Travel Trends with Dan Christian

Send us a textStart the new year with a clear-eyed plan for transformational travel. In the final episode of our Sustainability Series, we sit down with Dr. Susanne Etti, Intrepid’s Global Environmental Impact Manager, to explore how one of the world’s leading adventure brands is moving sustainability from promises to proof-phasing out offsets, investing directly in decarbonization, and expanding carbon measurement to include the full customer lifecycle, even flights they don’t sell.Dr. Etti breaks down Intrepid’s three-pillar approach. First: rigorous measurement and transparent reporting that capture everything from on-trip transport and lodging to meals, waste, and now customer air travel. Second: deep decarbonization, including EV adoption for ground transfers, renewable energy across global offices, and itinerary redesigns that remove flights where safe and feasible. Third: climate literacy and advocacy, empowering teams worldwide to understand the data, communicate tradeoffs honestly, and guide travelers with carbon labels and clear storytelling.For travelers, choosing better is about recognizing the signals that matter: B Corp certification, public impact reports, carbon-label transparency, local leadership on trips, and partnerships that support ecosystems and communities. For operators, the roadmap is practical and actionable, measure accurately, engage suppliers, design lower-carbon products, educate teams, and stay transparent about the challenges. Intrepid’s 2030 goal - an 8% reduction across the full customer journey illustrates what accountability at scale truly looks like.This episode is a grounded, hopeful blueprint for anyone who wants travel to be both meaningful now and sustainable long into the future.Thanks to Intrepid for sponsoring this series! 👉 Listen to Climate Leadership in Action: Inside Intrepid’s Decarbonization Now🔥 Special Thanks to our Season 6 Title Sponsors for their Support: Holafly, Propellic, PayCompass, Kaptio, Civitatis and WeRoadThe #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds. https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/

Send us a textImagine a travel company where the business itself fuels impact, not just through donations but through ownership. That is the UnTours story. In this episode, CEO Jonathan Coleman shares how the world’s first certified B Corp tour operator became part of a foundation that invests every dollar into small businesses creating meaningful change in destinations.Jonathan walks us through Hal and Norma Taussig’s remarkable origin story, beginning with apartment-based, slow travel in the 1970s and evolving into a vow of poverty that redirected profits into a foundation, eventually transferring company ownership. We then explore the Reset Tourism Fund, which transforms corporate philanthropy from partners such as Expedia Group, TUI Care Foundation, Skyscanner, Tourism Cares, Agoda and XO into flexible, low-interest loans for small tourism enterprises. The results are tangible and people-centered, from Invisible Cities training individuals who experienced homelessness to become tour guides, to Greether creating safer experiences for solo women, to inclusive LGBTQ+ travel initiatives in Colombia that combine safety with cultural immersion.The conversation also moves beyond offsets into the deeper work of sustainability. Jonathan explains why aligning all foundation assets with mission is essential, how consumer expectations are shifting as greenwashing becomes easier to spot, and why measurement must come before management. Listeners will come away with clear guidance on what to look for as travelers, including transparent certifications and local ownership, and what to prioritize as industry leaders, from supplier selection to risk-sharing models that build more equitable and climate-conscious tourism systems.Tourism represents about 10% of global GDP, jobs, and emissions. Where our industry goes, the world follows. Thanks to Intrepid for sponsoring this series! 👉 Listen to Where Sustainable Travel Meets Impact Investing Now🔥 Special Thanks to our Season 6 Title Sponsors for their Support: Holafly, Propellic, PayCompass, Kaptio, Civitatis and WeRoadThe #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds. https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/

Send us a textA century-old highway is about to steal the spotlight again. In episode three of our 10-part Travelzoo Best Bets Series, Dan and Travelzoo Senior Editor (and co-host) Gabe Saglie head to Arizona’s storied stretch of Route 66 with guest Nikki Terlesky, Director of Operations for the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona. Together, they explore why the Mother Road still embodies freedom, spontaneity, and Americana—especially as the U.S. approaches its 250th birthday. From neon-lit motor lodges to desert bends that test your steering, this is road-tripping at its most evocative.You’ll get a practical 2026 game plan: the best times to go, how weather shifts with elevation from Kingman to Flagstaff, and how to layer in icons like the Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, and Meteor Crater. Expect insider picks too including Winslow’s famous corner and La Posada, Flagstaff’s restored vintage motels and centennial exhibits, and the GuideAlong GPS tour that turns the drive into a living museum.Along the way, we trace the roots of diner and motel culture, the postwar birth of the family road trip, and why international travelers still flock here for classic burgers, milkshakes, and glowing neon. The result isn’t just nostalgia—it’s an authenticity-rich, digital-detox adventure where the road itself becomes the destination.If 2026 is your year to rediscover the open road, Arizona’s Route 66 delivers history, scenery, and pure fun in one timeless drive.New episodes drop every Tuesday, each featuring local experts who bring these Best Bets to life. Become a member at travelzoo.com to access exclusive offers.The #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds. https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/

Send us a textThe rails are buzzing for a reason: travelers want flexible journeys, city-center convenience, and window-seat scenery without the stress. At the Railbookers Global Summit, we sat down with CEO Frank Marini and three of his senior leaders to explore how a remote-first culture, deep trade partnerships, and an ambitious AI strategy are powering the renaissance of rail travel.Frank breaks down a record year—27% growth overall and 39% in luxury rail—and why small groups and pre- and post-cruise extensions are surging. VP of Marketing Kaitlyn Birkinshaw reveals how AI-driven content, conversational podcasts, and a global advisor toolbox are making travel advisors rail-fluent. SVP of Product Andrew Channell previews 2026 highlights: Switzerland–Italy combinations, rising demand for Norway, Alaska and the Canadian Rockies, and the new Stars and Stripes Collection celebrating America’s 250th with itineraries inspired by Route 66, Colonial America, and Lewis and Clark. SVP of Strategic Partnerships Jim Marini explains how advisors win with instant quotes, two-year booking windows, and one-to-one support that simplifies even the most complex FIT.From national rail networks to luxury icons, Railbookers packages trains, hotels, sightseeing, and transfers into seamless global itineraries. Their proprietary Fast Tracks AI, a system that captures “every answer, every time”transforms 4,000 weekly calls and frontline expertise into smarter service, sharper product, and faster marketing.If you’ve ever dreamed of connecting Basel to Zermatt to St. Moritz to Milan, or pairing a cruise with a scenic sleeper, this conversation shows how rail has become one of the most modern and inspiring ways to travel today.Learn more at railbookers.comThe #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds. https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/

Send us a textThe rules of “green travel” have changed. We’re moving beyond feel-good labels to a world where travelers, advisors, and investors expect real proof, data, targets, and measurable benefits for the places we visit. To open our Sustainability Series, Shannon Guihan, Chief Sustainability Officer at The Travel Corporation, joins us to unpack what credible impact looks like in 2026 and how operators of any size can demonstrate it.We trace an origin story from Newfoundland’s cod collapse to the surge of unplanned tourism that followed, illuminating why sustainability is really destination quality control. Shannon cuts through the sustainable vs. regenerative debate by grounding it in evidence: climate action plans, supplier standards, transparent reporting, and guest experiences that keep money in local communities. She also details The Travel Corporation's approach from aligning with the UN SDGs and creating internal carbon funds to supporting ecosystem and cultural restoration through the TreadRight Foundation.We confront the price question head-on: sustainability isn’t altruism; it’s risk management, resilience, and competitive advantage. Shannon shares a clear starting framework for small inbound operators and practical guidance for advisors and travelers on what to look for—transparent data, time-bound goals, and verifiable outcomes. We end by exploring a major shift already underway: host communities asserting more control over visitor flows, seasonality, and shared value.Thanks to Intrepid for sponsoring this series! 👉 Listen to Leadership Lessons in Sustainability that Matter Now🔥 Special Thanks to our Season 6 Title Sponsors for their Support: Holafly, Propellic, PayCompass, Kaptio, Civitatis and WeRoadThe #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds. https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/