix tourism The Canadian snowbird market's stabilization, and what doubling down on a hesitant market looks like in practice The honest conversation about summer heat, the city's heat-mitigation investments, and the no-daylight-savings advantage that makes early-morning hikes possible Plus: a ⁠Pan Am-themed speakeasy⁠ where the LED windows simulate a flight to San Francisco, the 22 ⁠Indigenous nations⁠ within the valley, and a passionate endorsement of Phoenix's ⁠Michelin-bound culinary scene⁠. This is one in a series of travel industry interviews and tourism experts interviews recorded live at IPW 2026, part of View From Afar's ongoing look at travel trends 2026, destination highlights, and the changemakers shaping the future of Phoenix tourism and beyond. Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to View From Afar 00:01:30 Playing Tourist at the Biltmore 00:03:00 What Surprises Visitors 00:04:30 Building a Sports and Events Engine 00:07:30 The TSMC Effect 00:10:00 Why Canadians Still Matter 00:13:00 New Markets, New Stories 00:15:30 Reframing the Heat 00:18:30 Speakeasies and Indigenous Nations Stay Connected Subscribe to View From Afar to catch all our IPW 2026 episodes this week. Follow @AfarMedia on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠TikTok⁠ for behind-the-scenes IPW content. ⁠Sign up⁠ for our travel industry newsletter, Afar Advisor. Rate and review the show to help other travel professionals discover these insights. Explore our other podcasts, ⁠Travel Tales⁠ and ⁠Unpacked⁠. This IPW 2026 special series was recorded live. View From Afar is a production of Afar Media and a part of Airwave Media's podcast network (email ⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast). The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with assistance from Michelle Baran and Billie Cohen. Music composition from Epidemic Sound. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a special IPW 2026 series of View From Afar. In this episode, recorded live from the conference floor, Visit Austin⁠ president and ⁠CEO Tom Noonan⁠ sits down with Afar editorial director Billie Cohen for one of our most forward-looking travel industry interviews yet: a conversation about Austin travel at the exact moment the city is tearing itself down and rebuilding on purpose. Tom has led Visit Austin since 2016, capping nearly four decades in destination marketing. Under his watch the city has posted year-over-year visitor gains, record convention bookings, and the launch of the Visit Austin Foundation. But he is also steering the most disruptive project of any major U.S. destination right now: the $1.6 billion "unconventional ATX" rebuild of the Austin Convention Center, which came down in April 2025 and will not reopen until 2029. That is 40 months of competing for major events without a convention center, a real-world test of destination management under pressure. In this episode, Tom and Billie discuss: Why Austin is "redoing everything" by 2031, from 36 new airport gates to new arenas, a light rail line from the airport to downtown hotels, and a convention center twice the old size The $1.6 billion bet on a zero-carbon civic space with $18 million of public art, dropped into a park setting beside the new ⁠Waterloo Greenway⁠, How a destination holds its momentum, and its convention business, without its biggest meeting venue for more than three years The new Austin Tourism Public Improvement District and what it funds Why the live music capital of the world is expanding into tech, corporate, family, and culinary travel, with a Michelin-fueled taco scene that refuses to name a favorite (the Michelin guide recently came to Texas) Tom's honest case for why the next chapter of Austin travel makes the city "the next hot destination again in 2031" This is one in a series of travel industry interviews and tourism experts interviews recorded live at IPW 2026, part of View From Afar's ongoing look at travel trends 2026, the hospitality industry leaders and travel changemakers shaping American cities, and the Austin travel story still being written. For destination marketers and travel industry news watchers, it is a front-row look at destination management on the largest possible scale. Resources Afar guide to Austin Chapters 0:00 Welcome to Austin, live from IPW 2:00 Brisket, breakfast tacos, and a Michelin moment 3:00 Redoing everything by 2031 5:00 The $1.6 billion convention center gamble 8:00 Competing for conventions without a building 11:00 New flights, new visitors, and a booming food economy 15:00 Music, the World Cup, and America 250 17:00 Keeping Austin weird, from AI to Rainey Street Stay Connected Subscribe to View From Afar to catch all our IPW 2026 episodes this week. Follow @AfarMedia on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠TikTok⁠ for behind-the-scenes IPW content. ⁠Sign up⁠ for our travel industry newsletter, Afar Advisor. Rate and review the show to help other travel professionals discover these insights. Explore our other podcasts, ⁠Travel Tales⁠ and ⁠Unpacked⁠. This IPW 2026 special series was recorded live. View From Afar is a production of Afar Media and a part of Airwave Media's podcast network (email ⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast). The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with assistance from Michelle Baran and Billie Cohen. Music composition from Epidemic Sound. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a special IPW 2026 series of View From Afar. In this episode, recorded live from the conference floor, Colorado Tourism Office⁠ director ⁠Timothy Wolfe⁠ sits down with Afar deputy editor Michelle Baran for one of our most instructive travel industry interviews yet: a look at why the smart way to visit Colorado is also the more sustainable one, from a state that has spent years managing tourism rather than just marketing it. Tim came to the role in 2021 after a long career in Colorado hospitality, including running Denver's historic Brown Palace, and he was inducted into the Colorado Hotel and Lodging Association Hall of Fame in 2015. He now leads a state coming off a record 95.4 million visitors in 2024, and heading into a milestone 2026 that marks both America's 250th anniversary and Colorado's 150th year of statehood. In this episode, Tim and Michelle discuss: Why Colorado has stayed resilient while other destinations feel the international slowdown, from Colorado Friendship Day with Canada and Mexico to deep cross-border ties How the Denver airport, with more than 35 international and 200 domestic nonstop routes, makes this a true fly-in destination The build-out of greener rail, from the airport-to-Union Station line to the ski train to Winter Park and new Front Range service, so visitors can explore without a car Destination stewardship as strategy, and how the Do Colorado Right approach steers travelers from overstressed hot spots toward smaller communities that want the visits A new ⁠dedicated women's soccer stadium in Denver⁠—the first of its kind. What a milestone year means for a state trying to grow tourism responsibly rather than just grow it This is one in a series of travel industry interviews and tourism experts interviews recorded live at IPW 2026, part of View From Afar's ongoing look at travel trends 2026, sustainable tourism, and the destination management lessons other states are borrowing from Colorado. The takeaway is simple: visit Colorado, but visit Colorado right, and you get a front-row look at a place widely seen as a stewardship leader, told by one of the hospitality industry leaders shaping what comes next. Resources The Afar guide to Colorado Chapters 0:00 Welcome to Colorado, live from IPW 2:00 Champagne cascades and cattle at the Brown Palace 3:00 A record 95.4 million visitors, and staying resilient 5:00 A fly-in state betting on greener rail 7:30 Do Colorado Right: stewardship without the finger-wagging 10:00 Protecting the parks and preventing overtourism 13:30 A milestone 2026, and what's next Stay Connected Subscribe to View From Afar to catch all our IPW 2026 episodes this week. Follow @AfarMedia on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠TikTok⁠ for behind-the-scenes IPW content. ⁠Sign up⁠ for our travel industry newsletter, Afar Advisor. Rate and review the show to help other travel professionals discover these insights. Explore our other podcasts, ⁠Travel Tales⁠ and ⁠Unpacked⁠. This IPW 2026 special series was recorded live. View From Afar is a production of Afar Media and a part of Airwave Media's podcast network (email ⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast). The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with assistance from Michelle Baran and Billie Cohen. Music composition from Epidemic Sound. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a special IPW 2026 series of View From Afar. In this episode, recorded live from the conference floor, Louisiana Office of Tourism assistant secretary Doug Bourgeois⁠ sits down with Afar editorial director Billie Cohen for one of our most flavorful travel industry interviews yet: a case for Louisiana travel well beyond New Orleans, from bayou to byway. A Thibodaux native who has spent 26 years in state tourism, Doug leads a Louisiana that finally returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2025, welcoming 45 million visitors and roughly 19 billion dollars in spending. New Orleans alone drew 19 million, even as Canada, the state's top international market, pulled back sharply. In this episode, Doug and Billie discuss: Why Cajun and Creole cooking is about flavor rather than heat, and why nobody makes gumbo better than your mama How Louisiana travel spans distinct regions, from Mississippi Delta greens up north to the Cajun and Creole melting pot down south The Gas Station Eats trail and the arrival of Michelin in the American South, including two two-star restaurants in New Orleans The Year of Music that set the stage, celebrating Louisiana as a birthplace of jazz, zydeco, and Cajun blues, and the 2026 Year of Outdoors that follows it, from swamp tours and outdoor kitchens to the Mississippi flyway and two national parks How the state is working to win back a softer Canadian market and lean into joy as a strategy The ⁠Mississippi River Parkway Commission⁠ and the case for the river as a single 10-state destination Beyond New Orleans, the scenic byways, river architecture, and small-town Americana that reward a longer trip This is one in a series of travel industry interviews and tourism experts interviews recorded live at IPW 2026, part of View From Afar's ongoing look at travel trends 2026, destination management, and the travel storytelling that turns a state into a journey. For every reason to plan Louisiana travel past Bourbon Street and deep into the heart of Cajun country, it is a front-row conversation with one of the hospitality industry leaders shaping the future of travel. Resources The Afar guide to Louisiana Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to View From Afar 00:02:00 The Tabasco Test 00:03:00 Growing Up on the Bayou 00:05:00 A Culinary State 00:07:00 Year of the Outdoors 00:09:00 The Roux Spoon Olive Branch 00:11:00 Where Louisiana Is Going Next 00:12:00 The Mississippi as Destination 00:13:30 Beyond New Orleans 00:15:00 Where Joy Begins 00:18:30 Becoming Part of the Story Stay Connected Subscribe to View From Afar to catch all our IPW 2026 episodes this week. Follow @AfarMedia on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ for behind-the-scenes IPW content. ⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠ for our travel industry newsletter, Afar Advisor. Rate and review the show to help other travel professionals discover these insights. Explore our other podcasts, ⁠⁠Travel Tales⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Unpacked⁠⁠. This IPW 2026 special series was recorded live. View From Afar is a production of Afar Media and a part of Airwave Media's podcast network (email ⁠⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast). The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with assistance from Michelle Baran and Billie Cohen. Music composition from Epidemic Sound. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a special IPW 2026 series of View From Afar. In this episode, recorded live from the conference floor, Discover Puerto Rico⁠ CEO ⁠Jorge Perez⁠ sits down with Afar editorial director Billie Cohen for one of our most fascinating travel industry interviews yet: a look at the Bad Bunny Puerto Rico effect, and how one artist's residency rewrote the island's tourism story. Jorge's history is intertwined with the star. He ran the convention center for Bad Bunny's first major concert in 2018, then the Coliseo de Puerto Rico where the 2025 residency took place. That run brought roughly 420,000 visitors and more than 200 million dollars in economic impact, and his job now is turning a moment into a movement. In this conversation, Jorge and Billie discuss: What the Bad Bunny Puerto Rico residency actually meant, 31 nights, visitors from 108 countries, and a wave of organic content money cannot buy The strategy behind it, from targeting the low season to a call to come to the island rather than tour the mainland Why searches for Puerto Rico jumped 245 percent after the Super Bowl halftime, and how authentic culture, including three of the world's five bioluminescent bays, keeps people coming How stays nearly doubled, shifting the demographic toward Europe and South America Turning the spike into record numbers, 8.5 million visitors in 2025 and the best quarter in the island's history in early 2026, powered in part by the World Baseball Classic and the Puerto Rico Open The biggest lesson Jorge took from it all, and what Puerto Rico builds next This is one in a series of travel industry interviews and tourism experts interviews recorded live at IPW 2026, part of View From Afar's ongoing look at travel trends 2026, destination management, and travel consumer insights. For the full story of the Bad Bunny Puerto Rico moment and why the island's momentum did not fade when the music stopped, it is a front-row conversation with one of the hospitality industry leaders shaping the future of travel. Chapters 0:00 Welcome to Puerto Rico, live from IPW 2:00 Inside the Bad Bunny residency: 31 nights, 108 countries 4:00 The strategy: low season, longer stays, and a search spike 8:00 Turning a spike into record-breaking numbers 9:00 The best quarter in Puerto Rico's history 11:00 Bioluminescent bays and a built-to-serve island 16:00 The biggest lesson, and what comes next Resources The Afar guide to Puerto Rico Our Unpacked episode about exploring music on the island Stay Connected Subscribe to View From Afar to catch all our IPW 2026 episodes this week. Follow @AfarMedia on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠TikTok⁠ for behind-the-scenes IPW content. ⁠Sign up⁠ for our travel industry newsletter, Afar Advisor. Rate and review the show to help other travel professionals discover these insights. Explore our other podcasts, ⁠Travel Tales⁠ and ⁠Unpacked⁠. This IPW 2026 special series was recorded live. View From Afar is a production of Afar Media and a part of Airwave Media's podcast network (email ⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast). The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with assistance from Michelle Baran and Billie Cohen. Music composition from Epidemic Sound. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a special IPW 2026 series of View From Afar. In this episode, recorded live from the conference floor, Visit Detroit⁠⁠ president and CEO ⁠⁠Claude Molinari⁠⁠ sits down with Afar editorial director Billie Cohen for one of our most energizing travel industry interviews yet: a look at how Detroit tourism finally caught up to the reality of a city that has quietly transformed. Claude has led Visit Detroit since 2021, after a decade running Huntington Place, the city's convention center. He is the person who brought the NFL Draft to town in 2024, and he makes the case that Detroit is not staging a comeback so much as becoming something entirely new. In this episode, Claude and Billie discuss: Why Detroit tourism is riding a genuine shift rather than another comeback story, from five new skyscrapers to three straight years of population growth The number-one Riverwalk in the country, a $30 million renovation, and the stretch from Belle Isle to the Ambassador Bridge How Michigan Central Station went from abandoned to the epicenter of autonomous vehicles, and why Detroit is the only UNESCO City of Design in the United States The architecture worth the trip, from the Guardian Building to a fedora from Henry the Hatter How Detroit is handling a roughly 30 percent drop in Canadian visitation while still growing overall The Juventus jersey partnership that put Visit Detroit in front of 500 million soccer fans and drove website traffic up 400 percent from Europe Of course we start with the only debate that matters, which pizza is truly the best This is one in a series of travel industry interviews and tourism experts interviews recorded live at IPW 2026, part of View From Afar's ongoing look at travel trends 2026, travel marketing strategies, and the destination management behind a city on the rise. For a fresh read on Detroit tourism ahead of the Final Four and IPW 2028, it is a front-row conversation with one of the hospitality industry leaders shaping the future of travel. Chapters 0:00 Welcome to Detroit, live from IPW 2:00 The great pizza debate 4:00 Not a comeback, a complete change 6:00 The Riverwalk, Michigan Central, and a UNESCO city of design 8:00 A Canadian dip, a bigger budget, and the first-ever convention bureau 10:00 The Juventus jersey that reached 500 million fans 12:00 Eastern Market, new hotels, and an afternoon at the library Resources: ⁠Visit Detroit⁠ ⁠Detroit Riverwalk⁠ ⁠Michigan Central Station⁠ ⁠Henry Ford Museum⁠ at Greenfield Village ⁠Eastern Market⁠ ⁠Detroit Institute of Arts⁠ ⁠Buddy's Pizza⁠ ⁠Afar guide to Detroit⁠ Stay Connected Subscribe to View From Afar to catch all our IPW 2026 episodes this week. Follow @AfarMedia on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ for behind-the-scenes IPW content. ⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠ for our travel industry newsletter, Afar Advisor. Rate and review the show to help other travel professionals discover these insights. Explore our other podcasts, ⁠⁠Travel Tales⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Unpacked⁠⁠. This IPW 2026 special series was recorded live. View From Afar is a production of Afar Media and a part of Airwave Media's podcast network (email ⁠⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast). The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with assistance from Michelle Baran and Billie Cohen. Music composition from Epidemic Sound. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a special IPW 2026 series of View From Afar. In this episode, recorded live from the conference floor, Discover South Carolina director Duane Parrish sits down with Afar deputy editor Michelle Baran for one of our most revealing travel industry interviews yet: a case for why you should visit South Carolina well beyond its famous beaches. Duane has led Discover South Carolina for 15 years, and tourism is now one of the state's largest industries. In 2024 it contributed more than 30 billion dollars to the economy and generated 3.2 billion in state and local tax revenue, money that helps hold down residents' property and income taxes. In this episode, Duane and Michelle discuss: Why 2025 was a record year statewide even as the Grand Strand and Myrtle Beach felt a sharp drop in Canadian snowbird visits How South Carolina leaned into the drive market, with 80 percent of visitors arriving by car, targeting cities like Atlanta and Charlotte to offset softer international numbers Why post-pandemic outdoor recreation, from golf to hiking to camping, has become one of the state's strongest domestic draws The Find the Undiscovered You campaign, and the pitch for off-the-grid escapes like the climb to the top of Table Rock Mountain How Charleston, Hilton Head, Greenville, and the up-and-coming upstate each play a different role in the state's mix The opening of the ⁠International African American Museum⁠ in Charleston, the ⁠Gullah Geechee Corridor,⁠ and the ⁠Civil Rights Trail⁠—and why international visitors are especially drawn to this kind of richer storytelling How accommodations, sales, and gas taxes turn every visit into funding for local tourism initiatives and community projects This is one in a series of travel industry interviews and tourism experts interviews recorded live at IPW 2026, part of View From Afar's ongoing look at travel trends 2026, destination management, and the travel industry insights that help a state grow tourism responsibly. For every reason to visit South Carolina beyond the coast, and a look at why so many already visit South Carolina each year, it is a front-row conversation with one of the hospitality industry leaders shaping the future of travel. Plus: the four styles of South Carolina barbecue sauce (vinegar, mustard, light tomato, heavy tomato), the 225-restaurant barbecue trail that's color-coded by sauce, and Duane's own loyalty to heavy tomato. Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to View From Afar 00:01:30 A Record Year, With Exceptions 00:03:00 Doubling Down on Drive Markets 00:04:30 Find the Undiscovered You 00:06:30 Greenville's Reinvention 00:07:30 Beyond Charleston 00:08:30 How Destination Marketing Has Changed 00:10:30 The Promise and Limits of AI 00:12:30 Telling a Fuller Story 00:16:30 The Barbecue Trail 00:19:00 A South Carolina Itinerary Resources: Discover South Carolina South Carolina Barbecue Trail The Afar guide to South Carolina Listen to our Unpacked podcast guide to Charleston, where we explore food, culture, the outdoors, and shopping Stay Connected Subscribe to View From Afar to catch all our IPW 2026 episodes this week. Follow @AfarMedia on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠TikTok⁠ for behind-the-scenes IPW content. ⁠Sign up⁠ for our travel industry newsletter, Afar Advisor. Rate and review the show to help other travel professionals discover these insights. Explore our other podcasts, ⁠Travel Tales⁠ and ⁠Unpacked⁠. This IPW 2026 special series was recorded live. View From Afar is a production of Afar Media and a part of Airwave Media's podcast network (email ⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast). The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with assistance from Michelle Baran and Billie Cohen. Music composition from Epidemic Sound. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a special IPW 2026 series of View From Afar. In this episode, recorded live from the conference floor, Visit Seattle president and CEO Tammy Canavan sits down with Afar deputy editor Michelle Baran for one of our most timely travel industry interviews yet: a look at the Seattle tourism surge heading into a World Cup summer, and why first-time visitors keep leaving surprised. Tammy came to Visit Seattle after destination roles in Monterey, Tacoma, and Vancouver, and she has spent the last four years steering a city in the middle of a growth moment. In that time the convention center opened its new Summit building, Sea-Tac expanded its international network, and the downtown waterfront was completely rebuilt. In this episode, Tammy and Michelle discuss: Why Seattle tourism is booming, from a record cruise season of two million passengers as the American gateway to Alaska, to a walkable downtown built around transit and nature What World Cup visitors will find this summer, including a walk-to-the-stadium downtown, a car-free Unity Loop through the neighborhoods, and fan zones spread across the city instead of one The myth of the rainy city, and why the reality is closer to an Evian mist than a downpour How regenerative and sustainable tourism became central to the Seattle brand rather than an add-on Why the city's collaborative, long-term civic culture keeps a mid-size destination punching above its weight Tammy's message from the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board on inbound travel, the chilling effect of a proposed visa integrity fee, and why restoring Brand USA funding matters for markets like India This is one in a series of travel industry interviews and tourism experts interviews recorded live at IPW 2026, part of View From Afar's ongoing look at travel trends 2026, sustainable tourism, and the travel industry challenges facing inbound U.S. travel. For a clear read on Seattle tourism at a pivotal moment, it is a front-row conversation with one of the hospitality industry leaders shaping the future of travel. Resources Visit Seattle A guide to Seattle's waterfront reinvention Afar's guide to Seattle Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to View From Afar 00:01:30 Why Seattle, Why Now 00:04:00 The World Cup Surprise 00:06:30 What Travelers Need to Hear 00:08:00 A Waterfront, Reconnected 00:09:30 Beyond Pike Place 00:11:30 The Perception Problem 00:14:30 A Civic Renewal 00:17:30 Seattle's Quiet Joy Stay Connected Subscribe to View From Afar to catch all our IPW 2026 episodes this week. Follow @AfarMedia on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠TikTok⁠ for behind-the-scenes IPW content. ⁠Sign up⁠ for our travel industry newsletter, Afar Advisor. Rate and review the show to help other travel professionals discover these insights. Explore our other podcasts, ⁠Travel Tales⁠ and ⁠Unpacked⁠. This IPW 2026 special series was recorded live. View From Afar is a production of Afar Media and a part of Airwave Media's podcast network (email ⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast). The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with assistance from Michelle Baran and Billie Cohen. Music composition from Epidemic Sound. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a special IPW 2026 series of View From Afar. In this episode, recorded live from the conference floor, Brightline Holdings CEO Nicolas Petrovic sits down with Afar editorial director Billie Cohen for one of our most future-facing travel industry interviews yet: a real look at whether American train travel can actually work. Nicolas stepped into the role in February, bringing decades of international rail experience from Eurostar, Siemens, and projects in the UAE. He now leads Brightline, the privately operated passenger rail service connecting Miami to Orlando, with ambitions to bring modern high-speed rail to more of the country. In this conversation, Nicolas and Billie discuss: Why American train travel is a genuine bet, and what it takes to get people out of their cars and onto a train The lessons from Eurostar, where Nicolas helped grow the business market from 10 to 80 percent share and sell tickets to travelers in the U.S., India, and China How Brightline built a high-quality railway through one of the most urbanized corridors in the country Why the on-board experience, the pricing, and the distribution matter as much as the tracks, right down to a signature citrus scent in every station The new 39 dollar fare and a philosophy of filling trains with everyone, from students to billionaires What all of this means for Florida destinations, from Orlando theme parks to the beaches, once the train becomes part of the trip itself What 3 million passengers last year, and a 20 percent jump this year, say about where American train travel goes next This is one in a series of travel industry interviews and tourism experts interviews recorded live at IPW 2026, part of View From Afar's ongoing look at travel trends 2026, travel innovation, and the destination management questions that come with a new way to move. For an honest read on the future of American train travel, it is a front-row conversation with one of the hospitality industry leaders shaping the future of travel. Resources Brightline Brightline West Afar review of the Brightline experience Afar coverage of Brightline West Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to View From Afar 00:01:50 The Brightline Scent 00:03:00 Convincing People to Leave Their Cars 00:04:30 Lessons From Eurostar 00:07:30 The Right Train Experience 00:11:00 How Florida Travels by Rail 00:12:30 Talking About the Debt 00:14:00 The Vision for Brightline West Stay Connected Subscribe to View From Afar to catch all our IPW 2026 episodes this week. Follow @AfarMedia on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠TikTok⁠ for behind-the-scenes IPW content. ⁠Sign up⁠ for our travel industry newsletter, Afar Advisor. Rate and review the show to help other travel professionals discover these insights. Explore our other podcasts, ⁠Travel Tales⁠ and ⁠Unpacked⁠. This IPW 2026 special series was recorded live. View From Afar is a production of Afar Media and a part of Airwave Media's podcast network (email ⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast). The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with assistance from Michelle Baran and Billie Cohen. Music composition from Epidemic Sound. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a special IPW 2026 series of View From Afar. In this episode, recorded live from the conference floor, Visit Florida Keys and Key West president and CEO Kara Franker sits down with Afar editorial director Billie Cohen for one of our most candid travel industry interviews yet: a look at what smarter Key West travel looks like when a tiny string of islands is breaking visitor records. Kara arrived about a year and a half ago from Visit Estes in Colorado, bringing a mix of legal, marketing, and journalism experience. She inherited an organization that needed rebuilding, and a destination wrestling with a very specific challenge: huge demand, a fragile environment, and a beloved story to protect. In this conversation, Kara and Billie discuss: Why Key West travel is at a record high, with more arrivals at Key West International Airport in 2025 than ever before How Kara rebuilt the organization from 12 staff to 30, brought agencies in house, and recruited talent from outside tourism, including a VP who spent decades at Cisco The shift from broadcast spray and play to targeted marketing, and the industry debate over better tourism versus more tourism Why protecting the coral reef is a business strategy, not just an environmental one, and how it shielded Key West during Hurricane Irma What it means to court the highest average daily rate in the country while asking visitors to treat the reef, the key deer, and the locals with respect How tourism development taxes are funding capital projects, from a refresh of Mallory Square to a new artificial reef in the Lower Keys This is one in a series of travel industry interviews and tourism experts interviews recorded live at IPW 2026, part of View From Afar's ongoing look at travel trends 2026, sustainable tourism, and the destination management challenges facing fragile places. For an honest take on Key West travel and the future of the wider Keys, it is a front-row conversation with one of the hospitality industry leaders shaping what comes next. Resources – Visit Florida Keys website – John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park – Fantasy Fest – Afar guide to the Florida Keys and Key West Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to View From Afar 00:01:30 Rebuilding the Team From Scratch 00:04:00 Better Tourism, Not More 00:06:30 Investing in the Community 00:11:00 Come as You Are 00:12:00 Pride, Politics, and the Path Forward 00:17:30 The Joy of the Keys 00:20:00 Becoming a Freshwater Conch Stay Connected Subscribe to View From Afar to catch all our IPW 2026 episodes this week. Follow @AfarMedia on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠TikTok⁠ for behind-the-scenes IPW content. ⁠Sign up⁠ for our travel industry newsletter, Afar Advisor. Rate and review the show to help other travel professionals discover these insights. Explore our other podcasts, ⁠Travel Tales⁠ and ⁠Unpacked⁠. This IPW 2026 special series was recorded live. View From Afar is a production of Afar Media and a part of Airwave Media's podcast network (email ⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast). The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with assistance from Michelle Baran and Billie Cohen. Music composition from Epidemic Sound. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a special IPW 2026 series of View From Afar. In this episode, recorded live from the conference floor, Visit Huntington Beach president and CEO John Urdi sits down with Afar deputy editor Michelle Baran, who happens to have grown up in Surf City USA, for one of our most personal travel industry interviews yet: a plan to turn Surf City USA from a day trip into an overnight destination. John took the helm of Visit Huntington Beach in late 2024 after building and leading Mammoth Lakes Tourism, a move from the mountains to the sea, with earlier stops at the U.S. Travel Association and Visit California. He even married on the beach at Tower 11. In this episode, John and Michelle discuss: Why only about a quarter of Huntington Beach visitors currently stay overnight, and how the team grew conference bookings from 56,000 to 87,000 room nights on the way to a six-figure goal The Tourism Business Improvement District funding model, how a visitor-funded assessment supports both marketing and the visitor experience, and how it fuels a more sustainable tourism strategy How privatizing that funding gives a smaller destination the agility to chase markets it never could before, from Japan to Australia What it takes to convert day-trippers into hotel guests without losing the free-spirited beach town that locals love How John is navigating a destination that has drawn polarizing national headlines, and his plant-more-flowers philosophy of promoting 10 miles of open coastline while welcoming all visitors What a beach town can learn from a mountain town about taking a destination to the next level This is one in a series of travel industry interviews and tourism experts interviews recorded live at IPW 2026, part of View From Afar's ongoing look at travel trends 2026, destination management, and the travel marketing strategies that reshape a place's story. For a candid look at the future of Surf City USA, it is a front-row conversation with one of the hospitality industry leaders shaping what comes next. Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to View From Afar 00:01:30 From Mammoth to the Beach 00:03:00 Building the Hotel Funding Model 00:05:30 Planting Flowers, Not Weeds 00:09:00 Live Between Waves 00:11:30 What's Next on the Waterfront 00:16:00 The World Cup and LA28 Opportunity Resources Visit Surf City USA Find Visit Huntington Beach on Instagram and Facebook Explore Afar's California travel guide Stay Connected Subscribe to View From Afar to catch all our IPW 2026 episodes this week. Follow @AfarMedia on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠TikTok⁠ for behind-the-scenes IPW content. ⁠Sign up⁠ for our travel industry newsletter, Afar Advisor. Rate and review the show to help other travel professionals discover these insights. Explore our other podcasts, ⁠Travel Tales⁠ and ⁠Unpacked⁠. This IPW 2026 special series was recorded live. View From Afar is a production of Afar Media and a part of Airwave Media's podcast network (email ⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast). The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with assistance from Michelle Baran and Billie Cohen. Music composition from Epidemic Sound. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a special IPW 2026 series of View From Afar. In this episode, recorded live from the conference floor, Explore Minnesota executive director Lauren Bennett McGinty sits down with Afar editorial director Billie Cohen for one of our most heartfelt travel industry interviews yet: a look at how Minnesota tourism answered one of the hardest years in the state's memory. Lauren leads tourism for a state that spent the past year in the national spotlight for reasons far beyond travel, from federal enforcement activity and tensions with Canada to a ruling on mining near the Boundary Waters. Her question became how to talk about Minnesota tourism in a way that feels human rather than tone-deaf. In this episode, Lauren and Billie discuss: How the Star of the North campaign made authenticity the baseline, inviting outsiders to tell Minnesota's story because locals are too humble to brag The idea of neighborism, the notion that Minnesota nice means digging your neighbor out of the snowbank no matter what, and the Come Visit Your Neighbors campaign it inspired The love letter to Minnesota, a fast, low-budget spot mixing nostalgic footage with voices like Chef Yia Vang, Olympian Jessie Diggins, and former Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak Real numbers from that two-week push, 900,000 people reached and nearly 30,000 clicks at a 9.5 percent engagement rate Why the Explore Minnesota homepage now invites people to move there, and how tourism and relocation feed each other The under-the-radar Minnesota Lauren loves, from the St. Croix Valley pottery tour to Franconia Sculpture Park This is one in a series of travel industry interviews and tourism experts interviews recorded live at IPW 2026, part of View From Afar's ongoing look at travel trends 2026, travel marketing strategies, and the travel industry challenges of promoting a place in a hard moment. For an honest look at Minnesota tourism under pressure, it is a front-row conversation with one of the hospitality industry leaders shaping the future of travel. Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to View From Afar 00:01:50 The Tough Year Behind the Headlines 00:05:30 Defining Neighborism 00:07:30 A Love Letter to Minnesota 00:11:30 Why People Are Moving There 00:14:40 Small Towns, Big Nutcrackers 00:17:20 Lessons for Other Destinations Resources Visit Explore Minnesota Find Explore Minnesota on Instagram and Facebook Explore Afar's Minnesota travel guide Stay Connected Subscribe to View From Afar to catch all our IPW 2026 episodes this week. Follow @AfarMedia on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠TikTok⁠ for behind-the-scenes IPW content. ⁠Sign up⁠ for our travel industry newsletter, Afar Advisor. Rate and review the show to help other travel professionals discover these insights. Explore our other podcasts, ⁠Travel Tales⁠ and ⁠Unpacked⁠. This IPW 2026 special series was recorded live. View From Afar is a production of Afar Media and a part of Airwave Media's podcast network (email ⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast). The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with assistance from Michelle Baran and Billie Cohen. Music composition from Epidemic Sound. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a special IPW 2026 series of View From Afar. In this episode, recorded live from the conference floor, Domenic Bravo⁠, executive director of the ⁠Wyoming Office of Tourism⁠, sits down with Afar deputy editor Michelle Baran for one of our most grounded travel industry interviews yet: a look at Wyoming tourism beyond its world-famous icons, from a leader who started his career as a park ranger. Domenic moved to Wyoming in 2008 to become the state park director and stepped into the top tourism role about six months ago. He leads a state that leans on Yellowstone and Grand Teton as hooks, then works to send visitors toward the lesser-known jewels most people never find. In this episode, Domenic and Michelle discuss: How Wyoming tourism disperses crowds beyond the icons, from timing park visits to spotlighting overlooked corners of the state Why the market is still mostly domestic, how Canada has been the biggest drop, and why summer bookings remain solid Dark skies clear enough to see the Milky Way, Devil's Tower marking 120 years as the first national monument, and a food scene that surprises How the state hands the mic to Indigenous communities to tell their own stories The case for tourism as an economic engine, and why advocating for it takes constant repetition A hypothetical family road trip, from Fossil Butte to a working dude ranch, plus the pitchfork fondue you have to see to believe Why the country's highest concentration of dude ranches still draws locals on a Friday night, not just tourists Why winter, from snowmobiling near bison to the Buffalo Bill Center in Cody, is the season Wyoming wants you to rediscover This is one in a series of travel industry interviews and tourism experts interviews recorded live at IPW 2026, part of View From Afar's ongoing look at travel trends 2026, sustainable tourism, and the destination management ideas neighboring states are sharing. For a fresh read on Wyoming tourism in a milestone year for a state of firsts, it is a front-row conversation with one of the hospitality industry leaders shaping what comes next. Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome From the Floor of IPW 00:01:30 Beyond Yellowstone's Front Door 00:06:30 Devils Tower, Dark Skies, and Surprises 00:08:00 The Wind River Story 00:14:00 A Road Trip for the Bay Area Family 00:17:30 Real Dude Ranches and Pitchfork Fondue 00:20:30 What's Coming, From Sheridan to Snow Resources Visit Travel Wyoming Find the Wyoming Office of Tourism on Instagram and Facebook Explore Afar's Wyoming travel guide Stay Connected Subscribe to View From Afar to catch all our IPW 2026 episodes this week. Follow @AfarMedia on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠TikTok⁠ for behind-the-scenes IPW content. ⁠Sign up⁠ for our travel industry newsletter, Afar Advisor. Rate and review the show to help other travel professionals discover these insights. Explore our other podcasts, ⁠Travel Tales⁠ and ⁠Unpacked⁠. This IPW 2026 special series was recorded live. View From Afar is a production of Afar Media and a part of Airwave Media's podcast network (email ⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast). The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with assistance from Michelle Baran and Billie Cohen. Music composition from Epidemic Sound. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a special scene-setter for our IPW 2026 series of View From Afar. In this episode, U.S. Travel Association president and CEO Geoff Freeman sits down again with Afar deputy editor Michelle Baran, one year after their last IPW conversation, for one of our most wide-ranging travel industry interviews yet: a candid read on the travel trends 2026 will hinge on. Geoff leads the trade group that advocates for the U.S. travel industry and puts on IPW each year. He and Michelle pick up where they left off, tracing a year of striking contrasts for American travel. In this episode, Geoff and Michelle discuss: The resilience of the domestic traveler, and a record quarter for hotels even through a government shutdown and hours-long TSA lines Why the U.S. was the only country in the world to see international visitation decline, with Canadian travel down more than 20 percent Geoff's blunt view of federal shutdowns, and U.S. Travel's push to carve TSA and air traffic control out of future standoffs The split screen in the numbers, a 2.6 trillion dollar contribution to GDP and 24.4 million jobs, set against a 5.5 percent drop in international visitors How a proposed 250 dollar visa fee and long visa wait times risk making the country less competitive just as demand runs high How competitors are capitalizing, from booming travel to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean to China easing entry for European visitors, even as American travel demand stays historically high Why the World Cup is both a huge opportunity and a test, and how travel still works as diplomacy This is the scene-setter for a series of travel industry interviews and tourism experts interviews recorded around IPW 2026, part of View From Afar's ongoing look at travel trends 2026, travel industry news, and the travel industry challenges facing inbound U.S. travel. For the big-picture context behind the travel trends 2026 will be defined by, it is a front-row conversation with one of the hospitality industry leaders shaping the future of travel. Chapters 00:00:00 Resilience and the Inbound Decline 00:06:00 Aviation as a Political Hostage 00:11:00 The Perception Gap 00:14:00 Winning Canadians Back 00:19:00 What's New at IPW 2026 00:28:00 Travel as Diplomacy Resources Listen to last year's conversation with Geoff Freeman, recorded live at IPW Chicago Read Geoff's Afar op-ed, Welcoming Travelers When America Feels Challenged Explore Afar's World Cup guide Learn more about the U.S. Travel Association and IPW Catch the Live From IPW episodes starting May 20, featuring executives representing destinations from Seattle to Puerto Rico Stay Connected Subscribe to View From Afar to catch all 14 IPW episodes next week Follow @AfarMedia on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠TikTok⁠ for behind-the-scenes IPW content. ⁠Sign up⁠ for our travel industry newsletter, Afar Advisor. Explore our other podcasts, ⁠Travel Tales⁠, where we share first-person narratives of trips that have changed us, and ⁠⁠⁠Unpacked⁠⁠⁠, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you bring ultra‑luxury hospitality to the high seas? For Anna Nash, President of Explora Journeys, it starts with reimagining ocean travel as a floating boutique hotel experience rooted in European elegance, emotional connection, and slow‑travel sensibilities. In this episode of View From Afar, Anna joins Afar deputy editor Michelle Baran to discuss how Explora Journeys is redefining cruising for a new generation of travelers — from sustainability innovations and destination stewardship to culinary excellence and family‑forward programming that avoids the typical mega‑ship clichés. In This Episode You’ll Learn How Explora Journeys blends luxury hotel DNA with ocean travel to attract the “cruise‑averse” guest. Why European ownership and MSC Group’s maritime heritage shape the brand’s culture, design, and global mix of guests. How Explora approaches sustainability — from LNG‑powered ships to shore‑power readiness and MSC Foundation partnerships. What smaller‑port itineraries, longer stays, and curated excursions mean for combating overtourism. How the brand balances sophistication with thoughtful, screen‑free family programming. Key Moments [06:12] Why Explora thinks of its ships as “floating boutique hotels.” [12:40] How European elegance and a global guest mix shape the onboard experience. [18:55] What LNG power and shore‑power capabilities mean for sustainability. [25:10] How Explora designs itineraries to avoid crowds and support local economies. [33:22] A monastery visit in Patmos that surprises even cruise skeptics. [41:05] Why thoughtful kids’ programming doesn’t require waterslides. [48:30] A preview of Explora III, Asia itineraries, and the brand’s first World Journey. Resources Explore Explora Journeys itineraries and ships Learn more about the MSC Foundation Follow Anna Nash on LinkedIn Stay Connected Sign up⁠ for our travel industry newsletter, Afar Advisor. Sign up for our podcast newsletter, ⁠⁠Behind the Mic⁠⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. Explore our other podcasts, ⁠Unpacked,⁠ where we dig into the trickiest topics in travel, and ⁠⁠Travel Tales⁠⁠, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us. View From Afar is part of ⁠⁠Airwave Media⁠⁠'s podcast network. Please contact ⁠⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nayara Resorts is confronting one of tourism's most overlooked problems—the housing crisis that forces local workers out of their communities in remote areas—by building homes for its most vulnerable employees. In this ILTM episode, recorded live in Cannes, Leo Ghitis, CEO of Nayara Resorts, joins Afar editor in chief Julia Cosgrove to discuss how the luxury resort group is addressing both environmental devastation and social inequality in Latin America's rural communities. Leo shares Nayara's 15-year evolution from "improvising" regenerative travel to implementing a 10-year strategic plan with environmental consultants. The results include planting 40,000 trees to restore a barren mountain in Costa Rica, creating the only carbon-neutral luxury hotel in Chile, and operating a 100 percent off-grid island resort in Panama powered entirely by solar energy. But it's Nayara's housing project that represents its most ambitious social initiative—subdividing land near its Costa Rica properties to provide subsidized lots and mortgages to female-headed households, with no requirement that recipients continue working at the resort. As Leo explains, meaningful luxury today isn't about escaping the world but engaging with it in a safe, sensitive way—and younger travelers increasingly choose hotels based on their positive impact rather than their amenities. What You'll Learn Nayara eliminated plastics 15 years ago and now operates carbon-neutral properties across Costa Rica, with its Chilean property earning the country's highest ecological certification The resort's reforestation project transformed a barren mountain into a thriving ecosystem with birds, monkeys, and sloths after 10 years and 40,000 planted trees Short-term rentals like Airbnb have created a housing crisis in rural tourism areas by pricing out local workers from traditional rental housing Younger travelers ask Nayara's reservation team about environmental and community impact before asking about rates or amenities Key Moments [3:11] Leo reveals how hiring environmental consultants transformed Nayara from "improvising" sustainability to following a strategic 10-year plan with measurable goals [10:36] Discussion of tourism's dark side: how fathers leave rural communities for city work and never return, leaving vulnerable families behind [13:00] The housing project details: providing subsidized land and mortgages to female-headed households with no strings attached to employment [21:09] Leo's observation that meaningful luxury has shifted from "extravagance and hedonistic luxury" to guests wanting to connect with nature, place, and themselves Resources Visit the Nayara Resorts website for property information Read an in-depth, first-person review of Nayara Bocas del Toro in Panama on afar.com. Discover ILTM Cannes where this conversation was recorded Explore Nayara's sustainability initiatives and community programs Stay Connected ⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our travel industry newsletter, Afar Advisor. Sign up for our podcast newsletter,⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Behind the Mic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. Explore our other podcasts,⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Unpacked,⁠⁠⁠⁠ where we dig into the trickiest topics in travel, and⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Travel Tales⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us. View From Afar is part of⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Airwave Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠'s podcast network. Please contact ⁠⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast. This ILTM special series was recorded live in Cannes, France. View From Afar is a production of Afar. The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Langham Hospitality Group is proving that heritage brands can innovate without losing their soul, transforming historic buildings into contemporary luxury destinations while maintaining the personal service that defines true hospitality. In this ILTM⁠ (International Luxury Travel Market), recorded live in Cannes, Bob van den Oord, CEO of Langham Hospitality Group, joins Afar editor-in-chief Julia Cosgrove to share how he's guided the 160-year-old brand through thoughtful expansion that honors its British legacy while embracing modern wellness, design, and guest expectations. Bob discusses Langham's journey from opening Europe's first grand hotel with elevators in 1865 to current projects converting iconic buildings—from Chicago's former IBM building to Bangkok's historic Custom House—into luxury properties that tell compelling local stories. The brand now operates with what Bob calls "a British heart, an Asian soul, and a global mindset," creating spaces where posh pubs coexist with traditional Chinese medicine spas and cooking schools share space with world-class bars. Bob also explores the challenge of attracting Gen Z talent to hospitality through specialized academies and how the "Langham Way" of unscripted, authentic service remains the brand's non-negotiable standard across all properties. What You'll Learn The "Langham Way" emphasizes unscripted, authentic service where staff have freedom to engage personally with guests and tell their own stories Modern luxury travelers seek "freedom of time and freedom of space," driving Langham to expand room sizes to 50 square meters and invest millions in garden landscapes Langham selects properties with compelling stories—from Venice's glass factory to Boston's Federal Reserve bank—that help connect guests to local heritage The brand operates four specialized academies (Chinese cuisine, traditional Chinese medicine, pastry, and bar) to attract and develop young talent in hospitality Key Moments [2:30] Bob reveals why he decided to add a "posh pub" to the London property, proving luxury can embrace unexpected elements [3:37] Discussion of a guest's "love letter" describing how staff remember his martini preference and cappuccino style, embodying the Langham Way [9:53] Bob explains Langham's wellness expansion, from traditional Chinese medicine spas to pickleball courts and partnership with Sleep Matters for comprehensive sleep programs [13:27] The talent challenge: How Langham's academy system aims to make hospitality "sexy again" for Gen Z workers Resources Visit the Langham Hospitality Group website for property information and bookings Read our coverage of Langham on afar.com, including a conversation between Bob and Afar senior deputy editor Jennifer Flowers. Discover ILTM Cannes where this conversation was recorded Stay Connected Sign up⁠ for our travel industry newsletter, Afar Advisor. Sign up for our podcast newsletter, ⁠⁠Behind the Mic⁠⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. Explore our other podcasts, ⁠Unpacked,⁠ where we dig into the trickiest topics in travel, and ⁠⁠Travel Tales⁠⁠, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us. View From Afar is part of⁠ ⁠⁠Airwave Media⁠⁠⁠'s podcast network. Please contact ⁠⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast. This ILTM special series was recorded live in Cannes, France. View From Afar is a production of Afar. The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For more than four decades, Matthew Upchurch has been a driving force behind how high-end travel is sold, experienced, and understood. As CEO of ⁠Virtuoso⁠ , one of the world's leading luxury travel networks, he's championed human connection in an increasingly digital world and advocated for the enduring value of trusted advisors and transformative, purpose-driven travel. In this ILTM episode, recorded live in Cannes, Afar cofounder Joe Diaz sits down with Matthew to discuss how the luxury sector is evolving, what personalization really means today, and where he sees the next opportunities for meaningful travel experiences. The conversation explores how AI is reshaping the advisor role, why debriefing clients is the most underrated skill in the business, and how intergenerational collaboration is breathing new life into travel advising. What You'll Learn • Matthew's philosophy of "automate the predictable so you can humanize the exceptional" and how AI amplifies rather than replaces advisors • The critical difference between service (what you do) and hospitality (how you make someone feel doing it) • Why the quality of the post-trip debrief is the number one factor that separates transactional agents from trusted advisors • The concept of "unique ability teams" and why pairing right-brain relationship builders with left-brain logistics experts creates exponential value • How the travel advisor profession has evolved from GDS "human ATMs" to unchained creative professionals • The "FOMO to Slowmo" trend and other shifts in how luxury travelers approach their journeys Key Moments • [02:00] Matthew introduces his most quoted line: "Automate the predictable so that you can humanize the exceptional" • [03:30] Will Guidara's definition of hospitality: "Service is that thing you do. Hospitality is how you make somebody feel doing that thing you do" • [05:00] The framework: what do you do before, during, and after travel—and why the debrief matters most • [08:00] Anne Scully's game-changing question: "If you could change one thing about that trip, what would it be?" • [09:30] The evolution of travel advisors from the 1950s Pan Am era through GDS to the iPhone-enabled present • [12:00] The unique ability concept: what drains you vs. what recharges you, and building teams around this distinction • [14:00] Chip Conley's wisdom: "I'll lend you some of my EQ for some of your DQ"—the power of intergenerational collaboration • [18:00] The creative tension of sophisticated travelers: returning to beloved places vs. exploring the new • [20:00] Why advisors should help clients think strategically about their "most valuable non-renewable asset"—free leisure time Resources • Learn more about Virtuoso and their global network of travel advisors • Read Patrick Lencioni's The Advantage and Five Dysfunctions of a Team, referenced by Matthew • Explore Chip Conley's book Wisdom at Work: The Making of a Modern Elder • Learn about ILTM Cannes where this conversation was recorded Stay Connected ⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠ for our travel industry newsletter, Afar Advisor. Sign up for our podcast newsletter,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Behind the Mic⁠⁠⁠⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. Explore our other podcasts,⁠⁠ ⁠Unpacked,⁠⁠⁠ where we dig into the trickiest topics in travel, and⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Travel Tales⁠⁠⁠⁠, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us. View From Afar is part of⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Airwave Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠'s podcast network. Please contact ⁠⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast. This ILTM special series was recorded live in Cannes, France. View From Afar is a production of Afar. The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matter of Form is proving that luxury travel brands need therapy—not to fix what's broken, but to discover what makes them singular in a sea of "elevated experiences" and "art of luxury" clichés. In this ILTM episode, recorded live in Cannes, Anant Sharma, founder and CEO of Matter of Form, joins Afar cofounder Joe Diaz to dissect why luxury hospitality has become awash with homogenized language and how brands can reclaim their confidence through clarity of purpose. With 60 people working across continents, the London-based Matter of Form has transformed hospitality giants like Aman Resorts, Belmond, Mandarin Oriental, and Lindblad by finding the unspoken truths within organizations. The conversation explores luxury travel's eight percent compound annual growth and $1.38 trillion market size, and why bigger isn't always better when everyone's competing with identical promises. What You'll Learn The luxury travel market's growth creates more competition and pushes brands toward clichéd language like "elevated experiences" and "being in the heart of" destinations Successful luxury brands must identify which aspect of their guests' personality they're appealing to and deliver on that singular promise Matter of Form provides three key values: outside perspective, forcing clients to make time for change, and understanding what's not explicitly stated Organizational design and stakeholder values reveal more about a brand's true identity than their marketing materials Key Moments [2:25] Anant traces his path from magazine-obsessed kid with authority issues to luxury brand consultant via a 10-year transformation journey with Aman Resorts [7:36] The homogenization problem: "You can't tell people how to feel. You need to invite them into a stage that makes them feel something" [10:17] Why branding is like therapy: helping intelligent, creative leaders see past their blind spots and find what's naturally special about their culture [12:20] Joe identifies the core issue: luxury brands lack confidence to step into who they truly are, and matter of form gives them permission to be themselves Resources Visit the Matter of Form website for case studies and insights Listen to Anant's podcast, What The Luxe, exploring modern luxury concepts Learn about ILTM Cannes where this conversation was recorded Stay Connected ⁠Sign up⁠⁠ for our travel industry newsletter, Afar Advisor. Sign up for our podcast newsletter,⁠ ⁠⁠Behind the Mic⁠⁠⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. Explore our other podcasts,⁠ ⁠Unpacked,⁠⁠ where we dig into the trickiest topics in travel, and⁠ ⁠⁠Travel Tales⁠⁠⁠, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us. View From Afar is part of⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Airwave Media⁠⁠⁠⁠'s podcast network. Please contact ⁠⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast. This ILTM special series was recorded live in Cannes, France. View From Afar is a production of Afar. The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices