Robin Gilbert-Jones

The Middle East fuel crisis has accidentally made the case for SAF better than any policy ever did — and revealed exactly why the industry can't act on it.

Hotel companies built portfolios for coverage and growth. In an AI-compressed, loyalty-fatigued market, the next competitive edge will come from sharper brands, not more of them.

Hotel companies spent the last decade building brand portfolios for coverage and scale. The next phase of competition will reward sharper brands that drive pricing power, loyalty relevance, and visibility in AI-compressed discovery funnels.

Consumer love for travel, rising demographics, and exciting innovation square off against unstable geopolitics, affordability challenges, and a lukewarm economic expansion

Africa’s tourism growth challenge isn’t demand — it’s execution: scaling reliable operations, mid-market infrastructure, and globally exportable talent to turn world-class assets into sustainable volume growth.

Hotel loyalty is evolving from a points program into a personalized, experience-led, AI-powered ecosystem and the brands that embrace this shift will unlock deeper engagement, stronger direct bookings, and more enduring guest relationships

Hotel loyalty is evolving into a data-driven, experience-led ecosystem where relevance and recognition define the guest relationship

Cruising is rebounding fast, but as the industry posts record growth, there will be mounting scrutiny on sustainability.

Loyalty is no longer about points and tiers, it’s earned trip by trip through immediate value and convenience.

Despite strong demand and hiring momentum, travel is stuck in a cycle of churn — with pay gaps, skills shortages, and weak career pathways making talent the sector’s biggest growth challenge.