Everything AI in Travel

Welcome to 2026 and the first episode of the year on Everything AI in Travel.As tradition now, I’m joined by returning guest Christian Watts to do something most people avoid: we revisit our predictions from last year and grade them.Christian ran our 2025 predictions through an AI scoring system (he swears he didn’t rig it), and we go point-by-point on what actually happened:Search changed, but Google didn’t dieLLMs reshaped how people plan (even if they still “Google” quick stuff)“Agentic AI” became the buzzword, but real-world booking is still messyOTAs didn’t collapse, but the “dumb pipes” conversation got loudAuthenticity vs AI-generated content became a cultural fault lineAnd yes, we argue about whether AI is already mainstream… or just mainstream in our bubblesWe also get into the uncomfortable part: which predictions were genuinely wrong, and what that tells us about forecasting in a year where the platform shifts don’t slow down.If you want the written predictions, watch on YouTube where they’re on-screen.

Welcome to the final episode in the series on using AI to attract high value visitors and boost your career.In this wrap-up, we cover the Image-to-LinkedIn Post Creator, a tool designed for one simple job:upload any image (chart, infographic, screenshot, photo, even a napkin sketch) and instantly generate a structured, high-engagement LinkedIn post you can copy and paste.We stay consistent with the series’ running use case: Germany as the source market, Ecuador as the destination, and the goal of attracting German travel professionals for partnership and distribution conversations.You’ll see how the AI:Extracts meaning from the visualAsks for quick tone guidance (professional vs storytelling)Writes a post that fits LinkedIn’s “hook → value → credibility → CTA” formatOptionally converts the post into a LinkedIn carousel script for higher engagementBy the end of this episode, you’ve seen the full four-stage framework in action:Strategy → Intelligence → Content → Outreach, powered by the nine tools.Find all the tools at www.santiagor.com/free-ai-toolsYou now have the full set.

In Episode 9 of the “9 AI Tools to Attract High-Value Visitors” series, we review a powerful outreach tool designed for professional growth and B2B partnerships: the LinkedIn Top Voice Post Creator AI.This AI is trained on the structure and quality patterns used by LinkedIn Top Voices — creators whose posts consistently perform at a high level and are recognised by LinkedIn as trusted, influential experts. The goal is simple: help you publish authority-building LinkedIn content that attracts partners, opportunities, and distribution relationships.Unlike the previous tool (Social Media Expert AI), which turns destination content into posts for travelers, this tool transforms your existing content into posts aimed at professional audiences — travel agencies, tour operators, DMOs, hotels, distributors, and other stakeholders you want to work with.In this walkthrough, we use a real case:You want to position yourself on LinkedIn as an Ecuador specialistYour target is German travel agencies and German tour operatorsYou already have a consumer-facing blog post (a 7-day itinerary)You want the AI to convert it into a 5-day LinkedIn post series designed to attract partnershipsYou’ll see the AI guide you step-by-step to: Choose your starting point (text, image, topic, or “find trending tourism topics”) Define your audience (B2B partners, not travelers) Choose language style (English, German, or a mix for cultural relevance) Set the post style (storytelling, business-focused, or hybrid) Build either a progressive series (day-by-day narrative) or standalone posts Generate 5 LinkedIn posts formatted for “see more” hooks, clear value, and partner-focused calls-to-action Create image prompts for scroll-stopping, professional visuals that match each post themeBy the end, you’ll have a complete LinkedIn mini-campaign you can post immediately to:Grow your networkShow expertise and credibilitySpark inbound partnership conversationsPosition your destination offering in a professional contextBuild momentum without starting from scratch every day Access all 9 free AI tools here: santiagoR.com/freeAITools Want help applying these tools to your destination or tourism business?I offer coaching and staff training to help you build a repeatable system for strategy, content, and outreach.If you found this useful: Like Subscribe

In this episode of the “9 Free AI Tools to Attract High-Value Visitors” series, we enter the Outreach phase of the framework and review one of the most practical tools for organic growth: the Social Media Expert AI.This AI is designed to transform long-form destination content (blog posts, itineraries, guides, articles) into ready-to-post social content — single viral posts or full multi-day campaigns — tailored to the platform you choose.In this walkthrough, we use the ongoing case study (Ecuador as the destination, Germany as the source market) and take an existing long-form blog article created earlier in the series: “From Cobblestone to Volcanoes: A 7-Day Andean Journey from Cuenca to Quito”Then we use the Social Media Expert AI to turn that single article into a 10-day Facebook campaign, with posts that are:Short, emotional, and highly readable on mobileBuilt with a consistent format (hook → story → CTA → hashtags)Optimized for engagement (questions, prompts, lightweight emojis, clean spacing)Easy to copy/paste directly into FacebookCapable of generating image prompts so you can create original visuals to match each postYou’ll see the AI guide you step-by-step:  Choose your starting point (text, image, idea, or “find trending topics for me”)  Confirm the post angle (story-focused, responsible travel, photogenic route, etc.)  Build a day-by-day campaign plan before writing anything  Apply platform best practices (format, timing, CTA style, hashtag strategy)  Generate the final posts in clean, publish-ready form  Create one-by-one image prompts and refine visuals without adding unwanted text overlaysThe key idea: long-form content becomes dozens of outreach assets, and you finally get consistency without burning hours every day. Access all 9 free AI tools here:  santiagoR.com/freeAITools Want help implementing these tools into a real content system for your destination or tourism business? I offer coaching + staff training to help you use AI faster, better, and with a repeatable workflow.If this episode helped you:  Like  Subscribe  Comment with the platform you want to grow (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn) and I’ll share the best post formats to start with.

In Episode 6 of the “9 Free AI Tools to Attract High-Value Visitors” series, we review one of the most practical tools in the entire framework: the Self-Guided Tour Creator AI — built to help you create real, walkable, time-logical itineraries your visitors can use on the ground once they’re already in your destination.This tool sits in the “content” phase of the framework, but unlike inspirational blog articles, this is utility content: self-guided walking tours that improve the visitor experience, reduce friction, and help your destination deliver more value while people are there.In this walkthrough you’ll see how the AI:Starts with a destination prompt (example: Cuenca, Ecuador) and a defined target market (example: German visitors aged 25–50, culture + nature + local life)Lets you choose between a pure walking route or a route that includes short transportBuilds a realistic route with space/time logic: stop sequence, walking times, visit durations, and total tour lengthWrites engaging descriptions for each stop (and lets you refine tone, style, and format as you go)Generates a title + short platform-ready tour description you can paste into a brochure, app, website, or tour platformOptionally creates a quiz to add interactivity and engagementFinds Creative Commons licensed images for each stop (with source links)Translates the whole tour into simple, friendly German (or any language), and can even add practical info at the top of each stop: address, time to visit, next stop, and walking timeBy the end you’ll have a complete self-guided tour you can publish as: a web page a PDF handout a tour-platform listing a destination app experience content your staff can reuse in visitor support Access the 9 free AI tools here: santiagoR.com/freeAITools Want help implementing this for your destination, hotel, or tourism business?I also offer 1:1 coaching and staff training so you can apply these tools faster, with better outputs, and with a real content system behind them.If this episode helps you, like, subscribe, and share it with someone who works in tourism and wants better visitors and better visitor experiences.

In this episode of the “9 Free AI Tools to Attract High-Value Visitors” series, we move from strategy into content creation and I walk you through the Travel Blogger AI—a free tool that turns your destination expertise into long-form, inspirational blog articles designed to attract your ideal travelers.You’ll see step-by-step how the tool:Fits into the 4-phase framework: Strategize → Intelligence → Content → OutreachTakes your target market (in the example: German travelers 25–50), your core destination (Cuenca, Ecuador) and your positioning… and turns it into a 7-day storytelling itinerary from Cuenca to QuitoBuilds an article outline, day-by-day descriptions, responsible & sustainable travel tips, and a “travel kindly” sectionHelps you refine the draft like a human colleague would—correcting details, adding your tone of voice, and matching your on-the-ground expertiseEven supports you with cover image concepts and Creative Commons photo suggestions to illustrate each day of the itineraryBy the end, you’ll know exactly how to use Travel Blogger AI to create deep, evergreen blog posts that:Position you as an expert in your destinationGive you long-form content you can later repurpose into social posts, newsletters and campaignsAlign perfectly with the high-value visitors you defined in your earlier strategy and market intelligence work. Access the 9 free AI tools here (including Travel Blogger AI): santiagoR.com/freeAITools Want help applying this in your DMO, hotel, tour company or local business?I also offer 1:1 coaching and staff training on how to use these tools in your specific context. Learn more via the link in the description.If this episode helps you, hit like, subscribe, and share it with someone in tourism who wants to attract better visitors, not just more visitors.

AI generated summary of McKinsey's latest report into agentic commerce for those who don't want to read the full 27 pages

Welcome back to Episode 4 of our Nine Tools to Attract High-Value Visitors & Future-Proof Your Career With AI series.If you’ve made it this far, you’re already ahead of most people in the travel industry.Today, we dive into one of the most practical and operationally valuable AI tools in Santiago’s suite: the Statistical Forecasting AI.Whether you’re a DMO, hotel, tour operator, attraction, airline, or startup — if you have any historical data (visitation, occupancy, revenue, arrivals, spending, bookings), this tool lets you instantly predict what the next 6, 12, or 24 months may look like… without needing any statistical expertise.How to access Santiago’s 9 free travel-specific AI toolsWhy statistical forecasting matters for logistics, marketing, inventory planning & resource allocationHow to feed your dataset into the AI (CSV, Excel, Google Sheets, or pasted text)How the AI verifies and interprets your data automaticallyHow it selects the right forecasting model (e.g., Holt-Winters exponential smoothing)How to choose your forecasting horizon (6 months, 12 months, 27 months… anything)How seasonality, trends, and patterns are detected behind the scenesHow to download your full forecast as a CSV for reporting, dashboards, and strategy planningHow to combine quantitative statistical forecasting with qualitative contextual forecasting (from Episode 3) for far more realistic predictionsTraditional forecasting requires:an analyststatistical softwareseveral days or weeksand often thousands of dollarsThis tool:runs in secondsexplains every step in plain Englishrecommends the best model for your dataproduces clear charts + downloadable CSVsworks even with small or inconsistent datasetsis specifically tuned for tourism seasonality, growth patterns, and demand curvesWe forecast the monthly arrival of German visitors to Ecuador through to December 2027 — using real data and letting the AI detect trend, seasonality, and noise.You’ll see exactly how the model:interprets your datasetvalidates its understandingselects the appropriate methodproduces a complete 27-month projectionexplains limitations and contextual adjustmentsAccess all 9 tools here: santiagor.com/free-ai-toolsSantiago also offers 1:1 coaching and team training where you’ll learn how to:run forecasting tools correctlyapply contextual adjustmentsbuild your own GPTstranslate insights into actionable strategy

If you work in travel and your company still isn’t taking AI seriously… your career might be at risk.This episode gives you a practical, real-world way to catch up fast.Today, we hand the mic to Dr. Santiago Rodriguez — educator, PhD, and creator of a suite of free AI tools built specifically for travel professionals, tourism boards, and small businesses.In just 15 minutes, Santiago shows you how to use his Contextual Market Assessment AI: a powerful tool that evaluates your source market and destination across 29 factors and 5 key dimensions — economic, sociopolitical, environmental, psycho-emotional, and more.It’s the kind of market intelligence that normally takes weeks of research and thousands of dollars…Now available instantly — and you can run it anytime you need.How to access Santiago’s 9 free travel-specific AI toolsHow market intelligence becomes your unfair advantageHow to assess ANY source market + destination pairing using contextHow AI weighs risk, opportunity, and scenario planningHow to spot optimistic vs conservative demand forecastsHow to adjust strategy based on real-time global conditionsWhy guiding AI with your expertise produces 10× better resultsHow to update your market strategy in under 30 minutes, not monthsThis session walks you step-by-step through:Researching the source marketResearching the destinationUnderstanding contextual interrelationsRating risk/opportunity across 29 factorsGenerating forecast percentagesCreating optimistic + conservative strategy scenariosExporting an executive summary you can use immediatelyIf you want to stay relevant, level up your AI IQ, or help your company stop guessing and start knowing — this episode is for you.Get Santiago’s free tools here:santiagor.com/free-ai-toolsSantiago also offers a coaching program where you can learn how to:Use all nine tools effectivelyApply them to your own marketsBuild your own custom GPTs for travelThis show highlights the makers, shapers, and buyers of AI in travel.It’s now one of the Top 3 Travel Technology podcasts on Apple Podcasts — and most listeners find us through search (wild, right?).Hit Subscribe if you want weekly insights on AI, travel, distribution, and the tools that are reshaping our industry.

In this first episode of our new education series, educator Santiago Rodriguez PHD takes us through exactly what this FREE course entails, how you can use it and where to find the tools.The aim of this education series is to help your business attract high value visitors and boost your career if you are an employee.www.santiagor.com/free-ai-tools

In this episode of the Everything AI in Travel podcast, we dive deep into the vacation rental world and the fast-changing landscape of property management systems (PMS) with guest Shahar, founder of Boom, an AI-native operating system for vacation rental managers.From Miami, Shahar shares how he went from doing hundreds of millions in real-estate deals to “accidentally” building a vacation rental management company—then vertically integrating management, construction, cleaning, and a $50M fund—before spinning out the tech and ultimately selling his management business to Casago. Today, that same tech powers Boom, now live in 20 countries across five continents.We talk through:​ What PMS looked like in 2017 – basic channel managers and unified inboxes – and why that wasn’t enough for serious operators​ Why traditional PMS + a dozen disconnected tools (pricing, tasks, guest comms, accounting, etc.) breaks down—and how Boom’s “business as software” view ties it all into one data model​ How AI agents can only work if all the operational data is structured and connected (cleaning, tasks, GPS, inspections, payments, owner P&L, trust accounting, reviews and more)​ How Boom is already automating 80% of guest communication, and what true agentic AI looks like in property ops​ Why their ICP starts at 50+ properties, what they’re seeing from leading operators, and how they’re rolling out globally​ The future of OTAs, trust and discovery – from filter-based search (“Miami, Dec 23–Jan 1, max $600/night…”) to open-text intent (“I want a 2-hour flight, kid-friendly activities within walking distance, ocean view, pet-friendly”) – and how LLMs will sit between guests and inventoryWe also cover Boom’s recent $13M Series A, backed by heavyweights including the former CEO of Hilton, major real-estate families, and top vertical SaaS founders—and why combining deep ops knowledge with frontier AI talent is their core edge.If you:​Run a vacation rental management company (50+ doors and up)​Work at a PMS, channel manager, or OTA and want to see where the puck is headed​Are thinking about how agentic AI will reshape operations, distribution, and guest experience…this episode is a masterclass in where vacation rentals + AI are going next. Guest: Shahar – Founder, Boom (AI-native PMS / operating system for vacation rentals)Connect with him on LinkedIn  If you got value from this conversation:​Subscribe to the channel​Leave a comment with your biggest insight or question about AI in vacation rentals​Share it with someone in your network who manages properties or builds tools for themAnd don’t forget to subscribe to the Everything AI in Travel newsletter for weekly deep dives on AI, travel tech, and creator-driven distribution.

In this episode of the Everything AI in Travel podcast (now sitting in the top 3 travel-technology podcasts on Apple Podcasts), Tony sits down with Healy Cypher, co-founder & CEO of BoomPop, a company that just raised $25M to make planning in-person events, offsites and group travel radically easier with AI.We dig into Healy’s wild founder journey — from growing up in Saudi Arabia, to selling his first startup to eBay just seven months after joining, to rolling out those touchscreen kiosks in McDonald’s, Wendy’s and more (including the legendary “temptation cookie” upsell)… and why all of that led him to build BoomPop.Then we zoom out to the big shift: post-pandemic hybrid work, half-empty offices, and $1.7T in “freed” office spend that companies are quietly redirecting into in-person experiences, offsites, sales kickoffs and client events. Healy explains why group travel & meetings are the last undigitised corner of travel, and why AI is finally the unlock.You’ll hear how BoomPop uses AI to:Turn a simple prompt (“Offsite within 2 hours of SF in Q1, X budget, Y vibe”) into venue options, dates, full itineraries and a live event websiteMatch corporate events with hotel “need dates” so everyone wins on price and occupancyLearn a “taste graph” for organisers and companies to recommend better venues and experiences over timeHandle all the messy coordination: negotiations, blocks, RSVPs, guest messaging, packing lists, dinner changes and more— plus how a 35-person human planning team plugs in when you need a real expert, not just an agent.We also talk about the future of event agencies and travel advisors in an AI world, the incumbents like Cvent and the old-school RFP process, and what a new competitive landscape looks like when AI-native platforms start hitting escape velocity.If you’ve ever:Burned months of an EA’s time on a single annual offsiteRun a remote or distributed team that lives for its one big IRL gatheringWorked in hotels, DMOs, or meetings & incentives and wondered “why is this still done by fax and spreadsheets?”…this conversation will be painfully familiar and seriously hopeful. Listen now to learn how AI, group travel and in-person experiences collide — and why this is one of the ripest opportunities in travel tech. GuestHealy Cypher – Co-founder & CEO, BoomPopBoomPop: AI-powered platform for offsites, retreats & corporate eventsPodcast: Don’t Be a Jerk – conversations with high-performers who prove you can win in business without being an asshole. If your team has an offsite, retreat or client event coming upBefore you sacrifice six months of someone’s job to planning it… check out BoomPop and see what AI can take off your plate. If you enjoy this episode:Subscribe to the channelDrop a comment with your biggest takeawayShare it with someone who organises events and desperately needs their life backAnd don’t forget to subscribe to the Everything AI in Travel newsletter for weekly deep dives on AI, travel & creator commerce.

In this episode of Everything AI in Travel, I’m joined by Aimee Armstrong, co-founder of Altitude AI, an AI-native startup that’s taking on the messy, unloved world of corporate travel for SMEs – and breaking a few ceilings along the way. Aimee’s journey is wild: from motorcycle mechanic on Australian superbike race teams, rebuilding race engines and specialising in suspension, to product leadership roles at SiteMinder, Domain and Go1, and now building an AI travel assistant that lets employees book and manage business travel directly from Slack, Teams or WhatsApp – no clunky portals, no extra logins, no “I’ll do it later” inbox guilt. We dig into: How Aimee went from race garages and Phillip Island to leading product in travel tech What she learned at SiteMinder about integrations, partnerships and the hotel tech ecosystem Why SMEs are massively under-served by traditional TMCs and corporate travel platforms The rise of remote work, offsites and “unmanaged” travel – and why tools built for finance teams don’t work for everyday travellers How Altitude AI acts like a digital executive assistant: reading your calendar, spotting upcoming trips, nudging you to book, and keeping you inside policy Dealing with off-platform leakage (when people sneak off to OTAs and Booking.com) The rise of “bleisure” travel and how policies and tools need to adapt Why AI-native teams (and AI engineering talent) are the new moat in travel tech The AI trends Aimee’s watching closely – from agentic workflows to video generation and hyper-personalisation  Subscribe to the podcast & never miss an episode If you found this via Apple Podcasts or Spotify, hit Subscribe/Follow so you always get the latest conversations with the makers, shapers and buyers of AI in travel.  Get the weekly Everything AI in Travel newsletter For a curated roundup of the biggest AI + travel stories each week, plus extra analysis I don’t cover on the pod:  Head to everythingaiintravel.com or find the link in my LinkedIn bio (Tony Carne).  Connect with Amy Want to talk corporate travel, AI agents or partnering with Altitude AI? Find Aimee Armstrong on LinkedIn and say you came from the podcast.

Mennan Yelkenci isn’t waiting for someone else to solve the big consumer opportunity in travel + AI. He is building the solution. This is an episode about taking big swings for wins.

I always love catching up with Alex Bainbridge. Not only is he the number one member of the Everything AI in Slack community but the way he looks at and conceives (rather than perceives - this man is a doer, not a watcher) the world is just so different to most of us.I therefore jumped at the chance to co-host a session at the upcoming Arival event in Washington DC with Alex where anyone who has their own ideas, thoughts or challenges with AI can drop by and we can chat those through as a group.I caught up with Alex in advance here on the pod to help set the scene and to give a glimpse to those who can’t make it. (Discounted ticket below if you can).We also have special offer for those looking to attend the ⁠⁠Arival AI Forum for Destination Experiences⁠⁠ in early October, happening in Washington DC. You'll hear about it early in this episode.Use Promo Code: FOATOCRDC to get a special discount just for our listeners.I'll be attending so join me this 29–30 September in Washington, DC for the Arival AI Forum for Destination Experiences — a hands-on, intensive learning forum built for destination experiences leaders serious about applying AI in meaningful, measurable ways.Special Offer for AI Forum at Arival 2025

Richard Savoie from Adiona is a patent-holding executive and engineer that is currently reinventing urban mobility, logistics, and transport planning. His company Adiona is an award-winning AI-powered delivery route planning and optimization platform for large fleets, currently powering millions of deliveries globally for the world's best brands like Coca-Cola, Amazon, Australia Post, Marley Spoon, and more. It's up to 87% faster, 90% more accurate, and results in up to 50% lower cost than competing delivery optimization platforms.We chat to Richard around why AI and logistics are such a good match for one another and how that funnels down to wins for the travel industry (if they are paying attention).

AI is disrupting search as we've known it. Recently Skift in conjunction with Dune& & SEO Clarity did a deep dive into what was happening here and what it means for every business in travel.We sit down with two of the co-researchers here, Seth Borko and Jared Alster to dig deeper into what is happening here and what businesses need to be considering as a result.We also have special offer for those looking to attend the ⁠Arival AI Forum for Destination Experiences⁠ in early October, happening in Washington DC. You'll hear about it early in this episode.Use Promo Code: FOATOCRDC to get a special discount just for our listeners.I'll be attending so join me this 29–30 September in Washington, DC for the Arival AI Forum for Destination Experiences — a hands-on, intensive learning forum built for destination experiences leaders serious about applying AI in meaningful, measurable ways.

Square pegs and round holes is how we've cobbled together the travel industry over 3 or so decades online.Actually chatting to Stu Waldron of the Open Travel Alliance, it goes right back to the 70's.Stu breaks down all things open source in travel for us. We talk about why many things are not a competitive advantage and therefore there is no reason to try and build your own new wheel and even how those with good intentions and totally open to the open source world, can still make errors by not seeing the totality of the industry of which they are apart.One of the most fascinating conversations on a subject I've always wanted to know more about. Hope you like it too! We also have special offer for those looking to attend the ⁠Arival AI Forum for Destination Experiences⁠ in early October, happening in Washington DC. You'll hear about it early in this episode.Use Promo Code: FOATOCRDC to get a special discount just for our listeners.I'll be attending so join me this 29–30 September in Washington, DC for the Arival AI Forum for Destination Experiences — a hands-on, intensive learning forum built for destination experiences leaders serious about applying AI in meaningful, measurable ways.

Jason Kismet is a man working his way from the inside of the hotel industry to the outside of travel technology .Jason is solving problem he and his teams feel personally and intimately everyday.His business, Kismet is at the cutting edge of helping his fellow hoteliers, especially those special independents, at getting discovered in the new mode of search - AI agents.In this episode we talk both about the technical side of how that discovery can take place but also what you need to expose about your business to ensure it is a match for the query that started the search in the first place.This is not just a hotel problem. This is an everyone in travel problem.

Gam Dias is at the leading edge of Agentic Commerce—where digital wallets, personal data, and AI agents converge.He is the author of the book Agents Unleashed and has used travel as a core case study in much of his research and examples.We sat down with Gam to break it all down for us as to why AI agents are such a transformation shift in commerce and what it means for travel specifically. Not one you want to miss!We also have special offer for those looking to attend the Arival AI Forum for Destination Experiences in early October, happening in Washington DC. You'll hear about it early in this episode.Use Promo Code: FOATOCRDC to get a special discount just for our listeners. I'll be attending so join me this 29–30 September in Washington, DC for the Arival AI Forum for Destination Experiences — a hands-on, intensive learning forum built for destination experiences leaders serious about applying AI in meaningful, measurable ways.