Panels + Conversations

The travel industry has made massive strides in recent years to give LGBTQ+ travelers better experiences from the start of a trip to the very end. But we still have more to learn. How can leaders in the industry better reach this community of travelers? Here, we will hear from T+L freelancers, tourism boards, and travel advisors who are doing it right.

Today’s luxury traveler is highly focused on intention. From meditation retreats and pilgrimage-inspired itineraries, to choosing destinations rooted in cultural and spiritual heritage, travel is increasingly becoming a vehicle for meaning, connection, and self-discovery. In this panel, we’ll explore how spirituality—both traditional and modern—is influencing where travelers go, how they experience a place, and what they ultimately seek to take home.

Over half of T+L readers surveyed at the start of 2025 had an “if not now, then when?” mentality about future travel plans, and 76% planned to explore a new destination. Over the past few years, the desire to seek out remote destinations and one-of-a-kind experiences has only grown. Today’s travelers want to get out of their comfort zone—and they’re going to great lengths to do it. In this panel, you’ll hear from leading tour operators, expeditioners, and travel advisors about how to reach consumers who are looking to immerse themselves on their next adventure.

Today’s travelers have higher expectations, and the experiences offered—safari, curated itineraries, a five-star hotel stay—are drastically varied. So what does “good service” really look like today? And how can we keep up?

The lines between these industries—travel and fashion—are blurring more and more. Whether heading to a destination for fashion week, borrowing luxury consignment at a hotel, or picking up a designer handbag in another country, travelers are getting savvy about their retail spending. How can businesses across industries play into this?

In the past few years, many high-end brands have moved beyond their properties into other areas of the industry. They’ve opened luxury yachts, unveiled private villas, created a “hotel within their hotel,” and even ventured into curated vacations. While of course this gives consumers the chance to travel in new ways with their favorite brand, how will it impact the service offered? Can this model be replicated?

In the ever-evolving travel space, AI is a tool we can harness to better serve our audiences. It’s streamlining the booking process at hotels, making entry into airports easier via facial recognition, and allowing tour operators to better understand their consumers. Here, we will explore how businesses can leverage AI to get—and retain—customers.

Private air travel was once a rare experience for the luxury consumer, but in the past few years, it has become a strategic part of their journey from point A to point B. Whether it’s boutique operators or hotel-managed operators, the overall experience has been elevated—both inside the aircraft and outside of it, by saving time and providing access to harder-to-reach resorts. Here, we dive into the private travel leaders who are thinking smarter, not harder to maintain connections with today’s traveler.

The world of social media is constantly evolving. Influencer marketing is now a norm, trends come and go within a single day, and it’s much more challenging to retain an audience than it was even just a few years ago. So how can travel companies leverage social media to truly make an impact? We will answer this question and more alongside top performers in this space.

This summer, America turns 250 years old. The country has continued to attract people in strides, but there’s also many challenges in the domestic tourism sector. We will discuss: How have things changed? Which destinations are rising to the top? How are communities reaching consumers to bring them to their destination?

A strong brand design is key to the success of any business, and this is especially true in the travel industry. Travel + Leisure magazine, for example, started with the simple idea of showcasing beautiful photos, whereas leading hotels around the world have attracted consumers with striking logos and bold imagery. In this panel, hear from creative directors and team leads about why powerful art and photography are more important now than ever.