The team at TravelAge West recently returned from our annual Future Leaders in Travel conference, held this year in Anchorage, Alaska. The event is always a highlight — inspirational, informative, fun and a reminder of the bright future of our industry. As you can read in our new cover story, many of these up-and-coming travel advisors are poised for greatness.
These themes show a group of future leaders who are ready to be bold, intentional and innovative, not just in travel, but in the way they shape their own lives and businesses.
This year, one element of our content was something we called the Intention Wall. Attendees posted short notes that captured their goals, challenges and sources of inspiration. It was a huge hit — we had nearly 200 notes posted on the wall over three days.
Many attendees want to integrate AI into daily business practices, from destination research and branding to social media content. A strong thread was time management — setting boundaries, saying “no” more often and moving past people-pleasing. Other notes emphasized delegating more tasks and focusing on working smarter, not harder. Another common concern was related to marketing strategies — finding ways to stand out in a crowded market and rise above the noise.
Other posts addressed personal growth, both as advisors and business leaders. Many admitted to struggles with self-doubt, imposter syndrome and fear of others’ opinions.
Taken together, these themes show a group of future leaders who are ready to be bold, intentional and innovative, not just in travel, but in the way they shape their own lives and businesses. They provide a blueprint of the challenges these entrepreneurs face — and, to me, a reminder of how we can help each other, and our industry, move forward together.
(You can read more about the Future Leaders in Travel conference, including the Intention Wall, in the upcoming “Future Leaders Yearbook” digital guide, due out Oct. 21.)
