Travel Industry CEO Interviews

Unbundling has been one of the biggest buzzwords in the airline industry in recent years, and for good reason. Full-service carriers like Delta think it is a great way to hit a broader range of consumers, but it doesn't come without its risks.

The online travel environment is transitioning at a hectic pace when you consider mobile and artificial intelligence. Expedia's new CEO, Mark Okerstrom, will have to find a way to chart his company's evolution at an appropriate speed to keep up. It won't always be smooth sailing.

Unless you're obsessed with aviation, you probably don't know SpiceJet. But you might someday. India is a fast-growing aviation market, and SpiceJet has nearly 200 Boeing 737s on order. Someday, it might even fly long-haul jets to London or beyond.

Virgin Atlantic has a strong brand, but for years it has lagged far behind British Airways in most categories. The upstart has just been too small to be a bona fide competitor. But Virgin Atlantic is finally taking action to ensure it will be more nimble going forward.

It'll be interesting to see how Pacious' understanding of digital technology and online distribution will inform Choice's future business strategy.

Ctrip dominates online travel in China and will benefit from the continued shift from offline to online bookings. Additionally, the company is pushing more into the lucrative outbound market. We discuss these trends and more with CEO Jane Jie Sun.

It's not that the travel industry doesn't understand that overtourism is a problem. It's an issue that at times might conflict with their bottom lines, and there is a lack of thoughtful and effective plans on how to deal with it. Guevara is already working on the topic — and we'll be watching to see how creative she and the WTTC can be.

With good management, this ultra low-cost airline strategy is profitable just about everywhere. The key? Airlines like Viva Aerobus must be fanatical about costs, and they must provide the cheapest fares, all the time. They also should treat their customers fairly.

Blockchain is essentially a large immutable database which, due to its security features and decentralized nature, can pose a threat to traditional intermediaries. Companies are looking to expand blockchain to tackle the current travel distribution landscape.

It's clear from his answers that Fabio Cannavale will keep looking to buy more companies. He thinks there are plenty of companies for sale and he's got some cash on hand.