Samantha Shankman

The Ritz-Carlton is one of the most iconic luxury brands on the market today, but Humler is aware that a brand name isn't enough to keep guests coming back. Providing the personalized service and technology that they expect is more important than a name.

Even without the stick, tourists will continue to take selfies at museums around the world.

Travel brands selling vacations and luxury suites have a significantly easier job selling consumers on their products than these more stark service providers but adding a light perspective to what can be a tedious form of travel is a good start.

Chicago's visitor milestone is a result of a global rebound in business and leisure travel; however, an efforts that attempt to reposition a city's branding could also help with future growth.

San Diego knows what sells and it's putting all of its energy into portraying its beaches, sunshine and good times in the best light possible.

The #MyDubai initiative was a first step towards telling a more human story about the city, but Dubai's challenge moving forward will be making the city relevant outside of its iconic buildings so that visitors will travel far to visit and have reason to come back after the bucket list items are ticked.

Sports sponsorships have become one of the most popular ways that global carriers spread their brand name and build affinity far and wide. Qatar Airways doubling down on this strategy as it continues its network growth.

Despite the difficulty in measuring an exact ROI, hotels know that gaining awareness across social media is good for their brand and outreach and they want to give guests the tools and scenes they need to make a great photo.

Brand trust, fostered by communicating and delivering on a defined guest experience, is what keeps guests coming back year after year. Solomons focus on building trust is what drives all the smaller decisions from tech to training.

Amid increased competition and more sophisticated marketing tools, a lifestyle brand that connects to travelers’ ideals of themselves and the world has become the one vehicle left for building a long-term meaningful relationship with customers. It will be the key differentiator for future generations and a staple of product development moving forward.