Michaela Guzy is a one-woman reflection of what has happened in the media in the last few years. After reaching high-level positions at publishing houses like Conde Nast and American Express Publishing, she dropped it all to start a website called OhThePeopleYouMeet (OTPYM) - dedicated to travel adventures focused on, well, the people you meet when traveling.

As hotels and airlines look to renegotiate their contracts with online travel agencies (OTA), they may want to take a closer look at how well each OTA performs in driving consumer conversations offline and online. Since social influence has a proven impact on sales, a quick chat at the water cooler or a Facebook Messenger discussion about an upcoming vacation or weekend getaway is a leading indicator of who will secure the booking. Right now, TripAdvisor, Expedia.com and the other OTAs are outperforming hotels and airlines in this all-important battle for share of conversation.

As virtual reality and artificial intelligence make their way into the travel industry, consumers may not be fully on board.

Travel and adventure-seeking have a new, greater importance in the Millennial lifestyle. They are taking more vacations than ever, with 70% reporting the desire to visit every continent. They place a premium on authentic travel experience: cultural appreciation, living like a local, and off-the-beaten-track experiences are more sought after than partying and other "traditional" tourist activities. I think this is awesome. It's a wonderful trend that inspires tourists to go further, learn more and become more aware of their world.

The move to messaging as a primary form of communication between companies and consumers is, if anything, accelerating - and it's time for marketers to be sure they are at least up to date on what this channel might mean for them and their specific products.

One of the oldest industries in the world is poised to pave the way forward for one of our newest technologies, the Internet of Things (IoT). Luxury hotels could be the frontier that finally moves the vision of IoT fully connected living from CES displays to real life. Frankly, given all the efficiency and cost saving advantages the IoT could bring the hospitality industry, it's almost surprising it hasn't happened yet. (McKinsey finds that IoT hype actually understates the full potential.) So it seems appropriate now to take a moment to imagine how we should communicate this revolution to the ...

Recent terrorist attacks remind all of us in travel that we need to consider the impact and plan for the unthinkable, while still celebrating life.

Tourist destinations face the ongoing challenge of driving visits. Something new-a restaurant, attraction or hotel-certainly can help keep a destination's message fresh from year to year. But, what about seasons when there's simply nothing new to talk about? How do you attract new visitors while keeping loyal guests returning year after year?

There are two relationships critical in managing your hotel property. The first is your relationship with your associates, and it is cultural. The second is your relationship with guests, which is emotional. The two are related because how well you do with associates relationships will determine your success with guests relationships.

Last week, Google held its annual I/O summit at its headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. Many developers, executives and experience designers gathered to see what's next in Google's sprawling and often experimental product roadmap.