Send us Fan Mail As the travel industry looks ahead to 2027, standing out is becoming harder than ever. Performance marketing is more competitive and expensive, AI is flooding the market with content, and travellers have more choices at their fingertips than ever before. So what makes someone choose your brand, trust it and keep coming back? In the first episode of our three-part Marketing Series, sponsored by Propellic, Dan is joined by Laurel Greatrix, Chief Communications Officer at Tripadvisor; Roman Townsend, Managing Director at Belvera Partners; and Fabio Bin, Co-Founder and CMO of WeRoad, to explore why brand, PR and human connection matter more than ever. The conversation explores how AI is changing the way travellers discover brands, why reputation is increasingly shaped by everything from Reddit and social media to podcasts and AI-generated recommendations, and what it really takes to earn trust in a crowded marketplace. Laurel shares how Tripadvisor builds trust through authentic traveller reviews, real photos and experiences that make planning and booking easier. Roman explains why effective PR is about much more than promoting products, and how thought leadership, credibility and genuinely interesting stories help travel brands stand out with both media and customers. Fabio takes us behind the scenes of WeRoad's community-driven approach to marketing, sharing how the company has built a distinctive brand around bringing people together rather than simply selling destinations. From its recognizable visual identity to its organic social strategy, WeRoad offers a compelling example of what happens when customers become part of a brand's story. We also explore the growing role of AI in marketing, where it can make teams more efficient, where it risks making brands sound the same, and why the experiences people have with a company still matter more than any marketing campaign. As travel marketers plan for 2027, this conversation is a timely reminder that getting noticed is only half the challenge. Building a brand people remember, trust and genuinely want to be part of is what makes the difference. And this is just the beginning. Stay tuned for the next two episodes in our Marketing Series, where we'll explore Performance Marketing & Data Attribution and AI Visibility in Travel, with more industry leaders sharing their perspectives on what's next for travel marketing. 👉 Listen to The 2027 Travel Marketing Playbook Part 1: Brand, PR & the Human Advantage Now 🔥 Special Thanks to our Season 8 Title Sponsors for their Support: Quark Expeditions, Intrepid, Kaptio, Propellic, Repayd, and Holafly. The #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds. https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/
