The 2026 theme: Game On

Travel Search & Booking

The rise of generative AI and conversational search is revolutionizing how travelers discover, plan and book their journeys. As digital assistants evolve into intuitive trip planners, the window between inspiration and booking is shrinking. Can marketing strategies adapt quickly enough to harness this AI-driven shift and significantly boost conversions and customer loyalty?

Air

Artificial intelligence can now be deployed to optimize dynamic pricing, improve operational efficiencies and (finally!) deliver on the promise of true personalization. How can carriers capitalize?

Accommodations

As hotel chains double down on loyalty-driven direct bookings, short-term rental platforms continue marching toward professionalization and expanding beyond their core markets. Room or rental: Only those with differentiated value will capture the traveler’s trust.

Destinations

With overtourism threatening sustainability and visitor sentiment, DMOs are challenged to balance growth and satisfy travelers’ bucket lists amidst increasing regulation and environmental concerns. Can the beaten track bounce back or will the action shift further afield?

Digital ID

As AI and digital agents gain traction, control over identity is shifting from travel brands to travelers themselves. Biometric boarding, decentralized IDs and passport-free check-ins are unlocking seamless experiences but with rising stakes around trust, privacy and cross-border interoperability. Will the industry keep pace or continue to play catch-up?

Travel Agencies

Though brick-and-mortar agencies continue their post-pandemic comeback, OTAs and others are all tenaciously nipping at their heels. Meanwhile, ascendent AI agents and planning tools threaten any agency–traditional or online–that doesn’t offer deep expertise or seamless service.

Your move

For nearly three decades, Phocuswright Europe has challenged travel’s traditional leaderboard, reshaped the rules of engagement and heralded the arrival of new players—heroes and villains alike. Join us in June at the industry’s premier event designed to sharpen strategies, uncover superpowers and help contestants navigate to the future, if not the finish line. This is your moment. This is your game.

It’s Game On. Register now.