The Big Idea: How divisive debates in travel are shaping the future

The verdict is in! After three fiery debates across GBTA's APAC, Europe, and Australia conferences, we're unpacking the results, reactions, and revelations that shook the business travel community.

This isn't a replay; it's a deep dive into what the debates revealed about the future of our industry. Which arguments swayed the audience? Where did consensus emerge, and where did fault lines deepen?

Join us as we explore the key insights and implications from these high-stakes discussions:

• The Future of OBTs: Are they on the brink of extinction, or evolving with AI and chatbots?
• Next-Gen Traveller Behaviour: Does flexibility drive better outcomes than rigid policy?
• Biometrics & Secure ID: Will tech streamline travel or create new global challenges?

Expect candid analysis, surprising trends, and expert commentary on what these debates mean for travel programs, technology, and the traveller experience. If you want to know where the industry is headed, and why, this podcast has the answers.

Brought to you by BCD

Moderator:

• Chris Elmitt, CEO LIVVE

Speakers:

• Sarah Whiting, Senior Director Global Solutions Engineering, BCD Travel
• Siobhan Prideaux, Sr Director Sales , BCD Travel

Music track is Space Jazz by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

In an era where data tells the truth about traveller motivations, "When the Data is the Story" explores how numbers can illuminate narratives of culture, identity, and experience. Drawing from the 2025 Traveller Identity Consensus report, Evita Robinson and Dr. Alana Dillette reveals how BIPOC traveller data does more than quantify, it humanises and reframes the industry's understanding of community-driven exploration and global movement.

Key Takeaways:

1. How to translate raw data into storytelling frameworks that reflect lived cultural experiences.
2. The role of inclusive data collection in shaping equitable tourism narratives.
3. Strategies for leveraging insights from underrepresented travellers to inform media, marketing, and policy.

Music track is Space Jazz by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Brought to you by the GBTA Technology Committee Europe. In this episode Sarah Whiting & SkyLink (Episode1), Christopher Feuerecker & Blockskye (Episode 2) and Heinz Lennard Hornsby & Serko,

Content will be about AI, revolutionizing the industry with a new approach, challenges with the customer demand (scope, requirements, etc.)

This is the second in the podcast series featuring Christopher Feuerecker & Danielle Caviar, VP Sales Blockskye.

Music track is Space Jazz by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License