Tourism in APAC is about the enter a new growth phase, with international arrivals and domestic activity set to increase to new record volumes. I’ll share our expectations for growth in the coming years for APAC destinations, including projected performance relative to other regions, changes in source market composition, as well as any potential risks and opportunities for the tourism sector on the horizon.
Asia’s tourism story is nothing short of phenomenal; powering more than half of global growth and reshaping the way the world travels. With new airports, rising outbound demand, and booming arrivals, the region’s momentum is unstoppable. But what’s next? This session uncovers how Asia can turn rapid growth into long-term success by building sustainable communities that put people and local businesses at the heart of travel.
From designing itineraries into secondary cities to delivering authentic experiences that today’s travellers crave, we’ll explore how tourism can become a true force for good. Join us as we connect the dots for the future of travel in Asia.
With tourism on the rise globally, tourists are becoming increasingly demanding: sustainability, hyper-personalisation and AI generated travel itineraries might be common buzzwords, but what can industry leaders do to stay ahead of their peers?
Join Lovrenc Kessler and gain insights from Simon-Kucher’s latest global tourism study and the implications for senior management.
Travel is being disrupted – and VCs are chasing what’s next. From AI trip planning to borderless mobility, the industry is ripe for reinvention. In this session, get a front-row seat to how top investors are sizing up the space: What trends are real? What’s hype? And where’s the smart money going? We’ll dive into the models, signals, and sectors VCs are betting on – from seamless payments to climate-conscious travel tech. Whether you’re building, backing, or scanning the horizon, this is your insider look at the bold ideas and breakout startups shaping the future of travel.
As the global travel landscape evolves, the expectations of travellers are undergoing a dramatic transformation. To ensure long-term success, destinations must innovate and adapt to these changing preferences. Gone are the days when travellers were satisfied with traditional offerings—today’s visitors demand personalised, seamless, and immersive experiences that cater to their unique interests and values.
Join us in this series of talks by national tourism organisations (NTOs) from around the world and be inspired by how destinations are evolving in response to these shifts, integrating both technology and authenticity to create unforgettable, future-proof experiences and position themselves for sustained growth in the years ahead.
Asia is a region of contrasts. Business travellers expect personalised service and seamless support, while organisations face increasing pressure to manage costs. Many companies embrace technology—but still value the reassurance of human connection. Ajt the same time, the MICE industry continues to grow, demanding creativity, efficiency, and unforgettable experiences.
The travel industry is undergoing a profound transformation as technology continues to drive innovation, offering businesses new opportunities to enhance their offerings, streamline operations, and meet the evolving expectations of today’s connected traveller. As consumer demands shift towards personalisation, efficiency, and seamless experiences, travel companies are increasingly leveraging advanced technologies to stay ahead of the curve.
Join us as industry experts gather to explore how travel companies are embracing these technologies to innovate and the impact of these advancements on the future of travel, emerging trends, and the challenges of driving innovation in an industry that is constantly evolving.
In today’s MICE landscape, networking is no longer about collecting the most business cards — it’s about creating purposeful connections that drive real outcomes. This session explores how organisers can move beyond transactional introductions to design experiences that deliver both ROI and serendipity for their attendees.
Moderated by Errol Lim, the discussion will dive into:
Attendees will gain insider perspectives on how to build collaborative, high-impact networks that don’t just connect people but empower them to achieve tangible results.
Join us for the launch of Skyscanner’s latest Horizons Report. Based on a survey across 15 global markets and insights from the search and demand trends of our 160 million+ monthly users, this report delves in the next year of travel offering valuable insights to inform and shape your destination marketing strategies. From the latest trends in AI adoption as part of the trip-planning process, to the key factors influencing destination choice, this session will allow you to stay ahead in the ever-evolving travel landscape.
With bold new directions shaping the MICE industry, the path ahead is exciting, challenging, and full of opportunities. This panel will explore what MICE will look like by 2030 and how the industry can innovate to meet the demands of the future. MICE leaders from CVBs, associations, organisers and providers will share their perspectives on how technological breakthroughs, sustainability initiatives, and creative thinking will redefine the attendee experience and event design.
Discover how leading hotels are unlocking new revenue streams and elevating guest satisfaction through curated in-destination activities — from exclusive local tours to wellness experiences. In this fireside chat, industry experts Samantha Todd and Fran Kauzlaric will share how hotels can seamlessly connect guests to authentic experiences, enhance engagement, and create memorable stays. Samantha will reveal proven strategies and business benefits, while the session explores how blending the personal touch of hospitality with digital innovation is redefining the guest journey and fostering loyalty.
Unlock the secrets to winning the Chinese outbound travel market! Hear from one of China’s top tourism marketing leaders on how to craft content, segment audiences, and manage your brand to capture attention and grow your market share. Perfect for hotels, airlines, and tourism boards looking to expand or deepen their presence in Mainland China.
APAC is on track to become the world’s largest travel market, with flights as the true gateway to unlocking this growth. Explore how rapidly evolving distribution, driven by accelerating NDC adoption and data-driven retailing, is creating both complexity and opportunity, transforming how airlines and third-party retailers connect with travellers. Discover how to navigate complexity, streamline connections, and unlock new opportunities to capture the next wave of APAC growth.
As the global travel landscape continues to evolve, the tours and activities sector plays a crucial role in shaping memorable, meaningful travel experiences. Traveller expectations have shifted towards a more conscious, thoughtful approach to travel, with increased demand for sustainable options, local cultural immersion, and responsible tourism.
Join us as we discuss strategies for experience providers to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving industry, offering insights on how to adapt to new market demands and build long-term customer loyalty.
From inflation and rising costs to supply-chain challenges and geopolitical uncertainty, meeting professionals are finding it difficult to make decisions related to the business of events. What will the conditions look like in the next year? What will the new reality look like? And how are other meeting professionals overcoming current obstacles to grow business? Much is uncertain, but current projections can help. Deep dive into MPI’s most recent Meetings Outlook research, published quarterly in The Meeting Professional magazine, and then discuss the trends that are most affecting you and your peers.
Learner Outcomes:
Seamless mobile access, supported by technologies like eSIM, is gradually reshaping the way we travel. By reducing traditional barriers, it makes staying online more effortless and convenient. This trend is beginning to influence areas such as tourism, remote work, and business travel, with major tech players like Apple and Google moving toward eSIM-only devices. As adoption extends into wearables, IoT, and enterprise, travellers are showing increasing interest in simpler, more predictable, and borderless experiences — encouraging the industry to continue adapting.
The next five years will see corporate travel reshaped by technology far beyond AI alone. In this presentation we will discuss what travel managers and TMCs must prepare for five key shifts: biometric-enabled ecosystems; hyper-personalised, bundled experiences that merge business and leisure; sustainability tools with real-time carbon tracking; seamless connectivity through IoT and 5G infrastructure; and unified travel and expense systems delivering control and insight. While generative AI will underpin each of these areas, it is an enabler rather than the sole focus—enhancing efficiency, anticipating needs, and personalising engagement without replacing the human expertise central to effective travel management.
If you want to be a millionaire, start with a billion dollars and launch an airline,” the old joke goes. But is it still true? This session decodes the financial DNA of aviation, tracing two and a half decades of profit swings, growth surges, and market shocks. Through a highly visual, data-rich lens, we’ll revisit the events that have shaped airlines in the 21st century. More importantly, we’ll ask: what will the next decade hold for aviation’s financial sustainability, and who will emerge as winners?
The Mekong region is redefining the future of tourism in Asia—where creativity, innovation, and sustainability meet evolving traveller expectations. As visitors seek authenticity, deeper connections, integrated offers, and seamless experiences, the region’s diverse assets in culture, history, gastronomy, nature, outdoors and adventure, islands and beaches, and wellness reveal immense untapped potential. This session explores how destinations in Southeast Asia can harness emerging trends—personalised journeys, regenerative tourism, and digital innovation—through people-centricity, agile strategies, and stronger regional collaboration to drive the Mekong region’s next wave of competitive and future-ready tourism and secure its position in a global tourism landscape.
What does 2026 hold for meetings and events? Join our exclusive session to uncover key global trends from the latest Amex GBT Meetings & Events Forecast – the industry’s leading trends barometer – and dive deep into actionable insights. Be among the first to discover how to:
Drawing on SiteMinder’s largest ever hotelier survey, Chief Product Officer Leah Rankin reveals the realities shaping hotels across Asia today, from changing market dynamics and operational pressures to the critical barriers limiting their growth. She explores how the gap between revenue-driving opportunities and hotels’ ability to capture them is creating an invisible drain on profitability and demonstrates how AI-powered intelligence holds real potential to bridge this divide. For Rankin, the direction is clear – success will increasingly come to hotels that anticipate demand, not merely react to it.
Today, consumers increasingly seek experiences that balance connection with others and personal growth. Travel is one of the only domains that enables us to access these experiences simultaneously – in turn, positively influencing consumer happiness, and enabling consumers to bridge the gap between the world they live in and their aspirations.
With travel accounting for almost a third of APAC consumers’ annual card expenditure, brands can leverage travel to foster stronger customer relationships; differentiate from competition; and deliver measurable business impact.
At this upcoming fireside chat with Katrina Nicholas, industry expert Todd Handcock will be revealing key insights that include:
In-person vs virtual, how to overcome approval hurdles, obtain sign off and ensure you are assessing your program for the future.
Explore how AI-powered chatbots are transforming hotel assistance. Faced with staffing challenges and increasing guest demands for personalisation, hotels can leverage breakthroughs in AI and seamless tech integration. By automating routine tasks, chatbots free up human staff for high-value interactions, improving guest satisfaction and operational efficiency. The APAC region, with its high mobile penetration and tech adoption, is uniquely positioned to lead this innovation. Implementing strategically, avoiding pitfalls, and embracing a Human + AI synergy will define the future of hospitality.
Sustainable tourism requires collective action and clear standards. This session explores how GSTC Standards supports destinations, accommodations, and tour operators in achieving tangible sustainability outcomes. Learn how GSTC engages governments, industry players, and stakeholders to align policies, practices, and incentives, fostering collaboration that drives real-world impact. Through examples and insights, discover how certification, partnerships, and strategic engagement can transform sustainability from a guideline into a competitive advantage, positioning businesses and destinations for a resilient and responsible tourism future.
Incentive travel trends represent $112billion in global value and are experiencing healthy growth. Corporations are continuing to see these programs as valuable growth drivers, but also as vehicles to improve company culture. How are macro-economic and geopolitical trends influencing programs and how can we continue to future-proof incentive travel?
In this session you will:
The explosion of multi-sourced travel content is reshaping how hotels reach travellers. A Sabre survey found that most agencies now juggle four or more booking systems — and many handle seven or more. For hotels, that complexity makes it harder to be visible, stand out to the right audience, and turn interest into bookings.
At the same time, travellers in Asia are demanding more choice, personalization, and seamless trip experiences. Disconnected content flows risk missed opportunities, lower conversions, and revenue leakage.
In this session, industry experts and hospitality leaders will explore how hotels can navigate the realities of Asia’s dynamic distribution environment. Discussion topics include:
Join us to hear practical strategies to transform distribution challenges into opportunities for growth in one of the world’s most competitive travel markets.
As organisations seek to create more agile, engaging, and personalised experiences, the era of the large, centralised conference is giving way to a new model: micro-events and decentralised formats. These smaller-scale gatherings – pop-ups, regional activations, satellite hubs – offer highly targeted content and interaction, making it easier to localise messaging, test ideas, and foster meaningful connections. Rather than bringing everyone to a single place, organisations are meeting audiences where they are: geographically, emotionally, and digitally.
In this session, we’ll explore:
AI can analyze preferences – but can it feel what you need & predict what you’ll do next?
As the boundaries between human and machine blur, luxury travel enters its most transformative era. In this visionary session, industry expert Mel Suntal explores how we move beyond transactional data like price, location, preference to uncover the “intent behind the intent” of the traveler. Discover how emotional intelligence, psychology, and conscious design are merging to craft journeys that are intuitive, sustainable, and deeply personal, redefining what “luxury” means in the age of intelligent travel.
This session explores hotel performance trends and outlook across Southeast Asia through 2025 and beyond. We’ll examine recovery in occupancy, ADR, and RevPAR, demand across key markets, development activity, and forward-looking data.
Attendees will gain a clear view of performance across major destinations, pipeline developments, and demand drivers. The session will also highlight strategic opportunities for operators, owners, and investors navigating this dynamic region. Join us for a data-driven look at what lies ahead for Southeast Asia’s hospitality sector.
How can you start to engage and involve your participants long before they arrive at your event? Why does it matter? In this session we’ll focus on the 2 – 4-week period before your event and explore some key tools to kickstart engagement with participants – from prepping & priming to friendly competition. So much magic can happen with a little time and creativity – let’s uncover this together.
This session discovers wellness tourism trends and sharing ideas of unique travel offers for travel agencies across wellness travel opportunities to differentiate from their competitors.
Wellness travel is another frontier for travel agencies to pursue revenue and win the games in their local markets.
Remember when cash was king, and then credit cards swept in, transforming global commerce? We are at a similar inflection point in the travel industry. A quiet revolution in payments is set to redefine how we transact globally. This session will cut through the noise, revealing why cryptocurrency payments, particularly stablecoins, are the immediate and undeniable growth engine for travel businesses in a borderless world.
Join us as we unpack the stark realities of traditional payment systems – their high fees, security vulnerabilities, and geographical limitations – and contrast them with the seamless, secure, and cost-effective solutions offered by blockchain and cryptocurrencies and learn how accepting crypto as an alternative payment unlocks access to a rapidly expanding global market of 700M+ crypto owners, a segment that spends 2.5x more on travel than traditional travellers.
