Travel Trends Podcast Summit V3 unveils first speakers | News
The Travel Trends Podcast today announced that the Virtual Summit V3 has expanded capacity to 2,500 free registrations, thanks to overwhelming support from global travel industry partners.
Taking place on October 28 and 29, 2026, the Travel Trends Podcast Virtual Summit V3 will bring together travel leaders, innovators, technology pioneers, destination marketers, consultants, operators and hospitality professionals to explore the future of travel through this year’s theme: Beyond AI.
As artificial intelligence rapidly moves from experimentation to implementation, the travel industry is entering a new phase of transformation. While AI remains a critical topic, travel leaders are increasingly focused on broader questions around customer behavior, distribution, loyalty, sustainability and the future business models that will define the next decade. The Summit’s Beyond AI theme aims to explore these larger shifts and help organizations prepare for what comes next.
The announcement marks another milestone in the event’s growth. Since its launch in 2024, the Travel Trends Summit has doubled its attendance each year and has grown into a global gathering of travel executives, entrepreneurs, investors, technologists and destination leaders.
This year’s expansion to 2,500 free registrations reflects both the growing demand for meaningful conversations shaping the future of travel and Travel Trends Podcast’s commitment to making the event as accessible as possible. While participation has been ticketed in previous years, strong support from partners has enabled the Summit to remove barriers to participation and provide free entry to travel professionals from around the world.
The first wave of more than 30 confirmed speakers includes leaders from some of the industry’s most influential organizations, including:
Chris Hemmeter, co-founder and managing partner, Thayer Ventures
Shane O’Flaherty, global director of travel and hospitality, Microsoft
Janette Roush, Senior Vice President, Innovation & Chief AI Officer, Brand USA
Jake Peters, CTO and Co-Founder, Fora
Susan DeBottis, vice president and general manager, Lonely Planet
Stuart Greif, Chief Innovation Officer, Forbes Travel Guide
“We are incredibly grateful to our partners who have made it possible for us to grow our audience,” said Dan Christian, host and founder of the Travel Trends Podcast. “The industry response has exceeded our expectations. Beyond AI, it’s not just about technology, it’s about understanding how travel itself will evolve. The organizations that will succeed in the next decade will be the ones that can connect innovation, customer experience, business and human insight into a cohesive strategy. That’s the conversation we’re bringing together at this year’s Summit.”
The Travel Trends Podcast would like to recognize the support and leadership of their partners, including:
TourRadar, Kaptio, Fora, Travel AI, Railbookers, Propellic, Belvera Partners, Pinerary, Tripian, Deloitte, TripRecos, iWander, GuestOS, Arival and Phocuswright
Together, these organizations help create an accessible platform for meaningful conversations about innovation, technology, customer experience, distribution, sustainability and the next era of travel transformation.
Visitors can expect
Visionary keynote presentations from tour leaders and innovators
Panel discussions by executives on the future of travel
AI and emerging technology insights
Travel advisor, maker and entrepreneurial perspective
Destination and tourism leadership sessions
Networking opportunities with travel professionals from all over the world
The Summit is part of the Travel Trends Podcast’s ongoing investigation into how the travel industry is moving beyond AI adoption and preparing for the next decade of transformation, growth, disruption and opportunity. Additional speakers and the full agenda will be shared in July.
Registration is now open and 2,500 free passes are available.
For registration and the latest speaker announcements, visit: https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/travel-trends-summit-2026
