00:00:16: Hi everyone, welcome to the ITB Travel Hero podcast.

00:00:20: I'm Leah Jordan member of the Board of Experts for The ITB Berlin Convention coming up in March already and today we're spending three hundred seconds with Sarah Coppett editor-in-chief at Skift & Opening Keynote Speaker at the ITTB Berlin convention.

00:00:33: two thousand twenty six Sara.

00:00:35: thank you so much for joining.

00:00:36: it's great to have you with us.

00:00:38: Thank You!

00:00:42: And Sarah, when I checked your background and I mean you're not like a travel native journalist.

00:00:48: You've let newsrooms at Bloomberg the block and now skift that everyone in travel industry obviously knows.

00:00:54: so the industries before were all industry shaped by rapid disruption right?

00:00:57: So from your perspective what personally fascinates you most about covering travel

00:01:02: right

00:01:02: now?".

00:01:03: there is very little going on in the world right now that doesn't directly cross with the travel industry or the business of travel, which makes it just an incredibly dynamic beat to cover.

00:01:15: I mean this week alone other than our bread and butter coverage of like earnings of The Big Travel Companies—which are also happening–I've worked on stories about Osempic, Epstein & Ice so you know... It's stories that are coming out of the travel industry right now, are extraordinary.

00:01:37: And then there's just the fact we're going to talk about AI a lot but Travel is one of these industries.

00:01:44: I think it will come through this AI disruption.

00:01:48: Just fine.

00:01:48: thank you very much unlike many others.

00:01:51: so That in and Of itself Is super interesting for me.

00:01:56: You can read all About It on skift

00:01:58: Travels uneven future, how demand dollars and influence are shifting.

00:02:02: That's actually the title of your keynote opening the ITB marketing and distribution track on center stage in March.

00:02:08: if you had to summarize this Sarah in just one sentence for travel leaders what fundamentally changing right now?

00:02:14: Everything is changing And it-it's not just one or two or three things.

00:02:19: You know It's everything everywhere all at once.

00:02:22: that Is really the key and you know I'm sure we've gone through stages in our human history where it's felt like that before.

00:02:31: but this speed with which its happening right now is really differentiator.

00:02:37: Is thanks to just AI technology, It really as making all of these changes different simultaneous and they're all kind impacting one another.

00:02:48: so i think if not anyone change Everything right now based

00:02:55: on skiff's research what you're doing like a lot, right?

00:02:58: It's not only that.

00:02:58: You have the media outlets at everyone knows so do a little research and reporting Based on their insights that you have there.

00:03:04: What is the one assumption many travel companies are still making today That you believe will no longer hold true in the next two years.

00:03:10: So I think it this Will just be for some travel companies Not all travel companies.

00:03:16: i don't Think its any wouldn't Be Any surprise to hear that Travel as an industry isn't the most technologically forward.

00:03:26: So I think that, I think the big assumption that's probably wrong for a lot of folks is you can continue doing things You cannot.

00:03:38: This is not the time to be a

00:03:40: Luddite.".

00:03:41: And, you know again travel at its core as human forward business and it always will be on the back end of your company.

00:03:49: to use that kind of trendy Silicon Valley word I mean that's going become extremely important for anyone who went through the dot-com boom in late nineties early two thousands You know, we saw a little bit of preview what that's gonna look like when everybody pivoted to the internet.

00:04:10: But again it makes this so different... This era—this year and going forward —it will be on steroids.

00:04:19: It is just gonna happen much faster.

00:04:22: Back then people had years or decade maybe To jump onboard change the way their businesses were running.

00:04:33: The ones that went faster did better, and now I think it's something everybody is going to have to really take a look

00:04:41: at.".

00:04:42: But from your perspective as gifts takes?

00:04:44: Is AI mainly shifting efficiency today or are they already shifting power in

00:04:48: industry?".

00:04:49: So iIthink its doing both for travel.

00:04:52: I think efficiency will be the big differentiator.

00:04:57: It'll be those back end things You know, it's not going to be the robot concierge and those type of kind.

00:05:06: They're fun in their gimmicky but It really is how people run Their businesses.

00:05:12: And that what I talk about when talking about efficiency.

00:05:15: Time has money Money as power.

00:05:19: there are both things going on.

00:05:21: I think that the companies, they will become more powerful and people in the industry who understand and really bring on adapt to embrace efficiency with which AI can bring their company's into next level so those businesses grow and succeed.

00:05:43: it is both things again at one time, everything everywhere all at once.

00:05:48: Thank you so much.

00:05:49: this was a fantastic preview.

00:05:51: everyone listening in.

00:05:52: make sure to join us in Berlin.

00:05:53: You can see Sarah Coppett live on center stage At the ITB Berlin convention On March fourth with her opening keynote where she will cover what She just touched upon A bit.

00:06:01: So note This In your calendars and check out The full program at itb.com slash Convention And Make Sure To Save Sarah's Session In Particular And Sarah I Can't Wait To See You So Soon In Berlin.

00:06:11: thankyou.