Let’s take a view.

Travel is, once again, struggling. It always does in times of stress. But this time the stress feels deeper. Wars are more visible. Politics more fragile. Supply chains more volatile. Technology more invasive. And travellers? More demanding, less trusting, and not always better behaved. Yet through it all, we keep showing up. Because travel is human. It’s how we connect, trade, love, escape, discover, and grow. Even when the world gets noisy, we move.

This is why I’m back at WTM and once again part of the Advisors Programme. Because it’s not just about showing up. It’s about steering the conversation – and reimagining travel’s purpose in a changing world.

And what better time to do it?

This year’s programme doesn’t pull any punches. We open with context – “Travel in the Time of Disruption.” And let’s be clear: the disruption isn’t just economic or geopolitical – it’s systemic. It’s technological. We’re talking about AI, digital monetization, new content channels, dynamic packaging, seller transformation, and yes, the death (or evolution) of the middleman. Travel is no longer a linear pipeline; it’s a shifting ecosystem with fuzzy edges and unpredictable triggers.

My session on Day 2 – “The Technology Case for Empathy in Travel” – cuts right through the noise. Because here’s the inconvenient truth: Technology alone doesn’t make travel better. People do. But only when the technology is designed with empathy, operated with transparency, and deployed with real user intent in mind. We’re going to look at the systems, the strategies, and the players who are getting this right – and call out what’s broken. From generative AI to smart routing, from personalization to persistent surveillance – we’ll unpack as much as we can in the time. You’ll walk away with perspective. And if I do my job right, a little discomfort.

But that’s just part of the journey.

We’re bringing you fillets of truth – including Filip Filipov’s famous “Airlines in 5 Minutes,” and then digging into the dollars with “Investing: The New Reality.” AI has shifted the calculus. The funding faucet isn’t just slower – it’s more suspicious. And travel startups? They’re having to prove value in real-time, not just in vibes.

Then we move to Supply and Selling. Airlines are not a homogenous bunch – they are branching off on divergent paths. Intermediaries are rebranding or disappearing. And the once clear roles – supplier, distributor, OTA, agent – are now a shape-shifting blob of APIs and algorithms. It’s not pretty. But it’s real.

We’ll also tackle “What’s coming next” – in law, in liability, and in loyalty. “Your clients, your responsibility” is not just a legal slogan – it’s an ethical imperative. Especially in an era where data can be scraped, sold, synthesized, and weaponized. The law might lag, but we can’t afford to.

And of course, we close with a bang: The Big Debate. “Artificial Intelligence is Travel’s Enemy.” I won’t spoil the verdict, but let’s just say the arguments may leave a few bruises.

Empathy is not weakness. It’s design thinking with a conscience. Its algorithms trained on actual human need, not just behavioural manipulation. It’s pricing that doesn’t punish. Interfaces that don’t lie. Support systems that still involve people.

And that’s why (I think) I’m here. From writing paper tickets in the early days to building platforms like Expedia and NDC, even running an airline, my career has always focused on making tech appropriate, not just available. I’ve seen the promise. And the pitfalls. But more than anything, I know that travel works best when technology doesn’t just optimize journeys – it understands them.

So come to the sessions. Stay for the arguments. And yes, expect a bit of blunt truth along the way.

If we want to reimagine travel’s purpose, we’d better make sure we’re building the tools to serve it – not just sell it.

Timothy O’Neil-Dunne is a Principal at T2Impact Ltd, a global Consulting, Analyst, Legal Subject Matter Expert and Venture firm.