The Future of Travel

QUO CEO David Keen speaks to Riccardo Tessaro of Gravity Co-living about how the shift in young professionals' needs and urban isolation are shaping post-Covid spaces.Hybrid Lives with David Keen is a limited podcast series from QUO.  In each episode, David engages space-makers from around the world to discuss the evolving role of places. Join us in considering the impact our increasingly multifaceted lives have on the places we work, sleep and gather. 

Hans Meyer, co-founder and managing director of Zoku,  and David Keen discuss the shift in working spaces, corporate culture clash, and post-Covid outlook on the real estate industry.Hybrid Lives with David Keen is a limited podcast series from QUO.  In each episode, David engages space-makers from around the world to discuss the evolving role of places. Join us in considering the impact our increasingly multifaceted lives have on the places we work, sleep and gather. 

Rob Wagemans, founder of Concrete Architectural Associates, speaks with David about designing spaces that blur lines and test boundaries.   Hybrid Lives with David Keen is a limited podcast series from QUO.  In each episode, David engages space-makers from around the world to discuss the evolving role of places. Join us in considering the impact our increasingly multifaceted lives have on the places we work, sleep and gather. Concrete website: concreteamsterdam.nlEpisode 2 on YouTube: bit.ly/HybridLives2

David joins Hamza Khan, co-founder of Letswork, to ponder the future of where—and how—the world works.  Hybrid Lives with David Keen is a limited podcast series from QUO.  In each episode, David engages space-makers from around the world to discuss the evolving role of places. Join us in considering the impact our increasingly multifaceted lives have on the places we work, sleep and gather. Letswork website: letswork.ioEpisode 1 on YouTube: bit.ly/HybridLives1

David and IHCL's Veetika Deoras wax philosophical in this episode. They discuss India's gradual unlocking, and potential sidestepping an all-but-certain second wave of infections. They ponder the virus as a catalyst for change and introspection amongst consumers in a country where rapid tech adoption is democratising knowledge, even in the most rural places. And of course, these two avid philosophers eventually come round to the ontology of brand. And of how a brand's purpose is nothing without action.

Andrew Fay, President of The Gettys Group, beams in from Chicago to chat with David in this episode. The long-time friends and fellow Cornell grads cast a wide net: the state of Brand America; business as a force for good; the perks and pains of being grounded. And that's all in the first few minutes. Will 2020 turn out to be an accelerator for the hospitality industry? Andrew is carefully optimistic. Tech adoption rates have soared broadly over the last few months, and our industry is no exception. He expects to see hotels bringing the outdoors in through biophilic design and highly purified air. But in the end, he reminds us, a focus on what really matters now will be the greatest driver of future success.

In this episode, Catherine is joined by David Abraham, co-founder of Outpost—a network of co-living, co-working and social spaces for location-independent professionals. A long-time remote-worker himself, David shares how an afternoon at a Tokyo Starbucks sparked the idea for Outpost. He discusses the key drivers of what he calls the ‘remote revolution', the trend of offices becoming less about physical spaces and more about networks. In David's view, the COVID-19 pandemic validates the grand experiment: remote work is viable. From that, we can estimate the standard workweek will evolve, as will business travel. Rather than business leading leisure, he expects to see more leisure travellers taking their business with them. And for hospitality players targeting remote workers, their offerings must resonate with the brand. Providing a desk alone just isn't enough anymore.

In this episode, David is joined by Mark Hehir, General Manager of the new Ritz Carlton Maldives in the Fari Islands, an ambitious project that represents a new concept of high-end luxury for hospitality. Mark has been active in the Maldives since 1997 and brings a breadth of expertise and experience to the conversation. He and David discuss the trajectory of tourism in the Maldives over the last two decades—and why it is that the Maldives is such a fertile ground for innovation.

Old friend and fellow travel lover, Rob Hornman, discusses the differences between travel and tourism with David. He says real travel is about taking your time, enjoying the chance to explore a place, meeting local people and exploring. Food in particular has shaped many of Rob's travel experiences, offering a window into the true rituals and culture of the destination. Having not lived in his home country of the Netherlands for many years, he says his communities are global. You simply live your life and carry on that life in the different places you visit. The ability to do this has been a key thing he's missed during the current COVID-19 crisis.

Anchalika Kijkanakorn, Managing Director and Founder of Akaryn Hotel Group, says COVID has given her the opportunity to sit down and really think about what she's doing, where the world is going and how we can come out of this differently. She says she has appreciated having the time to work on new strategies and guest experience ideas for her portfolio of six hotels. In order to stay focussed during lockdown, she started baking sourdough (thinking she was unique) until she discovered the whole world was doing the same! While she has been too busy to miss her regular summer holiday overseas, she's holding onto the hope she can take her two young boys skiing at Christmas—a family tradition for nearly a decade.

Going stir crazy on an island, the future of travel-related content and how the pandemic has impacted our quality of life are just a few of the topics on the mind of Simon Westcott, CEO and owner of the LUXE City Guides. While he—and many others in the travel world—are  ‘hibernating for the winter', Simon says he's made the most of a slower pace of life, enjoying more time for walking and hiking. He even packed a bag recently and took a staycation up the road from his home, just to feel the thrill of travel in a small way. He believes humans have always both nested and explored, and thus is optimistic about the future, believing the yearning to travel won't keep us away for long. 

How do we support the people who work in our hotels? The individuals who have families to provide for and communities to protect? That's the big question on the mind of Jan Tissera, President International, TravelClick. In a reflective and personal conversation with David, Jan says that while the industry is global, the reality is very local. Hotels are about people and these people's whole livelihoods are at stake. He says he's working on small projects with individual communities—such as one in his home country of Sri Lanka—but that a much wider, larger-scaled initiative is needed. 

Kicking-off season 2 of The Future of Travel, Abhijay Sandilya, IHG Vice President, Development – Australasia, South Pacific & Japan, joins David for a candid conversation about the impact of the virus on our mental wellbeing. A former frequent traveller, Abhijay says he misses the buzz and adrenaline of always being on the go, as well as the chemistry you build from sitting in a meeting room, nurturing relationships face-to-face. Such dramatic changes take a toll, impacting both our professional and personal lives. Abhijay stresses the need for travel leaders to recognise this impact and ensure they take time for themselves—at IHG they're encouraged to take a day off per month to rest and recharge. Abhijay says the idea that we're all in this together keeps him going during this tough time. Travel broadens horizons, and as soon as we're able to get back out there, there's a bright future for the industry ahead.

Reopening the world's tourism industry will be a complex and slow process, warns James Crabtree, author and faculty member at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. He explains that while countries with a good record at beating the virus will be at an advantage, significant political elements will come into play—with the powerhouses of China, the US and the EU calling the shots. And while pent-up demand will see an initial surge in domestic and international travel, James says this will most likely be a short-term blip rather than a longer-term return to ‘normal'. Getting back to pre-virus travel patterns will depend on a destination or brand's ability to innovate and cut through the social-media ‘scrum' to reassure and convince travellers to return.

The travel industry has to realise that everything has changed, says Vivek Wadwha, Distinguished Fellow at Harvard Law School's Labor and Worklife Program. Talking to David, he explains that the current crisis has fundamentally changed the way we live and work, moving us forward five or even 10 years in terms of technology. Business travel will not go back to pre-crisis norms, with at least a third of our meetings staying as video calls rather than face-to-face. The winners, Vivek suggests, are those who embrace and acknowledge this change—who figure out what's going to happen next, take a leap forward and leverage this reality to their advantage.

Irene Kronenberg and Alon Baranowitz of the award-winning interior design studio in Tel Aviv, Baranowitz + Kronenberg, talk about their passion for disruption and change. They believe now is the time for hospitality to move beyond its typical boundaries, to cater for the changing nature of our cities and working cultures. To become agents for change. But change, they argue, cannot come from within. Hotels should on-board industry outsiders—whether from theatre, cinema, music, events. People who bring bold ideas and a different mindset. With more innovative collaboration, hotels can move beyond their current status as white elephants in the city to become active community members.

Driving purpose and changing American politics are the major passion topics of renowned architect and landscape designer, Bill Bensley. Chatting with David from his studio in Bangkok, Bill talks about his greatest desire for hospitality—namely that every hotel built from this moment forward have a purpose, or at least one small detail that's sustainable. He also discusses, among other things, his vision of a post-Trump presidential trifecta involving Al Gore, Bill Gates and Jane Goodall. Bill's lifelong purpose focuses on conservation. In his latest project in China's Guangdong province, the ‘human zoo', he's hoping to educate a whole generation of Chinese children that wildlife must stay in the wild and not end up on dinner plates. He believes that if we, as a species, continue to ignore the interconnectivity between man and nature, then ‘we're done'.

If you're only in the tourism business for the money, then why would you continue? This is the fundamental question on the mind of Willem Niemeijer, CEO of YAANA Ventures—an owner, partner and operator of entrepreneurial travel and hospitality ventures in Asia. Willem believes that those brands with a higher purpose are the ones that will come through this, because they have a reason beyond financial gain to persevere despite the challenges. Referencing his own business, which includes a DMC and eco lodges, he says they don't expect to make money for two years. But they can't wait to get back to business because they do so much more than just provide a facility for guests—they help to prevent deforestation, protect the jungle and feed local families.

How do you maintain momentum when your hotel opening keeps getting pushed back? John Blanco, General Manager of the soon-to-open Capella Bangkok, discusses the challenges of ensuring his team of 240 ‘Culturalists' remain focussed and engaged. Once it opens, he has high hopes the Capella will shake up Bangkok's luxury market, with a new, more disruptive approach to high-end hospitality, from a different style of operations to a more bespoke, tailored service culture. While John acknowledges many of Bangkok's key international source markets will take time to return, he is confident that, for affluent consumers at least, travel will be a top priority as we emerge from this crisis.

As little as 50 years ago, the Maldives was nearly written off as a tourism destination due to the remote, inaccessible nature of its 1,200 tiny islands. Now, tourism leaders like Abdulla Ghiyas, former president of the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators, are hoping the country's biggest disadvantage will become its greatest selling point. In a post-lockdown, pre-vaccine world, he believes the country's one-island, one-resort set-up is perfectly suited for isolation and social distancing. Abdulla talks to David about how the country is preparing for a planned reopening to foreign arrivals on 1 July. He acknowledges that some source markets will take longer than others to return, but says that, with the right cooperation from airlines, travel operators and foreign ministries, they can offer a safe and welcoming environment.

HRS Chief Executive Officer Tobias Ragge is more optimistic than many of his peers. Providing a vaccine is developed, he suspects we could see the hospitality industry operating at 80% of 2019 levels as early as next year—not 2024 as many pundits predict. He also suspects this pandemic may have changed us more profoundly than we realise. In addition to business leaders operating more conservatively for a time, he expects the general public to emerge from time spent in quarantine with fundamental questions about life, work and the meaning of it all. This sort of paradigm shift could send ripples through society. He says now is the time for organisations to sharpen their value proposition, as those that are able to showcase their value are the ones that will survive this pandemic. The one-million-dollar question: whether it's the bigger hospitality brands that survive, or there's a proliferation of distinctive, smaller brands.

In the midst of the current global crisis, everyone is looking for answers and accurate, up-to-the minute data is key, says Jesper Palmqvist, STR Area Director – Asia Pacific. Talking to David, he explains that their role at STR is to make the unpredictable as predictable as possible, by sourcing and blending different data points to draw meaningful conclusions. This includes looking at how certain destinations dealt with past crises, as well as learning from those countries opening up first, such as China and, more recently, Vietnam and Thailand. Jesper acknowledges, however, that can you cannot take a one-size-fits-all approach, as each country will emerge from this differently. While some markets may recover faster, he says that this recovery will be U-shaped rather than V-shaped, with most Asian markets not returning to 2019 business levels until 2024.

When your business is heading towards a cliff's edge, you can simply deal with all the cancellations and liabilities—or you can put a small team together and figure out a way to pivot your offering. Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of Bench Events, did the latter. He talks to David and Catherine about how he launched a new online event, Hospitality Tomorrow, within 17 days of the UK going into lockdown. Since then, he has been busy exploring different platforms and solutions that enable virtual events to offer much more than a simple webinar. Going forward, he believes events of the future will be a hybrid affair, blending the reach and accessibility of an online experience with a smaller scale, more focused offline set-up. 

In the midst of a global pandemic that no one saw coming, and the ensuing economic crisis, Tosaporn Sihanatkathakul and his family have endured a much more personal form of loss. In a touching conversation with David and Catherine, the Executive Director of the Landmark Lancaster Hotel Group reflects on the role of legacy and family in business—both literally and as it pertains to those who depend on a hotel for their livelihood.En route to the new normal, Khun Tosaporn is looking to redesign current meeting spaces into what he describes as ‘goodwill spaces'. He also speaks candidly about the risks of investing in hotels at the moment, and what diversification means to him in the near to medium term.

Is your bucket list suddenly looking a bit more urgent? Joe Cummings' is. In the latest episode of The Future of Travel, the prolific travel writer talks to David and Catherine about how keen he is to start travelling again, with a focus on seeing all the places he's not been to – because you just don't know when the next crisis will come.  In the short-term, Joe believes it will be the most daring and inquisitive among us who will start testing the boundaries of the infrastructure and the air routes to see where we can go—which places are accessible and safe to visit. However, he's a little less optimistic about longer-term change. Having seen how quickly Thailand's post-tsunami sustainability goals were reversed, he expects to see the same again, with positive initiatives quickly rewinding within two to three years.

Agility has been a key word for Accor for many years and has even greater relevance during the current crisis, explains Patrick Basset,Chief Operating Officer AccorHotels Upper Southeast & Northeast Asia. Talking to David and Catherine on the latest episode of The Future of Travel, Patrick says Accor is committed to being a nimble, flexible organisation close to the market, in-touch with different trends and changing consumer behaviours. In his region, this has included re-examining the adaptability of different spaces within a hotel, as well as proactively engaging with local suppliers to consider alternative food and beverage solutions. Most importantly, however, he stressed the need to look after your people during this unprecedent time. With 27,000 employees in the region, Patrick said a huge part of his work right now has been about working with their partners and owners to ensure every single employee is being supported.

Robert Hecker—Managing Director, Pacific Asia of Horwath HTL—joins David and Catherine in this episode of The Future of Travel. A long-time friend of QUO, Robert provides insight into when and how he believes tourism will recover from the COVID-19 crises. According to Robert, the dominant industry sentiment is that pre-pandemic levels won't return until 2024. As a result, Robert believes projects slated to open in 2024 or later will be okay, but anything set to open in the next three years may struggle due to excess market capacity. And while he doesn't see foreclosures happening just yet, Robert expects some consolidation among hotel management groups, whether through takeovers or joint ventures.

How will the luxury hospitality sector fare post-crisis? Helen Smith, Chief Customer Experience Officer of Dorchester Collection, joins David and Catherine to discuss this in the latest episode of The Future of Travel. While Helen acknowledges that the sector will undoubtedly take a hit through this crisis, she explains that there will always be consumers who crave and seek out a luxury experience. These could be travellers who desire the traditions and the emotional engagement luxury offers or—perhaps most—the relationships it engenders between guests and staff. In the case of some loyal guests, she added, these are relationships that have been built up over many years. Helen stressed that the Dorchester Collection, like any brand, must remain flexible going forwards, but without losing sight of the core of the brand and its culture, because this is what guests love and come back for. 

Short-term strategies must be balanced with longer-term planning, explains Demian Hodari, Associate Professor of Strategic Management at the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL). In an in-depth and candid discussion about the future of the hospitality industry, Demian tells David that this crisis is an opportunity for creative disruption. He says organisations have no choice but to re-think the way they do things, because many of the hotel experiences we used to take for granted will not be relevant going forwards. As such, Demian says he's surprised that the only major announcements coming from hotel companies so far have been about hygiene and cleaning standards. While these standards are, of course, important in the short-term, he believes they will quickly become a given and cannot be used as a differentiator – just as airline safety standards are never used as a competitive factor.

In an upbeat and positive conversation, Ingo Schweder, Founder and CEO at GOCO Hospitality, shared his thoughts with David on how the pandemic offers us an opportunity to correct the many wrong paths humanity was taking and to ensure we create a better planet for future generations. In terms of the wellness industry, he believes the pre-virus shift towards a more scientific approach—with analytics and diagnostics—will become yet more dominant. People will want to know what is happening with the body and mind, how to live and feel better, in order to protect themselves from future illness.

Will the short-term rental market come out of this crisis stronger than ever? This was a key area of discussion between Catherine and Amanda Dyjecinski, Chief Brand and Marketing Officer of onefinestay. Amanda believes the privacy of a home or villa will be an attractive proposition post-crisis, but this must be combined with reassurances on cleaning and housekeeping standards.  She argues that humans are not rationale beings and make their decisions with their emotions, so it's going to be important how they feel about risk. In the short-to-medium term she agrees we'll likely see a lot of extended family and friends travel, as people seek to reconnect with those they've been separate from during lockdown. onefinestay's portfolio of luxury homes and villas is well-positioned to meet this demand.

In the latest episode of The Future of Travel, Clint Nagata, Founder and CEO of Blink Design, talks to David about the impact of the virus on the world of hospitality design. Clint believes the crisis will accelerate many of the trends we were witnessing before—such as increased focus on genuine local experiences, integration of technology and wellbeing as a core component of a hotel's offer. Clint also hopes that luxury will take on a new meaning in a post-virus world, with consumers having learnt to enjoy and appreciate simple things, rather than the brightest or most expensive.

“We must look up,” explains Choe Peng Sum, CEO of Pan Pacific Hotels Group, in our latest episode of The Future of Travel. Speaking to David and Catherine, he acknowledges that we're in the midst of a crisis of unmatched magnitude, but he is optimistic that recovery will come in 2021. The question is whether or not we're ready for it. Choe concedes the importance of conserving cash, but he stresses that you can't just hide away and do nothing. He sees commercial opportunities – not only due to low interest and exchange rates – but also in the way hoteliers do business.  Choe says the hotel industry has traditionally been very backwards. He hopes this crisis will open our minds to doing things differently, whether that's that means rethinking booking platforms or simply reassessing the importance we place on looking after our teams, our guests and the wider community.

What does it mean to be an owner-operator in the context of today's economic uncertainty? CEO of Fleming's Hotel Group Filip Blodinger discusses this issue with David in our first episode of the week. He talks about the value of a strong asset portfolio and the difference this makes in reducing complexities with banks and other partners. Going forward, Filip believes there will be increased focus on the need for financial reserves—whether for individuals, companies, states or governments. He also stresses the importance of a diverse brand portfolio, as he believes different segments of the market will emerge from this crisis at different paces.

EPISODE 13: Chairman of Jetwing Hiran Cooray is not just a global hospitality leader. He is also one of the most affable, articulate and disarming of all hospitality leaders. In this episode, he speaks candidly to Catherine and about the lockdown, the economic consequences and the future of tourism in Sri Lanka. Sadly the country is no stranger to crisis, as this week marked only one year since the insidious Easter Sunday bombing. Sri Lanka had emerged strongly from the bombings, but now Cooray believes the global nature of the virus will mean a much longer and deeper impact on both the economy and tourism.Listen on our website, or wherever you find your podcasts.

Michael Piro, CEO of Wink Hotels, discusses Vietnam's post-COVID-19 recovery strategy. As a country, Vietnam has managed to get through the crisis with incredibly low infection rates, and this week has seen lockdown measures starting to relax. Michael acknowledges the country's reliance on overseas source markets including China and Korea, but he's optimistic about the 20% annual growth domestic tourism has posted over the past five years. He also notes that Vietnam's young population (two-thirds are under 35 years old) are keen to start travelling again, with 70% of respondents to a recent social media questionnaire saying the first thing they want to do post-lockdown is head to the beach. 

Anthony Mallows is President and CEO of WATG, one of the world's leading design firms specialising in travel and hospitality. He joins David and Catherine in the latest episode of The Future of Travel podcast series for a wide-ranging conversation about design, infrastructure and human behavior. Anthony reflects the unique complexity of the COVID-19 crisis, considering that for the first time in modern history, lives have been threatened without aggression (i.e. we are not in the midst of a war). Anthony is optimistic that leisure travel will return but argues that three key factors will impact what that ultimately looks like: the impact of this crisis on the human psyche, the tools (e.g. technology) made available to change behaviours, and the regulatory environment we'll likely need to adjust to. He believes local culture will play a much greater role in travel's ‘new normal', while sustainable design, or doing more with less, will finally become a true hallmark of successful development.

In this week's first podcast, David and Catherine are joined by Dillip Rajakarier, Group CEO of Minor International and CEO of Minor Hotels. With exposure in almost 60 markets around the world, Minor has taken a country-by-country approach to tackling the crisis, always putting the safety and welfare of their teams and guests first. Looking at the crisis from the perspective of Minor's home base in Thailand, Dillip says regional travel will return first, but international arrivals will take much longer to come back. Even countries such as Sri Lanka, which he praises for the speed at which they got the virus under control, will struggle because the strict curfews have brought the country's economy to its knees. On the other hand, Dillip believes the crisis may force change upon certain destinations like the Maldives that desperately need recalibrating. Recent years have seen the country navigate towards a lower-cost market, which was not good for the country, and he hopes this may cause the Maldives to return to its roots as a high-end luxury destination.  

Rafat Ali, Founder and CEO of Skift, shares his candid opinions with David and Catherine on the failure of governments to form a coordinated response to the crisis. He also touches on the infrastructural and societal issues across the US and Europe that are likely to slow down the travel industry's return to normal. Rafat anticipates a new trend towards what he calls ‘radical localism' due to consumers becoming far more aware of the 5- to 10-block radius around where they live—taking greater notice of those nearby smaller businesses and how they're hurting. In contrast to other guests on the series, Rafat believes price (rather than brand) will drive demand in the short to medium terms, while travellers will also look for cleanliness, space and reputation. As a result, he argues, vacation rentals are likely to come back first because we can drive to them, avoid crowds and control the cleanliness of the space (even if that means bringing our own cleaning supplies).

David and Catherine talk to Thomas Willms, CEO of Deutsche Hospitality, about what it means to lose the freedom of travel. Referencing Germany's history and the restrictions that existed prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall, Willms says this is a particularly tough time for consumers right now. In China, too, he says it's been tough rewinding of the clocks to an era of border and state controls. He is optimistic, however, that travel will return due to our innate curiosity and desire to see the world. By September, he hopes leisure travel will start to come back, followed soon after by business travel; however, large-scale meetings and events will likely take significantly longer.

Jeff Weinstein, Editor in Chief of HOTELS magazine, talks to David about the paradigm shift that will have to take place within hotels when they start to resume normal business. He believes the need for some kind of distancing will remain until such time as a vaccine is widely available. This will require a significant re-think of operations, resulting in technology playing an even greater role than before, and in F&B becoming more limited.Jeff also expects consumers to look for security, safety and comfort, requiring big and small brands, alike, to pivot their messaging and demonstrate a greater sense of humanity and care.

David and Catherine speak to Nicolas Mayer, Managing Partner of PwC's Global Centre of Excellence for Tourism. Building on his wide-ranging experience advising governments, destinations and tourism organisations, Nic believes the industry is now waking up to the reality that recovery will likely take 12, 24 or even 36 months. But those market participants who use the time they have now wisely—on planning, scenario analysis, reflection and innovation—will be well placed to shape the new normal to their advantage.In a post COVID-19 world, Nic believes the new consumer will turn their back on mass tourism and crowded destinations, coming out of this collective trauma far more conscious of hygiene, distance and isolation. In fact, he argues, this may finally be an opportunity for sustainable tourism to flourish, with tomorrow's visitors seeking a much stronger interaction with local communities and ecosystems.

In the latest instalment of The Future of Travel, David and Catherine speak to Marloes Knippenberg, CEO of Kerten Hospitality. She believes in a post-Coronavirus world the ‘new normal' will see travellers, particularly the younger generation, ask many more questions about supply chains and sourcing, as well as how organisations looked after their team during the crisis.While Marloes is unsure about the future of social spaces in hotels, she does believe there is a great opportunity for mixed-used concepts—combining living, working, F&B and retail—because people will want to be in an environment with everything nearby.In terms of Kerten's own portfolio, temporary slowdowns in some markets are balanced by new signings and openings going ahead in Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

David and Catherine speak to Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of The Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), parent of brands including Taj, Vivanta and Ginger. Chhatwal explains the critical work IHCL is doing within local communities during the COVID-19 crisis, including providing thousands of meals to migrant workers, as well as housing to doctors and nurses so they don't have to travel long distances after 14- to 16-hour shifts. Post-Corona, he believes trust will be a key factor driving demand back into hotels. He explains that the new norm of social distancing won't go away immediately and for the first 12 to 24 months there will still be an element of fear, so people will look to brands they have an emotional connection with and those that make them feel safe. 

In the third episode of The Future of Travel, David is joined by Bill Barnett, Founder and Managing Director of C9 Hotelworks and founding advisor to the Phuket Hotels Association; and Anthony Lark, President of the Phuket Hotels Association and former General Manager of Amanpuri and Trisara. In a lively conversation, Bill and Anthony argue that tourism stakeholders across Phuket need to come together and reshape the island's destination narrative. They believe that the mass tourism of recent years is not sustainable in a post COVID-19 world; travellers of tomorrow will find little appeal in places with thousands of people and instead will seek out destinations that offer escapism from the world. They also argue that, to survive, Phuket hotels will need to rely far less on OTAs as their de-facto sales and marketing strategy, instead taking greater accountability for their own business and brand perception. 

In the second episode of QUO's The Future of Travel series, David and Catherine speak with Langham Hospitality Group CEO Stefan Leser on how the hotel group is navigating the COVID-19 crisis. Stefan takes a philosophical viewpoint on the situation, choosing to focus his energy on those things he can actually affect rather than the ‘paralysing forces' out of his immediate control. He also takes great hope from the green shoots of recovery taking place in China, where people are out on the streets again, consumption is returning and—in second- and third-tier cities—hotel occupancy has risen above 20%. 

In the first episode of QUO's The Future of Travel series, David and Catherine speak with citizenM COO Michael Levie about how much the travel industry is likely change as a function of COVID-19. Michael ponders the ramifications of social distancing for a brand like citizenM, which has staked so much of its identity on communal spaces. And he considers the need to stand by the core of citizenM even as they adapt to what he anticipates to be a ‘new normal'.